The peculiarity of Arezzo province is in another image of Tuscany that is quite unusual for ordinary tourists. Untrodden trails – this is real Tuscany for the local people. The second feature of Arezzo is being the crossroads of three regions: Tuscany, Emilia Romagna and Umbria, from all of which Tuscany has borrowed the best qualities. No wonder, these places have given birth to such geniuses as Michelangelo, Raphael, Pietro da Cortona…
We will use the strategic position of this province and will see, try and experience the best of history, architecture, nature and cooking of course. These three regions are rightly considered to be the trendsetters in the world-famous gastronomic traditions of Italy.
We’re going to absorb the historical heritage of these genius and also learn to cook. We will get acquainted with the full range of basic gastronomy of Italy: pasta, meat, fish, vegetables. This basic things would be still better in variety with something authentic, namely cold cuts, cheeses, wines and truffles. In addition to cooking, learn how to choose products in the market and/or in the supermarket, with the help of our consultant chefs, and some of them (like the truffles) – we will try to find by ourselves!
If you want to bring your children – no problem, as there are also special classes prepared for them. Everything what the adults are doing, the children can do ever much better! In parallel with lessons for adults, the kids will learn to cook from the same products something interesting for their age: from meat dishes to soft drinks.
A particular focus of our lessons will be fun compositions made of food that would not leave anyone indifferent. We can arrange a competition between your families and/or adult team and children, dad and mom.
However, what a dish without a highlight? Such a highlight of our tour will be the areas that can hardly be found in other programs:
- the elements of gluten free diet in pasta and pastries;
- haute cuisine (finger food);
- alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails;
- fun for adults and children, such as shapes from the cappuccino foam;
- making ice cream in a very unusual place, the town of Ponticino, which was the background for the immortal Mona Lisa portrait, and where nowadays a very important character is living who can introduce us to the ice cream — particularly with chocolate… That is Pupo (whose real name is Enzo Ghinazzi), along with his family, was PERSONALLY involved in the drafting and implementation of this program.
Our “headquarters” will be located in the province of Arezzo. This is a typical old Tuscan house with a cozy patio and fireplace. The owner of the guest house (being a part-owner of a culinary school) is a versatile chef with a long track record of contests and awards. She had released several generations of chefs, both professionals and amateurs. At the end of the week each participant will get a Diploma of Gastronomic Course and also some gifts (including gadgets).
PROGRAMME
| Day 1 |
| · Arrival in Rome airport, transfer to Toscana province · Lunch during the transfer (optional) · Walking tour around the city of antique dealers, Arezzo, with its old streets, Cathedral of St Francis, the Church of San Domenica and the Central square, where each month the most famous Antiques market in Italy takes place. · Arrival to the hotel / guest house, accommodation, relax · A class on gastronomy and theme dinner — pasta, its varieties, types of sauces, cooking pasta · Night in the hotel |
| Day 2 |
| · Trips and excursions in the Etruscan town of Cortona, to the birthplace of Luca Signorelli and Pietro from Cortona and Città di Castello · Olive oil tasting at one of the old mills of the region · Lunch (OPTIONAL) · Free time to relax and visit the Ciciliano baths. A little frothy, fizzy and with a slight smell of sulphur, these springs have been known since ancient times and the water is particularly recommended for digestive system and cleaning the kidneys, as well as for skin purification. · Lesson on gastronomy and theme dinner: fish and its correct choice. Option for children — calamari deep-fried · Night in the hotel |
| Day 3 |
| · Caprese Michelangelo and Urbino. Today we will go on a visit to the genius: Michelangelo and Raphael, to their native towns, where their childhood and youth were spent. We will try to feel the genius of this land, visit their houses, museums with their works, listen to the «recollections»… · Lunch (OPTIONAL) · Visit to the sausage production, introduction to manufacturing of homemade sausages. We will also learn more about meat and its correct choice. · Lesson on gastronomy and theme dinner: meat and its role in the cuisine of Tuscany. Option for children – Italian burgers · Night in the hotel |
| Day 4 |
