Available May, June or September 2009
About Puglia
In this strip of land, located in the southeast region of Italy there lies a land of your dreams: clear deep blue sea and golden beaches, magical Medieval castles and impressive cathedrals, cone-shaped houses (trulli), old fortified farmhouses, wide landscapes of earth and stones, elegant baroque towns and small white Medieval villages, laborious artisan's shops and tasty delicacies of the best Apulian gastronomic tradition.
About the cuisine
You can appreciate Apulian hospitality in many ways: the spontaneous generosity and liveliness of its inhabitants, the intense colours of the landscape, the dazzling white of the little streets and houses, the wide valleys of vineyards and olive-groves and best of all, the delicious specialities of the Apulian traditional cuisine.
Wheat, oil and wine: three simple and healthy elements which have caught the attention of all experienced nutritionists of the world who believe that our cuisine is the healthiest in the world.
Homemade pasta, "focacce" and "pizzelle" made according to the traditional recipes, fresh cheeses such as "burrate" or "cacio", all sorts of season jams and preserves are only some of the delicacies we will discover in our tour among wine farms and "masserie"
Your week at a glance
Welcome to Puglia!
Your English speaking assistant will greet you at either the Bari or Brindisi airport to provide you with a GRAND WELCOME to Puglia!
Transfer to your luxury hotel where you will enjoy a lovely welcome dinner with the rest of your group..
Day Two
Morning cooking lesson – Afternoon visit to Polignano a Mare/Monopoli
After breakfast you will take part in your first cooking lesson with your fellow students. Learn to prepare a mediterranean seafood specialty from Puglia, followed by a relaxing lunch based on the fruits of your labor.
In the afternoon, you will transfer to Polignano a Mare, an enchanting city situated on a beautiful cliff filled with sea caves and terraces overlooking the breathtaking water.
You'll enjoy free time to stroll the area where you can stop at a local café to taste the specialty of this town - ice-cream. We also recommend stopping by the church of Santa Maria Assunta, built on the ruins of a Pagan temple and the church of Purgatorio that houses an organ from the XVIII Century.
Your next stop will be Monopoli, a large industrial farming town known for its oil and tourist amenities.
The Cathedral is one of the most noteworthy examples of Apulian Baroque style.
The beauty of the coast and charm of this area offers its visitors a unique opportunity to appreciate the towns special flavors, wonderful colors and rich cultural tradition.
Back to the hotel. Free time to relax before dinner.
Day Three
Morning Cooking lesson – Afternoon tour of Masserie and Lama D’Antico
After breakfast, you will take part in another interesting cooking lesson where you will learn to make. “Panzerotti, and focaccia” - delicious specialities of the area.
In the afternoon you will stop by the Lama D’Antico - a cave church. Lama d’Antico is essentially a cathedral built into stone having a very interesting architectural system where typical elements of eastern and Latin churches co-exist.
Originally the church may have been frescoed and nowadays there are traces represented in the Bema style with saints’ icons, isolated in triptych.
Then you will visit a Masseria (ancient farmhouse) located on the slopes of Fasano's Murgia, in the proximity of Cisternino pinetree grove.
This seventeenth-century white-washed masseria stands in the middle of ancient olive groves, near the old Castro homestead (destroyed in 1100), in a rocky land (caves, old and underground oil mills),
The ancient rural complex, with an inner courtyard surrounded by stables and barns, was the dwelling of the farmer and a number of peasant families. In 1996, it was carefully restored, respecting its historical value and original beauty.
After that you will reach another Masseria, surrounded by an ancient olive grove, situated must 2 Km from the shores of ancient Egnathia, far from the city chaos and protected by its old walls.
This is an ideal place for those looking for a return to simple life in direct contact with Mediterranean nature, and with the reality of an active farmstead, among the chirping birds and the coolness of citrus orchards, in an atmosphere that seems to have escaped the damage wrought by time.
Return to the hotel for a relaxing dinner and overnight accommodations.
Day Four
Morning Cooking lesson – Afternoon visit to Selva di Fasano/Locorotondo /Cisternino
After breakfast you will take part in your third cooking lesson and lunch.
In afternoon you’ll reach Locorotondo. A town that
dominates the Itria valley, and is a highly characteristic village, mainly for
its original circular perimeter. Very interesting is the Neoclassical
mother Church of San Giorgio, the loveliest example of nineteenth
century churches in Puglia, designed by Giuseppe Gimma. In the
village there are typical white houses called “cummerse”.
