Italy: Mare Splendente – From Sea to Shining Sea

The Story:

Physician, author, artist and opponent of Mussolini’s fascism, Carlo Levi reminded all Italians that the bounty and natural beauty of Southern Italy did not end at the Amalfi Coast. Exiled to the impoverished south, Levi dedicated his life to celebrating the people, geography and history of his new home. From beautiful coastal landscapes of the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas to ancient cities teeming with Byzantine mosaics, Greek temples and Norman architecture, you’ll share Levi’s passion on a journey from “toe to heel” across a forgotten Italy that is naturally beautiful and culturally rich.

The Program:

After two days in Rome exploring the Vatican, Colosseum and Piazza Navona, venture south to Naples. Live like a local in the Rione Sanità neighborhood while making your own Neapolitan pizza, working with Italian students on an art & design project and tasting delicious Sfogilatelle. Then visit the ruins of Pompeii and relax on the beaches of the Amalfi Coast before heading to Reggio Calabria to meet your new Italian family. Spend a week making fresh pasta, enjoying summer festivals and playing in the crystal blue waters of the Tyrrenhian Sea. Then head to Matera, celebrated as a center of European art and culture, in the Basilicata region. Learn about the great 20th century Italian physician, author and poet Carlo Levi and his fight against fascism, hike in national parks and visit an Albanian village. Travel to the Adriatic coast and explore the white villages of Puglia, visit the region’s iconic trulli hobbit houses and cook ear-shaped Orecchiette pasta with an Italian grandmother before venturing north to spend your last few days on the outskirts of Rome.

Sample Activities:

Orientation in Rome

• Interview locals at the Piazza Navona and relax on the Spanish Steps
• Sample fresh gelato under the shadow of the Roman Colosseum
• Feast your eyes on Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel at the Vatican
• Explore the medieval narrow cobblestone streets in neighborhoods throughout the city

Seminar in Naples and Campania

• Learn about Southern Italian culture in cooking and artisan workshops
• Explore Pompeii
• Sail along the Amalfi Coast and visit a fisherman’s village
• Make your own Neapolitan pizza

Family and Community Stay in Reggio Calabria

• Develop new Italian language skills
• Cook homemade dishes with your host family
• Spend the day at the beach overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea
• Take sailing lessons

Field-Based Exploration in Basilicata and Puglia

• Learn about social commentator, painter and peace activist Carlo Levi
• Hike through national parks and see ancient cave dwellings near Matera
• Live on a farm, cook fresh food and help tend the gardens
• Explore the iconic trulli houses of Puglia

Journey’s End

• Head northwest to Caserta
• Visit the Royal Palace and English Gardens
• Enjoy some last-minute shopping and a final Italian feast
• Discuss re-entry and prepare for the journey home