Italy on Canvas; Paint the Experience

Benvenuti a Napoli! Dan and Maria extend a warm welcome as you arrive in the vibrant city of Naples.* Our journey begins with a quintessential Neapolitan experience—a stop for un caffè and a delicious sfogliatella, a pastry that originated in this historic city. From Naples we make our way to the enchanting medieval town of Sant’Agata dei Goti, which will be our home for the week.

Get settled in your room in a palazzo in the historic center of Sant’Agata. Later, Paola will lead us on a private tour of the original centuries-old wine cellar, which reaches a maximum depth of over fifty feet and was made by tunneling into the tufo rock. We’ll learn the winery’s history and take part in a wine tasting in the cantina (wine cellar) of the original winery sampling some of the famous Mustilli wines.

After our tasting, we’ll head to a family-run pizzeria located in Sant’Agata’s historic center to start a hands-on pizza-making class. Under the guidance of our pizzaiolo Vincenzo, we’ll knead the dough and learn the secrets behind the perfect crust. Once prepared, the dough will be left to rise overnight, ready to be baked into your very own pizza tomorrow.

Afterward, we’ll return to the palazzo to relax before our welcome dinner, a true farm-to-table experience prepared by Signora Maria, a local massara (farmer). Her dishes, crafted with ingredients from her farm, promise to be a highlight of our first evening together.**

*The program starts at noon on Monday at Naples Capodichino Airport, regardless of when you arrive in Italy. Dan and Maria will be at the airport arrival area late morning.  If time permits and you are staying in a local hotel, we will do our best to arrange to meet you at the hotel, rather than have you make your way back to the airport.

We suggest that you plan on arriving in Naples before the first day of the program to get the most out of your Vita Villaggi experience. If you’re interested in a pre- and/or post-extension trip, you can find more information here. If you’re simply looking for a place to stay in Naples for a night or two, we recommend the following hotels there: Hotel San Francesco al Monte and Starhotels Terminus.

This morning, dress casually and comfortably because we are heading for a hands-on harvesting experience in San Lorenzello, Maria’s birthplace. After breakfast, we make our way to the Fappiano winery. This is a special place for Maria as the vineyards are close to the family land that Maria’s father used to own while she was growing up. This immersive experience led by Mario includes harvesting the grapes, observing the grapes being crushed, seeing how the wine is bottled, and touring the cantina (wine cellar). We’ll meet the owner and learn about his award-winning wines, including one awarded Tre Bicchiere by Gambero Rosso.

We will then have an authentic harvest pranzo. These midday meals are prepared by the casalinghe, or homemakers, as it is customary to feed those that help with the harvest. The meal is usually eaten in the vineyards picnic style; but we will be “roughing it” just a bit less by having ours in the farmhouse.

After lunch, the group will paint a sketch (a sort of paint-by-numbers art piece) of a whimsical vineyard painting designed by Allie. In addition to the beautiful setting, the painting will, like much of Allie’s work, feature an animal—this time a curious little mouse. We’ll also have wine. Basically, a spectacular Paint & Sip in an actual vineyard in Italy.

We return to Santa’Agata and we make our way back to the pizzeria we were at last night and complete our pizza-making adventure, making pizza with the dough we prepared the night before.

This morning after breakfast, we depart for Cerreto Sannita, a small town of approximately 4,000 people. The town itself dates back a thousand years but the buildings we see date back to “only” 1688 when the town was rebuilt after it was destroyed by a powerful earthquake. We make our way to the pottery laboratorio and the Ceramic Museum. Cerreto is known for its master ceramicists and potters who maintain traditional pottery making techniques and color palettes. The museum is housed in a 17^th century building originally built as a convent for cloistered nuns. Through the years, it has also served as a monastery and even a jail. Today, it houses this gem of a museum, the town hall, and a courtyard which is often used for concerts and art exhibits.

Master potter Piero will lead us in the first part of a pottery class.  We will be using a wheel and making decorative items free hand. Piero will than fire them in the kiln and we will return for part two to decorate and finish the pieces later in the week.

We’ll have lunch in Cerreto at a local, family-run establishment.

We’ll then return to Sant’Agata de’ Goti where you can rest, explore, or paint. We’ll then have a lovely dinner here in town at a local eatery.

Today, we delve into the rich history and culture of Sant’Agata dei Goti. After breakfast, and a leisurely morning, we go on an historical and gastronomic tour led by Rosangela, our very knowledgeable guide eager to share her hometown. As we stroll through the heart of the town’s historical center, Rosangela will share stories of the town’s past and its hidden treasures. Along the way, we’ll stop at family-owned eateries to savor local specialties such as the local taralli called Nfrennule.

