October 19-26, 2026

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, where our home for the week awaits: the magnificent 17th-century Palazzo Rainone Mustilli.

Nestled in the heart of Sant’Agata, the palazzo is surrounded by rich history and serene beauty. The chants of cloistered nuns can sometimes be heard emanating from the nearby convent. The palazzo is a short stroll from the original Mustilli winery, the birthplace of the renowned Falanghina wine. The Mustilli family, particularly Paola, will be our gracious hosts, offering us an intimate glimpse into their centuries-old winemaking tradition.

In the late afternoon, 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 contadina (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 more fully enjoy the planned excursions from day one. We recommend the following hotels in Naples: Hotel San Francesco al Monte https://sanfrancescoalmonte.it/en/; Starhotels Terminus at https://www.starhotels.com/en/our-hotels/terminus-naples/ and Decumani Hotel de Charme at https://www.decumani.com/it/.

**Note: In Italy, dinner is typically enjoyed later in the evening, around 8 pm or so. We’ll be dining in true Italian style throughout our stay.

Today, we delve into the rich history and culture of Sant’Agata dei Goti. After breakfast, 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 and ravioli made with the prized mela annurca–apples only grown in this area.

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. The bread will be used to make two types of sandwiches, 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. In the evening, 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.

Today, we explore two villages of the Sannio region, each with its own unique charm. 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 will make our way to the family-owned La Mozzarella d’oro, an excellent local caseificio (a place where cheese is made). Ana Cenicola and her family are opening their laboratorio so we can see milk be transformed into the iconic mozzarella, as well as other specialty cheeses.

After our tour, we will make our way to 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. After a brief tour, we will meet a master potter for a demonstration of these traditional methods. After our visit, we wind our way through the Matese mountain region to the small hamlet of Pietraroja.

Here, we visit a very well-regarded, family-run prosciuttificio (i.e., a place where prosciutto is made). The Di Biase family continues the centuries-old method of producing prosciutto, creating what has become the gold standard in the Sannio region for this delicacy. We will have a tour of the cellars where the prosciutto is cured in a controlled environment. Our lunch will feature their famous prosciutto and other local specialties cooked by the Di Biase family in their surprisingly tiny kitchen. We will dine in the cozy, ancient home turned restaurant/museum that has been lovingly maintained by the family.

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.

We return to the palazzo where we’ll rest for a bit before once more taking the short walk over to the cantina of the original Mustilli winery (the site of the wine-tasting on Monday) for an always 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 become the heart of our supper tonight.

This morning’s excursion is only a short distance outside Sant’Agata but feels worlds away. After breakfast, we’ll take a short ride for a hands-on cooking class in a private setting. Our instructors are great local cooks. They will be teaching in Italian. There’s no need to worry though, Maria translates the whole time (which may even make the class more fun).

The menu will be a surprise since it’s dependent on which ingredients are fresh that day. Whatever we make though, it will be delicious and be part of the traditional pranzo that reflects the daily meals of families in the Sannio region.

After returning to the palazzo and resting a bit, we’ll head to Melizzano for dinner at a delightful restaurant with contemporary Mediterranean-style decor in a valley of the Sannio. Large windows offer a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. The cuisine elevates traditional dishes to new heights and is made from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients by the owner-chef Angelo D’Amico who has worked in top restaurants, both in Italy and abroad.

Today, we have the good fortune of seeing an activity unique to Sant’Agata dei Goti. We will go to a melaio where we 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. Today we’ll dine 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.  If we are lucky the local massara will lead us in a hands-on class and make a local dish with the mela annurca.

Dinner tonight is at an excellent osteria in the historic center of Sant’Agata, where we’ll enjoy a tasting menu showcasing the best of the region’s culinary offerings, including the much-loved pane cotto.

Today’s adventure is about as authentic as it gets! After breakfast, we travel to yet another village in the Sannio, the hill town of San Lupo, which is where Dan and Maria have their home. Adele will be our guide as we pick olives in her orchards just below the town. After we finish picking, we will have a colazione, a typical lunch prepared for field workers, under the trees.

Maria Concetta, Antonio, and Giuseppe who own and run the local bread shop (paneficio) will be providing our colazione. Dan and Maria have tried many bread shops and are very happy to report that the one in their small hometown is one of their absolute favorites. We will also be enjoying some award-winning wines from the area.

After lunch, we’ll take a short walk over to the mill and see the olives we picked be pressed into oil. Later, we’ll have an olive oil tasting with a local expert and then a late lunch/early dinner which will include some local specialties.

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.

After a group lunch, you can enjoy a leisurely afternoon packing, exploring more of the town, or just sitting on the roof top terrace of the palazzo taking in the great view.
Our farewell dinner will be at a restaurant in the heart of Sant’Agata de’ Goti, inside the Palazzo Viscardi. This restaurant is the creation of the siblings Gabriele and Gianna Piscitelli and offers an elevated dining experience. Chef Gabriele will prepare a creative menu based on seasonal ingredients. The wine selection is extraordinary, and Sommelier Gianna will share her extensive knowledge and provide excellent suggestions. This dinner will serve as a fitting 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. Safe travels and arrivederci!