Your next stop will be Cisternino,a very cosy townplaced on a height, this has an oriental air thinks to its whitewashed terraced houses with outside staircases and balconies.
After the visit you will return to the hotel for dinner and a good night's sleep.
Day Five
Morning cooking lesson – afternoon in Ostuni – Martina - Alberobello
After breakfast, you will have your cooking lesson at the Masseria, followed by lunch.
After lunch you’ll reach Ostuni, a fashionable town standing on three hills.
The medieval village called “Rione Terra” is on the highest of the three hills and surrounded by Aragonese ramparts. Its origin is uncertain, some believe it dates back to the Messapian “Stulnium”, others ascribe it to the Medieval “Astunium”, which would derive from Astu neon, that is “new town”.
Your next stop will be Martina Franca, the most elegant town of the Itria
valley, originated from an ancient 10th century village, San Martino.
This
village was enlarged in the early 14th century by Philip of Anjou, Prince of
Taranto, who granted privileges and franchises to its inhabitants, hence
its present name.
The old town centre is of great interest for its marked and
compact Baroque character. Of note are the Palazzo Ducale, the only work of Bernini in Southern Italy and the Church of San Martino.
The last stop of the day will be Alberobello, a fairy village made of unique cone-shaped houses called “trulli". The southern part of the village is the “monumental area” or “trulli district”, including the quarters of Monti and Aia Piccola, consisting entirely in trulli in groups and standing along the steep, winding streets that climb up the hill. Alberobello since 1996 is patrimony of UNESCO.
Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight accommodations
6th day Morning Cooking lesson – Afternoon visit to Oria
After breakfast, you will have your latest cooking lesson at the Masseria and lunch.
In the afternoon you will reach Oria. An important Messapian town built on the three hills of Lecce’s Tavoliere . During the middle ages it became a lively cultural centre chiefly because of the Jewish community that had settled there.
The ancient part of the town dates back to the middle ages and is dominated by the mighty fortified castle that was erected between 1227 and 1233 by order of Frederick II of Swabia, then enlarged during the fourteenth century. Inside the castle there is an interesting collection of antiquities and the charming SS. Crisante and Daria crypt. Scholars believe that the crypt belonged to the ancient cathedral, devastated by an earthquake and rebuilt in the mid-eighteenth century.
Upon return to the hotel, your group will stop in a suggested Masseria for a lovely dinner.
7th day Lecce/Otranto
In the morning, you’ll experience this charming town whose skillful stone-dresser’s masters have given life to the baroque forms of allchapels and buildings. Lecce, known as the “Florence of the South”, is of Messapian origins.
The city’s most precious architectural gem is Piazza Duomo, with the Assunta cathedral and its charming bell tower, the Bishop’s palace and the Palazzo del Seminario.
The finest example of the Lecce Baroque is the magnificent Santa Croce Basilica. Nearby, we’ll enter an artisan shop to see a papier-maché demonstration, an ancient art highly performed in Lecce. Little stop to have a snack with the typical bread of Lecce: “Puccia”. Lunch in a typical restaurant.
In the afternoon, you’ll leave for Otranto. The town lies in an inlet on the western coast of the Otranto channel. Ancient Hydruntum was founded by the Greeks.
During the Middle Ages, Otranto became even more important as a mercantile port, but the mid-fifteenth century marked the beginning of a long period of decline with the violent Turkish incursions. The cathedral, founded at the end of the eleventh century, has a majestic interior decorated with an exceptional mosaic floor, precious historic works including the splendid Tree of Life. The “Martiri” chapel commemorates the massacre perpetrated in 1480 by Turks.
Return to the hotel, farewell dinner and overnight accommodations.
8th day
After breakfast, check-out and transfer to Bari or Brindisi airport.
Typical Puglian Recipes you will learn to make during your stay in Puglia are such Meditteranean delicacies as:
There are two choices of accommodations available for the above-mentioned trip.
MASSERIA TORRE COCCARO***** Five Star Luxury Hotel
3,400 euro per person - based on double occupancy
Single supplement for 7 nights 1,680 Euro per person
OR
HOTEL DEL LEVANTE**** Four Star Luxury Hotel
2,200 euro per person - based on double occupancy
Single supplement for 7 nights is 300 euro per person
(US Exchange Rate will be calculated upon payment of
deposit and remaining balance, if paid in installments) This includes a one-time $50 non-refundable administration fee
The package includes:
