Activities Organized by Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Siena

The richness of the city and its surroundings offer the possibility to organize a variety of activities and excursions.

Available to students each week are a selection of extra-curricular activities offered by the school. Some examples of these activities are: guided tours, tastings, outings and seminars on the history and culture of Italian.

Generally, participation in these activities have shown that students can deepen their focus on studying the Italian language and culture, and is the juncture between students and the local people. Information on the various extra-curricular programs the school offers is found in the front office. Our management also welcomes any suggestions or requests.

Regular organized activities:

Guided Tours

• a visit to the Palazzo Pubblico: one of the most elegant and best-preserved town halls throughout Italy
• a visit to the Duomo (Siena Cathedral), to discover the wonders of this grand cathedral;
• a visit to the museum of Santa Maria della Scala, which was one of the first hospitals in Europe and is one of the oldest in the world;
• the water sources of Siena: a seminar on the ancient aqueducts of Siena and a guided tour;
• a visit to the Church of San Domenico and the Church of San Francesco, rich of history and masterpieces;
• discovering the least known and most beautiful parts of the city.

Savour and Wine

• dinner in a typical Tuscan house; students will experience the excellent local cuisine;
• extra virgin olive oil tastings; it known here as "green gold";
• a seminar on the Sienese cuisine; a culinary journey back in time;
• wine tasting; our expert sommelier will present some of the best wines of Tuscany;
• fresh pasta; a mini-course on learning how to prepare various types of homemade pasta;
• cheese tasting; artisan cheese made ​​from small family farms;

Linguistics and Film

• Italian Cinema: a guided viewing of Italian films both classic and modern;
• diction, voice and phonetics: useful and fun activities, conducted by an actor and theatre director;
• a seminar on the origins of the Italian language - Dante and the Divine Comedy;
• a seminar on the 18th century and the birth of the modern novel;
• songs in dialect; an activity on the traditional music in various Italian regions.

History

• a lecture on the history of Siena; from its origins to the Middle Ages until the turbulent years of the Renaissance;
• a seminar on the Siena Contrade (city neighbourhoods originally formed as battalions for defence) and the Palio di Siena which includes a visit to the Contade museum.

Excursions: Routes and Destinations

• charming medieval towns such as San Gimignano and Monteriggioni;
• wine-producing areas such as Montalcino and Chianti;
• cities inspired by the Renaissance such as Pienza and Perugia;
• cities with Etruscan roots such as Arezzo and Volterra;
• spiritual centres and historical sites such as Assisi, Monte Oliveto Maggiore, San Galgano and Sant Antimo.

The school also distributes a daily calendar of cultural activities. This way, participants are always well informed about concerts, art exhibitions, films at the cinema, and other events.