ITALIAN CULTURAL COURSES

Are you fascinated by Italy’s magnificent cultural works? Our course on the History of Italian Art will enable you to understand its history and social background. The course is designed to show, by means of slides and guided visits, the development of art in Italy in relation to the rest of Europe and offers you an introduction to the most important artistic styles (Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque). You will become acquainted with the most important works of artists such as Botticelli, Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo while learning about the most significant historical and social events that accompanied them.

The program consists of a general and a specific part. The specific part varies from city to city and considerates particullary the history of art of the selected city (Florence, Milan, Rome or Siena).

The program foresees the following subjects:

- Introduction:

• General and historical lists;
• The Romanesque period.

- The XIII century:

• Architecture - passage of the French Gothic in Italy;
• The "Italian" Gothic;
• The sculpture: from Nicola Pisano to Arnolfo di Cambio.

- The architectural and urban transformation between the XIII and the XIV century

- Florence and Siena in the XIV century:

• Cimabue and Duccio;
• Giotto;
• Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers;
• Florence in the second half of the century;
• Traces of international Gothic.

- Brunelleschi and the revolution of perspective:

• The three fathers of the Italian Renaissance: Brunelleschi, Donatello, Masaccio

- The first Renaissance:

• Florence in the first half of the XV century

- Florence in the second half of the XV century:

• The cultural environment of Lorenzo il Magnifico and Botticelli

- Leonardo da Vinci

- Rome, artistic capital:

• Raffael and Michelangelo

Would you like to be able to cook Italian food at home? Our cooking course will enable you to prepare typical Italian meals and to learn recipes from the various regions of Italy. The course is based one meeting of approx. 3 hours a week and shaped for all potential participants, also for the novice who is interested in learning about cooking.

During each lesson the students prepare and cook a different complete menu which consists of typical dishes of Italian cuisine in the tradition of genuine simplicity. At the beginning of each lesson the teacher explains the menu of the day and distributes the work. During the preparation and the cooking of the food, the teacher demonstrates, explains and gives valuable hints and tips. The students prepare the table and dine together. Each student or pair of students presents and serves to the others the dish they have prepared.

This course is organized in such a way that the students can experience with their own hands the way of cooking in the Italian style. Participants receive a recipe book including a vocabulary in several languages.

In addition to our Culinary Arts for Amateurs, our schools offer special cooking courses for professionals. In Rome, we collaborate with one of the biggest names of Italian and International cuisine, the “Gambero Rosso” culinary arts school. Every month, the school organizes stages and special programme courses which treat specific subjects like: culinary tradition of Val Pusteria, the Traditional Roman cuisine, menus for special holidays, etc.

Did you know that Italy is the largest producer of selected wines? Our wine course gives you an introduction to the art of grape cultivation, processing and storing of the most well-known Italian wines. The practical part consists of wine tasting which will allow you to get to know the wines from the different regions of Italy. When possible we will organise a visit to a renowned wine-cellar.

Program topics: How to read the etiquette of an Italian wine bottle; Classification of the Italian wines (house wine or denomination of origin, D.O.C. and D.O.C.G.); The traditional techniques of cultivation, fermentation and aging used in Italy; Wine tasting and terminology; The wine production in Italy and its consumption; New, non traditional wines; The products of Tuscany, the north-western region (Piedmont), the north-eastern region (Friuli, Sud-Tyrol) and the other regions, especially of the central and southern area of the peninsula.

During the course 24 quality wines will be presented and tasted. Maps will be shown and illustrated material handed out (statistics, charts, descriptions etc.). Other subjects will be discussed too, such as the combination of food and wine and the comparison with foreign products.