Italian Experiences

Row and Eat Like a Venetian

Learn to row traditional Venetian boats just like a gondolier. Then enjoy an assortment of typical cicchetti and accompanying wines. These crostini concoctions are limited only by the imaginations of the proprietors who create them, and none of it will ever taste better than after a late-afternoon lesson, sipping and sampling as the sun sets, in a bella batelina that you rowed yourself. Being accompanied by a Venetian means you might venture to try classics like piovra (octopus), fluffy white bàcala mantecato (cooked codfish whipped with olive oil) on polenta, a savory hot polpetta meatball or tuna croquet, or a speck, robiolo e tartuffo crostino.

www.rowvenice.org

Family dinners the Sicilian Way

If you’re a fan of cooking, then learning to prepare a three-course Sicilian meal at Il Nettuno Restaurant in central Taormina is perfect for you. The five-hour cooking class is led by a professional chef who will not only teach you to prepare classic Sicilian dishes but will also take you to a local market and reveal the secret to selecting the freshest, most flavourful ingredients. This hands-on class is ideal for those visitors looking to learn something they can take home with them and use long after they’ve left Sicily.

www.ristorantenettunodasiciliano.it

Artisan Italian cheesemaking

This one week full immersion course begins with the science necessary to produce any type of cheese and quickly moves into the production phase. In addition to making classic regional Italian cheeses, a special section of the course shows participants how to develop personal cheeses to fit any taste and preference.

During this intensive and comprehensive programme, participants are taken through each step of cheesemaking, beginning with the planning and development of each recipe, the phases necessary for production, storage and aging options, and optimal serving and accompaniments for each cheese.

www.italianculinary.it

Art and Prosecco

Located on the outskirts of the ancient hilltop town of Montelparo in Le Marche, Hotel Leone offers guests a chic retreat with far-reaching views of both the mountains and the coast. A boutique townhouse with nine luxurious suites, a private swimming pool, restaurant, bar, lounge and panoramic terraces, Hotel Leone offers guests the chance to indulge in an array of creative activities, artist retreats and special interest breaks which are hosted throughout the spring, summer and autumn. From knitting to writing, painting to yoga, Hotel Leone’s exclusive retreats offer something for everyone.

www.hotelleonemarche.com

Brenda McMahon, Orange sun

From grape to glass

Appunti di Vino is the wine course created by Vinity, dedicated to those who truly are passionate and curious about the subject of wine, from the grape growing to the wine making, to the tasting of wines. A complete and dynamic course to discover wine in four intensive lessons, with various wine tasting, where teaching goes hand-inhand with fun and debate. At the end of the course it will be possible to advance to a second level, a course where another four lessons will be entirely dedicated to the wine and food pairing rules, with tastings of both during each lesson.

www.vinity.it

Ceramic art

Learn how to create undulating and dimensional ceramic tile murals during this 14-day hands-on workshop. The programme will teach participants several ways to make tiles and how to create volume, texture and dimensions that you do not generally see on the wall. Brenda Mc- Mahon will demonstrate how to create wall sculptures large and small, while sharing how to adhere, frame and hang these art pieces. In addition to tile making, Brenda shares her unusual and liberating glazing method which allows students to use dozens of colours, lightly layered onto the surface of their tile art.

Next workshop: 29 September– 12 October 2019

www.lameridiana.fi.it

Scuba for beginners

This is a course for those who have always wanted to learn scuba diving, experiencing unparalleled adventure and discovering the underwater world. This course is the world’s most popular and widely recognised scuba course. Through it you’ll learn the basic rules of scuba diving, valid for your future scuba diving career and you’ll get a scuba diving certification that will allow you to dive at a maximum depth of 18 m.

www.centrosubcampiflegrei.it

Venice architecture

The best architecture studios in Venice will share their insights on local (interior and exterior) projects and together examine innovative solutions for the city that is claimed to be stuck in time. This intense three-day course will introduce you to the magical combination of the new and the old in Venice. You will discover the most recent renovation projects by Rem Koolhaas and Tadao Ando, discussing restoration and conservation challenges as well as sustainable solutions for the city of Venice and beyond.

Next course: 9–11 October 2019

www.europeanculturalacademy.com

Gladiator for a day

The Gladiator School offers short courses of gladiatura with preparation and personal training programmes. At the end of the period of preparation, the aspiring gladiator can continue the learning phase and then become part of the Gladiator School in Rome, the first school ever to teach this discipline of art that is historic yet still charming. You’ll discover the secrets of Imperial Rome’s gladiator games, get hands-on with ancient Roman history and have the best fun you can imagine.

www.gruppostoricoromano.it

History of Italian art

For those fascinated by the beauty of Italian monuments and are not satisfied with only a basic understanding of them, this History of Italian Art course will allow you to learn in depth about the history and social context in which these masterpieces were designed and executed. You will become acquainted with the most important works of artists such as Botticelli, Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo while learning about the most significant historical and social events that accompanied them.

www.scuolaleonardo.com

Hotel Leone art course