Art and Cultural Retreat With Artist Allison Luci

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.

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 Allie leads the group in some art time to take advantage of the spectacular views and the vines laden with gorgeous grapes.

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.

Lunch will be up in the hills of Cerreto, at a farm-to-table agriturismo that serves exceptional local dishes.  The views and panoramas are extraordinary and is a perfect spot to take out the sketch pad and capture some of the magic.

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

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 participate in an art class with Allie, either in the palazzo or one of the many gorgeous locations throughout the historic center.

In the evening, we stroll a local trattoria where we will enjoy the Italian version of a happy hour, but with more food, the apericena and if we are lucky a colorful local artist joins us and shares his artistry and what inspires him.

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 then return to Cusano to a lunch including 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.

Dinner tonight will be at an eatery in a medieval castle.

This morning, we get an early start to return to Cerreto Sannita to finish the pottery pieces me made with Maestro Piero.  After putting our artistic touches on the pottery we will be ready for lunch.

We walk to a very special place, a restaurant and bakery run by chefs and pastry chefs who employ and train young people of all abilities.

After lunch we make our way back to Sant’Agata 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.

Tonight, 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.

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 lunch, Allie will lead the group in one final art class to capture the magic of the area!

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 art, history, culture, and incredible food. Safe travels and arrivederci!