Italy: Slow Food, Rich Culture

The Story:

Fast food has not replaced pasta, parmesan cheese and prosciutto ham at the center of the Italian diet. Industrial agriculture has not replaced the family farm. And local specialties that celebrate the bounty of the land and sea remain central to la dolce vita. The Slow Food movement, born in rural Italy celebrates the link between food, culture and biodiversity. This summer, slow down, savor your food, learn from organic farmers, cover your hands in soil and work with skilled chefs as you learn about the rich Italian culture and learn to cook slow food.

The Program:

Your Italian adventure begins in Rome. You and your fellow Corps members practice survival Italian language over cups of fresh gelato, gaze upon Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel, climb the ancient steps of the Coliseum and interview locals on the Spanish Steps. From Rome, travel north to the Ligurian coast. Visit a fish auction on the Mediterranean and olive oil mill in the back country. Create your own Piemontese culinary masterpieces during classes with a skilled Italian chef and visit the University of Gastronomy to learn about the Slow Food movement and the nexus between food and culture in Italy. After developing your skills in the kitchen, you become part of an Italian family. Cook fresh pasta with your host mother, sip coffee with new Italian friends in outdoor cafes and practice the art of la lingua Italiana while exploring the Tuscan city of Grosseto. Then travel to Umbria and live in a 15th century agriturismo overlooking Lake Trasimeno. Learn about permaculture and sustainability working alongside Italian environmentalists. Pick fresh vegetables, care for animals and make communal meals using ingredients from the garden. During your final days enjoy the beautiful streets and alleyways of Orvieto, a hilltop village that celebrates the excellence of Italian craftsmanship and reflect on all that you’ve learned during a summer in the heart of Italy.

Sample Activities:

Orientation in Rome

• Practice survival Italian language skills in markets, cafes and restaurants
• Visit the Vatican to see the Sistine Chapel
• Meet locals at the Trevi Fountain and on the Spanish Steps
• Explore the narrow medieval streets of Roman neighborhoods throughout the city

Seminar in Asti

• Take classes with a master chef at a renowned cooking school
• Visit the University of Gastronomy to learn about the Slow Foods movement
• Harvest your own vegetables from the rich Northern Italian soil for the evening meal
• Meet with farmers and organic food producers

Family and Community Stay in Grosetto

• Become part of an Italian family
• Cook with your host family
• Spend a day on the shores of the Tyrrhenian
• Practice your Italian language skills with new friends

Field-Based Exploration

• Live in a 15^th century Umbrian farmhouse and learn about permaculture
• Make fresh pasta and tomato sauce
• Hike through olive groves and orchards surrounding your agriturismo
• Take care of the animals and enjoy an afternoon swim in the pool

Journey’s End

• Explore Orvieto’s old town hilltop
• Eat local specialties in cafés and visit the Chapel of San Brizio
• Share stories, reflect on all that you’ve learned and prepare for re-entry and the journey home