| · Excursion to the Chianti region and a tour to the wine cellars. It is the most famous valley wine country, located just 30 minutes drive from Florence. You will ride through centuries-old farms, where you will be shown the vineyards, the wine-cellars, you will learn the principles of using wine in the local cuisine, and of course all of this will be supported by wine tasting and the sommelier lesson. In particular, we can enjoy the property of Antinori Marquis. First, in the 12th century, the family of Antinori were trading textile (and silk in particular). The crisis in Florence, caused by the bankruptcy of Bundy and Peruzzi banks (in 1336 – 1340) made the family change their practices, so in 1385 the brand “Antinori» was registered. As on today, the brand «Antinori» one of the oldest in the world — 26 generations of the same family have been producing wine. · Lunch (OPTIONAL) · OPTIONAL: Visit to Rapolano Thermal complex · Lesson on gastronomy for the adults: a calls of high-end cuisine. Finger food – small, delicious and aesthetic dishes and correct combination of food and wine. Option for children: the kitchen can be funny (making decorations and compositions of the products) · Night in the hotel |
| Day 5 |
| · Excursion to Siena. The city of the Palio, which takes place on the famous Grand Piazza. On the way we will see the following: Port Camollia, the Church of the knights Templar, Tolomei Palazzo, the Palazzo Hotel, the Loggia della Mercanzia, Piazza del Campo, Palazzo Pubblico, Torre del Mangia, the Gaia Fountain, the OSPEDALE di Santa Maria della Scala, the Duomo, the Church and house of Saint Catherine. · Monteriggioni. It is mostly famous for its 14 towers overlooking the ramparts. These towers are mentioned in Dante Alighieri’s works. · Lunch in the castle or in the cellar (OPTIONAL) · Lesson on gastronomy and theme dinner – veganism: cheese and vegetables, the role of oil and pepper for a diversity of food. Option for children: let us play with the vegetables! · Night in the hotel |
| Day 6 |
| · Excursion to Florence. A walk through the cradle of the Renaissance for exploring the main sights. A visit to the two centres of Florence, with its secular Palace Vecchio and the Loggia della Signoria, the Old bridge, the graceful arches of the Uffizi gallery, home of Dante, with its romantic story of Beatrice Portinari, the poet’s muse. Then we will pass to the religious center: Cathedral of St. Maria del Fiore and Giotto’s bell tower, the Church of Orsanmichele and Santa Croce with the tombs of Tuscany’s great personalities. · Lunch with Florentine steak (OPTIONAL) · For the dessert – tasting of the ice-cream in an old gelateria (however, ice-cream was invented in Florence in the 15th century due to influential signora Medici. · A gastronomy master-class on the following theme: Tuscany’s original cuisine or the secrets of the Tuscan housewives (soups, crostini, and more) · Return to the hotel |
| Day 7 – “VEGETARIAN DAY” |
| · Searching for truffles, lecture about the truffles and their usage in cuisine. We will be looking for truffles (the Italian black gold) with the support of specially trained dogs. We will walk through the woods watching how the dogs determine the location of the mushrooms and then we will return to the city with the crop. Then we suggest you visiting the places of truffle delicacies production of different kinds from pates to chocolate. The visit will be accompanied with a lecture and degustation. · A trip to the village of Ponticino, the image of which was captured as the background in the portrait of Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. Lesson of cocktails and drawings on the coffee foam – both for adults and children. · Night in the hotel |
| Day 8 |
| · Departure to Rome · The Orcia valley: a trip around the extraordinary beauty of the Tuscan hills, looking like lunar landscapes, which are considered to be a real desert, the only one in Italy. However, they are so popular not only for beauty. Over there the famous towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano are located, that we will also visit for tasting local wines in the same-name cellars. Our walk through the valley would not be complete without a visit to Pienza, where you will be offered lunch and degustation. · Lunch (OPTIONAL) · Transfer to the hotel in Rome; departure on the next day |
Included into the price:
- Residence in the hotel
- Meals: half-board (breakfast & dinner)
- Transfer on the arrival date + during the tour
- Excursions as per the program
- Master-classes
- Guide assistance during the whole trip
- Bus for the whole group
Not included into the price:
- Lunches
- Additional excursions (indicated as “optional” in the above program)
- Flight tickets
- Visa service (if required)
- Medical Insurance
- Transfer to the airport on the last day
- Additional nights to be spent in Rome
