A unique 8 day / 7 nights’ itinerary centered around immersion in Ciociarian culture through its food and wine, staying in private luxury self-catering apartments in a former Bishop’s Palace within the walls of a 1,00 year old castle in the picturesque mountaintop village of Picinisco while attending the local School of Gastronomy on an organic vineyard and farm.
Learning traditional Ciociarian cooking techniques with traditional Molisean copper utensils and wood fired ovens, cooking with seasonal and organic produce in a region famed for its truffles, wild asparagus, wild fennel, wild boar and recipes tracing back to Medieval, Roman and Etruscan times.
Includes a series of Ciociarian cuisine classes at the newly-opened School of Gastronomy, including pasta, pastries and bread-making. Tour also includes guided foraging expeditions for wild medicinal herbs in a forest; walking in the mountains with a shepherd’s sheep and goat flock, followed by mountain picnic with shepherds; a visit to Anagni on market day; an artisanal cheese-making class; a gelato-making class in one of Italy’s original premium gelato regions; wine-tastings, vineyard rambles, and cellar door visits to learn about wine pairing cuisine with indigenous varietals such as Cesanese, Maturano, Passerina del Frusinate and Cabernet; an 8 course modern Ciociarian cuisine degustation dinner; plus additional local cuisine experiences.
Also features a private and guided tour of Il Giardino di Ninfa – renowned as one of Europe’s most beautiful gardens plus a tour of the 18th Century palace of the Bourbon Kings, Reggia di Caserta and visit to a nearby silk-weaving village; and an overnight visit to the neighbouring region of Molise to source copper cooking utensils, tour of a copper museum in Agnone and a bell foundry that has been making the bells for the Vatican for hundreds of years with an excursion to historical ancient Samnite civilisation sites with one of Italy’s leading authorities on the subject.
MORE DETAILS TO BE REVEALED.
All Wild Heart of Italy packages will be offered in Euro from 2020, please make an enquiry to register your interest.
Minimum of 6 guests for this tour. Maximum 8 guests.
* Package cost does not include flights, travel insurance, medical insurance, relevant visas, or any additional personal expenses. **Please note that as both accommodation venues are diffused hotels, all beds have been created bespoke it is not possible to accommodate two friends sharing single beds in the same room. Trust us, you are going to want your own gorgeous room all to yourself for this experience!
Download our ‘There’s something you need to know about Ciociaria’ Fact Sheet before booking to gain an understanding of visiting a region not set-up for mass tourism. Having travel insurance is a condition of joining our hosted travel experiences. We like 
JOIN our mailing list below for updates and priority access to tickets and booking details.
Our small, sustainable group tours to Ciociaria and Molise are aimed at preserving the charm and authenticity of each region for visitors. We hold our tours during low seasons, so by joining us you are also supporting the well-being of the local Ciociarian and Molisean communities we visit. Our immersive food and wine cultural experiences have been designed for fellow travellers with soul. We ask our guests to tread lightly, travel joyfully, act kindly and explore mindfully on our Wild Heart of Italy adventures throughout Ciociaria and Molise. Grazie mille, a thousand times thank you, on behalf of all our friends here.
We also love the Skyroam Solis for mobile wifi. Buy internet access with day passes, and forget about international roaming! Use the code SILVERCOMPASSTOURS at check-out for a 10% discount.
Copyright © 2019 Silver Compass Tours, Australia. All rights reserved. All itinerary concepts and content for the trademarked Wild Heart of Italy experience packages are the intellectual property of Silver Compass Tours, and may not be reproduced or copied in any format without prior written permission.
*All of our itineraries are subject to change and spontaneity. It makes life a little more fun!
CONTACT US for more information on our exclusive Wild Heart of Italy itineraries – designed for seekers of the extraordinary.