Courses: Hilltown Tour

Course Dates:

Dates Currently Being Scheduled

“An Italian Hill Town Tour ” is a new addition to the Caifiordi School of Art schedule. Caifiordi is an art school based in Pietralunga, Italy, located in the center of the region of Umbria. Traditionally, Caifiordi has celebrated art and the artist. The regions of Tuscany and Umbria, the cuisine, the history and the people there are truly art and artists. “Art, Antiques & Antiquities” will showcase these extraordinary regions.

Tuscany and Umbria are enchanting places of great beauty. In this eleven day adventure you will experience firsthand the delicious cuisine of this special area of Italy. You will be treated to breathtaking vistas and charming medieval hill towns. You will also have the opportunity to meet the friendly people who inhabit these enchanting regions. The group size, which is limited to 10-15 people, allows your hosts to be able to provide you with a unique gourmet experience. You will come to know and appreciate these regions and the people whom you will meet along the way.

During your time in Italy, you will also have an opportunity to experience “up close and personal” life in a small Italian hill town. You will meet with local residents, explore local fresh air markets and meet your hosts at the various restaurants you will visit. You will also enjoy many conversations with Paolo, Manuele and Simone at Locanda del Borgo, the charming hotel where you will stay. You will have the opportunity on Sunday to experience a typical Umbrian meal al fresco at Caifiordi. Afterward you may choose to watercolor with the children of Pietralunga (or merely enjoy watching or photographing them at work), an activity which has become a tradition at Caifiordi. These experiences will delight and inspire you. You will come to know the true emotion and passion of the Italian people in a way which could not be done without these local contacts.

During this Italian adventure, you will explore many of the charming hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria. These delightful places are truly the “stuff” from which movies are made. While in Italy, you will also:

• Ride a cable car up the mountain to an ancient basillica
• Shop for linens, jewelry, silver, art and war memorabilia at Italy’s largest antiques fair
• Visit the ceramic shops in Deruta and Gubbio
• Tour an ancient Roman amphitheater
• Visit the cathedrals in Assisi, the birthplace of Saints Francis and Clair
• Experience and savor local cuisine and wine
• Attend a farewell banquet at Locanda del Borgo, prepared by Chef Paolo, which will feature local cuisine, cheeses, meats and wines. Your host will explain the menu and the method of preparation.

COST:

The cost for your trip is $2950 for the Olive Harvest and Easter photography tours and $3150 for the 4th of July tour. This cost includes the following items:

• All lodging in both Pietralunga and Florence
• Ground transportation from Rome and to Florence
• Ground transportation to all daily excursions
• Admission to all museums and attractions
• All meals with the exception of lunch and breakfast the day you are in Florence
• All gratuities
• All baggage handling
• Materials for printing many of your photographs

To join us for this cooking adventure, all you need to do is pay a non-refundable deposit of $500. This will guarantee your space in the group which will be limited to no more than 14 persons. One-half the balance will be due within 30 days and the balance thirty days before your first date of travel.

More information can be found on our website at www.caifiordi.com or by calling Bert Grayson at 870-636-8082.

Our schedule for this all-inclusive ten day program is:

DAY 1:	Depart from your home country
DAY 2:	Arrive in Rome, Italy where you will be met by Caifiordi personnel and your guide. From Rome, transportation will be provided for you with lunch along the way. You will be driven to Pietralunga where you check into Locanda del Borgo, the charming 16th century country house which has been beautifully converted into a hotel and restaurant. There you will be greeted by the father and sons who operate this charming facility. During your time here, you will get to know this family who will be prepared to assist you in every way to make your stay more enjoyable. Once you are settled into the hotel, we will meet for a welcome dinner at Il Triangolo in Pietralunga where you can sample one of the traditional Italian pizzas which Chef Franco will make for you in a wood-fired oven.
DAY 3:	You will have breakfast at Locanda del Borgo where you will be treated to an assortment of homemade breads and breakfast pastries, traditional of the region, fresh fruits, juices, yogurt, cereal and as your choice of beverage. Following a leisurely breakfast, you will travel to Arezzo where you will explore the outdoor antique market which is spread throughout the ancient historic city center. Following a morning browsing among the various antique stalls, we will have lunch in Arezzo and tour the Bascilica of San Francesco to view the beautifully restored Pierro della Francesca fresco cycle of The Legend of the True Cross. We will then travel back to Locanda del Borgo for an afternoon siesta. A pre-dinner walk through the ancient medieval section of this village will whet your appetite for dinner in Pietralunga at Locanda dei Fiorucci.
DAY 4:	Your fourth day of this adventure is Sunday which is a good time to sleep in late or explore the historic section of Pietralunga if you feel more energetic. The local ancient church has mass at 8:30 and again at 11:00 and you can enjoy the local custom of strolling to a local café for a coffee after church should you desire. Lunch, featuring the local cuisine, will be al fresco at Caifiordi where we are often joined by our neighbors. Following lunch, you will have the option of simply relaxing and enjoying the vistas at Caifiordi, undertaking a hike through the forest, or joining your host and the children of Pietralunga for a late afternoon session of painting adjacent to the medieval church in Pietralunga’s piazza. Once again, Chef Franco will prepare pasta or pizza for you at Il Triangolo.
DAY 5:	Today, after breakfast, you will travel to Gubbio where you will tour the ruins of a Roman amphitheater. You will also ride a cable car high up the mountain to visit the Bascilica of Saint Ubaldo, the patron saint of Gubbio. Lunch will be a picnic at the Teatro Romano, the ruins of the Roman amphitheater, followed by a gellato at the Café Teatro. We will also tour the mausoleum which is a tribute to the forty Gubbians executed by the Nazis in June 1944 as a reprisal for the shooting of two Nazi soldiers. We will explore the delightful shops of Gubbio, have a caffe at a sidewalk bar and have dinner at Il Piccio Verde (the Green Woodpecker).
DAY 6:	This morning it’s off to Cortona, the city featured in the “Under the Tuscan Sun”. There we will explore the museum, shop in local boutiques and have a leisurely lunch at La Locanda nel Loggiato. Following lunch, there will be more time for shopping and exploring the churches of Cortona. We will leave Cortona in the late afternoon and drive to Montone, one of the most picturesque hill towns in Umbria, for sightseeing and dinner at Taverna del Verziere.
DAY 7:	After breakfast, we head to Umbertide for a trip through the outdoor market. This is a typical Italian experience which you won’t want to miss. Following a mid-morning snack at Café Centrale, we will head for Deruta. Deruta has been famous for centuries for its brightly colored pottery. There will be time to browse through the many shops in the historic center of this city. Lunch will be at La Fontanina. Dinner will be in Umbertide at Tres Freres, an Italian restaurant with a French name.
DAY 8:	Today we will turn our attention to the more spiritual as we tour Assisi, the medieval hill town which was the birthplace of Saints Francis and Clair. We will visit many beautiful churches filled with exquisite Gothic and early Renaissance art. The shops there are good places to purchase souvenirs and local Umbrian textiles and food products. That evening will be highlighted by a banquet at Locanda del Borgo especially prepared by Chef Paolo where local delicacies will be served and explained to you. The Chef will even provide you with the recipes for the dishes you have enjoyed during this visit.
DAY 9 & 10:	This morning you will check out of Locanda del Borgo. Then it is off to Florence where you will be checked into your hotel. You will be “on your own” in Florence for Friday night and all day Saturday with time to shop, photograph and see the many sights in this famous city. The Uffizi, the Academie, Santo Croce, and fabulous shops and restaurants are among the many attractions available to you. You will be provided with printed information concerning these and other attractions which you may want to visit.
DAY 11:	Depart from Florence. Arrive in U.S.

Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell

Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell

Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell

Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell

Photo Credit - Bill Quinnell