If it is an art history program and you’re into renaissance art, I would opt for Florence. If you want to party, enjoy some time on the beach, and would like to live in a slightly more alive city Barcelona might be for you

klmarch,

In addition to the differences mim brought up, the largest difference is this:

Barcelona is a big city. Florence is a quieter mid-size city.

A Barcelona-Florence comparison specifically is a much more accurate and much fairer way to look at it than Italy-vs-Spain.

You’re going to be living there for a few months, so if you have any preference on whether you’d like a mid-size city or a large bustling one, then you need to take this into consideration.

Another thing: is this a language program? Will you be studying the local language? If you’ve been studying, say, Italian for 4 years, wouldn’t Florence make more sense? If they’re making you start language-learning from scratch, which language are you most interested in? Italian? Or Spanish? (Barcelona is bilingual where a local regional language [Catalan] coexists with Spain’s national language [“Spanish”, but more accurately called Castilian especially in Catalonia).

You need to take these things into consideration as well.

As far as nightlife, Florence, like any proper South Euro city, will certainly be lively, especially as you approach the warmer months. But Barcelona is a bigger city, and will have more. But you won’t be disappointed by Florence.