One Week Italian Cooking Course and Culinary Tours
Traveling from the Roman countryside to Lecce and Salento
If you are planning your long vacation in Italy and would like to spend a few days in a small oasis of peace and tranquility, between Tuscany and Rome, to the north, and the Amalfi Coast, Naples, Pompeii to the south, this is the place, stop here in Pico!
If you are looking for something charming and authentic, and wish to experience a less well-known part of Italy, Lecce and Salento is an amazing place to visit.
- A full immersion in the traditions of the best Italian cuisine
- 4 Cooking lessons tailor-made for you
- 5 Exclusive culinary excursions and visits discovering authentic Treasures of History, Art, Culture, Nature, that belong to the immense Italian heritage, in short, authentic "goodies"
Day 1. Arrival in Pico
- Arrival at Nenà al Borgo Castello in the late morning.
- Welcome drink, Staff presentation, introduction to the program and itineraries.
- Lunch with the specialties of the Ciociaria cuisine.
- Tour of Pico in the afternoon: the medieval village, the Farnese castle, the churches, the history, food, and gastronomic traditions.
- Special dinner with tasting of selected wines and served with local products (cheeses, salami, olive oil, and others).
Day 2 Anagni, Piglio, and Alatri. Wine tour: the road of the Cesanese Wine, between medieval villages and ancient castles. Cooking class 1
- After breakfast, depart from Pico. Arrival at Anagni, visit the Cathedral, Crypt, Old Town.
- Transfer to Piglio for the Wine Tour.
- Wine tasting with traditional and local products.
- After lunch, transfer to Alatri and visit to the Town of Cyclops and the Acropolis.
- In the afternoon, transfer to Pico.
- In the late afternoon, cooking class 1.
- Dinner with the dishes cooked and prepared during the class.
Day 3 Gaeta, Sperlonga, Culinary Tour : buffalo mozzarella, ricotta and cheeses. Cooking class 2.
- After breakfast depart depart for the Pontine coast and a visit to a farm that produces buffalo mozzarella, ricotta and cheeses.
- The owner will tell and show you how to produce mozzarella.
- Tasting of products and possibility to eat cheeses and freshly made products!
- With even in the mouth the taste of buffalo milk, transfer to Sperlonga (optional: visit to the Roman Museum and the Cave of Tiberius).
- Visit the enchanting village of Sperlonga, "One of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy".
- Transfer to Gaeta, visit of the Split Mountain and The Turk’s Cave, tour in the Old Gaeta.
- Lunch with the specialties of Gaeta.
- Transfer to Pico in the afternoon.
- Cooking class 2 in the late afternoon.
- Dinner with the dishes cooked and prepared during the class.
Day 4. Departure for Lecce and Salento.
- After breakfast, departure from Pico and transfer by car to Lecce; light lunch, arrival at the hotel in the afternoon.
- Welcome drink and introduction to the program and itineraries.
- Dinner at your own, in a typical restaurant recommended by us, with the specialties of the Leccese cuisine.
- After dinner, guided tour Lecce by night, with the glow of the night, the lights and the nightlife, Lecce sheds its skin and becomes one of the most beautiful cities of Italy and vital.
Day 5. Discover Otranto, the adriatic coast and the surrounding countryside. Excursion, wine tasting. Cooking class 3.
- Depart from Lecce after breakfast
- Arrival at Otranto. Besides its beautiful beaches, Otranto has many other things to offer you: it is definitely one of the most beautiful sea towns of Salento and of Puglia in general.
- Transfer to visit a prestigious cellar, where an expert of the House will tells the company's story, the methods of production of wines and will talk about the "Art of Wine" and the "secrets" to produce a great wine!
- It is a very ancient town, which preserves monuments, roads, rocks and a borderline vibe.
- Wine tasting with traditional and local products.
- Transfer to Lecce in the afternoon.
- Cooking class 3 in the late afternoon.
- Dinner with the dishes cooked and prepared during the class.
Day 6. The Wonders of Lecce historical center. Cooking class 4.
- After breakfast, tour “Discovering Lecce and its gems”.
- At lunchtime, don't expect to eat while sitting at the classic restaurant!
- Walking through the alleys of Lecce, from an highlight to another, you will stop and delight your palate with the most famous and tasty delicacies of Salento (puccia, rustico, friselle, pasticciotto…).
- Our tour continues through ancient palaces, baroque churches and a visit to the fascinating shops of the famous local handicrafts: cartapesta (papier-mâché) and pietra leccese.
- Cooking class 4 in the late afternoon.
- Farewell dinner with the Specialities prepared by by you with the Chef.
Day 7. Departure
- The end of the program.
- • After breakfast, transfer by car to Brindisi airport and…. ARRIVEDERCI!