Studying Italian in its country of origin means also having the chance to discover and get to know everything about life outside the school. It means learning to do things and live Italian style!
It’s no exaggeration to say the possibilities really are endless, however availability cannot be guaranteed year-round. We can guarantee, however, that your trip will be tailor-made. Therefore, when we send you the quote we will include a variety of options, for example theatre performances, concerts, agritourism breaks, wine cellars, museums, excursions…the list goes on. You then can select the options that suit you best.
We believe this is the best model for meeting and getting to know one another right from the start, since the relationship that exists between language study and enjoying the socio-cultural ambience is fundamental for achieving a profitable and speedy learning experience.
Pleasure is the foundation of all learning.
Here is what we propose:
We have contacts with many wine producers on Mount Etna and we know the best wine bars in Catania. We know where to find the “real” artisans of Sicilian cheeses and salamis. We’ll take you to the traditional wine-cellars on Etna and introduce you to the producers, who will be more than happy to respond to all your questions.
Expert guides will take you on a trip of Mount Etna, the volcano which dominates the Catania sky-line, the largest live volcano in Europe and one of the largest in the world. You can reach the lava desert, a moonscape in the highest accessible part of the volcano. If you are lucky, you can witness one of the small lavic flows, a truly fascinating event.
The sea is directly in front of the school. You can dive straight in!
Catania is home to a variety of theatres and opera houses, most notably, the famous baroque theatre dedicated to the musician Vincenzo Bellini, Teatro Stabile, the “occupied” modern-style theatres, so young and colourful, to those in the historic heart of the city, and of course not forgetting the majestic Greek Amphitheatre in Syracusa (where every year between May and June there are performances of the Greek tragedies), nor the Greco-Roman theatre of Catania. If you wish we will accompany you in the discovery of the Sicilian theatre and concert season.
The ideal option for those who wish to enjoy a stay in which the past and the present are reconciled. A tour of the villages of Etna and its best medieval pathways. . A trip to the town of Randazzo, with its streets and Churches bursting with history, discovering its medieval alleyways and the famous ‘Casa della Musica’. In this medieval casa (‘house’) an eccentric Luthier (a producer and repairman of violin, lutes and similar) creates his instruments by hand whilst entertaining his visitors with Sicilian tales in a magical atmosphere.
At the end of July you can participate in the Medieval Festival in which one our collaegues, Manuela (also a part of our Dream Team), participates fully decked out in the costumes of the era. You could accompany her to this traditional festival, enjoying typical Sicilian music, dance and folklore.
The Norman castle of Aci Castello houses a small gallery in honour of Jean Calogero. The paintings on display, donated by the family of the artist, demonstrate a brave and lively style which characterises this 19th century painter admired the world over. (http://www.jeancalogero.com/)
Evenings out in Aci Castello and Catania
There’s much to do and it requires little introduction. Catania during the winter months is one of the most vibrant cities in the south of Italy for the amount and variety of evening entertainment on display (pubs, bars, night clubs, restaurants and bustling streets and squares); Aci Castello during the summer months becomes an obligatory stop-off for Catanesi on Saturday evenings.
We are in touch with many artisans in Catania and Caltagirone, dotted around in the countryside and producing works of the highest quality: pipes, ceramics, leather goods, cheese and salamis, carpentry…we will be proud to accompany you to our historic workshops.