Our tour culminates with a lunch traditionally prepared for field workers, known as a colazione. Ours will be prepared by Marisa at her small gastronomic bottega using heirloom and local products. Marisa prides herself in offering products particular to the local farming area that are organically grown and ethically sourced. Our lunch will include a slow-rise bread made with stone-ground native non-GMO grains and an over thirty-year-old sourdough starter. Marisa will prepare a delightful vegan surprise for us.  Additionally, the bread will be used to make two types of sandwiches for the non-vegans in the group, one with prosciutto from the famous black pigs of Casertano that are semi-free range and one made with eggs (a pane e frittata) from a native species of ancient hens of the Sannio that are raised strictly free-range.

After this lunch, the afternoon is yours to relax and explore the town at your own pace. Or you can paint on your own, either in the palazzo or one of the many gorgeous locations throughout the historic center.

In the evening, we’ll take a short walk to a local osteria where we will enjoy local specialties, including the beloved traditional pane cotto.

Today, we explore more of the Sannio region and visit the fairytale like town of Cusano Mutri. Perched over 1500 feet above sea level, it offers a medieval historic center and surroundings lands that are rich in mushrooms, truffles, and chestnuts. Cusano, unlike many surrounding towns, was unscathed by the earthquake of 1688. Thus, its architecture and historic layout are preserved. The high altitude and abundant woods are ideal for foraging in what the Italians call the sottobosco (undergrowth), which is rich in chestnuts and mushrooms. The mushrooms of Cusano are so famous that for four weeks in early fall, people flock to the town for the Sagra dei Funghi, or Mushroom Festival. This tiny town of 3700 people becomes a hotbed of activity and receives over 100,000 visitors during the festival.

After a short introduction in the heart of the village, we will take a short bus ride to the woods where Mario will lead us on a truffle hunt with his trusted truffle hunting dog. If time permits, we may gather some chestnuts as well.

We’ll also paint another sketch designed by Allie, this time a truffle hunting dog in its element. It will be another keepsake from your trip to Italy.

Lunch will be in Cusano and will include locally made products including truffle and mushroom and specialties including a side dish with chestnuts and a traditional dessert. After lunch, we will take a guided walk through the town’s historic center.

On our way home we stop in Telese Terme at the studio of Salvatore Troiano, a talented local artist who transforms clay into modern interpretations of traditional Neapolitan symbols, such as the horn and the Pulcinella mascot. Salvatore’s classically trained in multiple disciplines including sculpting, painting and photography. He embarked on a journey of working with terracotta and creating traditional Pulcinella and the iconic cornicchio (horn) after studying the history of these symbols and their importance in Neapolitan folklore. We love his work.

Tonight, after such a full day, instead of a full dinner, we’ll experience an Italian an apericena, the Italian combination of apertivo and light fare.

This morning, we get an early start to return to Cerreto Sannita to finish the pottery pieces we made with Maestro Piero.

Afterwards, we’ll take a short walk to a very special place for lunch—a restaurant and bakery run by chefs and pastry chefs who employ and train young people of all abilities.

After lunch, we’ll help paint a mural with some of the young adults at iCARE. The mural will be on a wall bordering iCARE’s garden. Allie and Irene will lead us. Here, instead of making a keepsake to take home, we’ll leave a little piece of ourselves in Italy.

Afterwards, we’ll return to Sant’Agata for some free time. Dinner will be in Sant’Agata in an old castle serving some American cuisine but with an Italian twist.

No visit to the Sannio is complete without experiencing a traditional mercato, or outdoor market. On Sunday, Sant’Agata dei Goti becomes even more alive with an outdoor market, where locals shop for everything from fresh produce to artisanal goods, clothing, and more. After breakfast, we’ll spend the morning browsing the stalls, soaking in the vibrant atmosphere and, in all likelihood, picking up a few treasures to take home.

We’ll then take a short ride to a melaio where we’ll see and learn about the mela annurca. This native apple is unusual in that it requires being ripened after it has been picked from the tree. In the melaio, thousands of apples are laid out so that each is exposed to the sun and has room to breathe. Each of these apples is then rotated one-quarter turn each week, by hand. The apple is used for medicinal and culinary purposes. We will almost certainly be enjoying some local dishes made with these apples during our lunch.

We’ll have lunch at another exceptional nearby agriturismo. Here, all of the farming is done organically. In addition to the typical vineyards and olive groves, this agriturismo has orchards and bee hives and is well known for the outstanding honey it produces.

Later, we’ll stroll on over once more to the cantina of the original Mustilli winery (the site of the wine-tasting on Monday) for another fun hands-on activity, a pasta-making class. Signora Maria will be our guide. We’ll learn the art of crafting pasta by hand, which will be the featured dish of our farewell meal, which will serve as a very nice end to our unforgettable week in the Sannio.

We have our final breakfast together before departing for Naples Capodichino Airport. Time to bid farewell to the Sannio and return home with memories of a week filled with history, culture, and incredible food. Whether you’re going back home or taking advantage of a trip extension, safe travels and arrivederci!