Experience the lifestyle born from the spectacular hospitality at Badia a Coltibuono. Located only an hour from Florence and situated in the midst of forests and rolling hills planted in vineyards and olive groves, Badia a Coltibuono is one of Tuscany's most beautiful estates. Each Classico Cooking course in unique as they are formulated in accordance with the season, so no two cooking courses are quite the same. The menus are renowned for their elegant simplicity and the ease with which they can be prepared in the home kitchen with dishes based on simple, seasonal ingredients whose flavors are accentuated by fresh herbs and greens.
Developed over the 20 years during which famous author and cookbook writer Lorenza de Medici ran her Villa Table programs, these weekly, residential courses are held in English in the summer and autumn. Classes are taught by Chef Francesco Torre, also chef at Coltibuono's restaurant, and Lorenza de Medici's hand-picked successor, in the best Coltibuno tradition.
Dinners, when not in the private halls of the abbey, find the students as family guests in some of the most prestigious private villas and estates of the region. Students experience hands on cooking classes and a wide range of guided excursions throughout the area that will not only enhance their knowledge of the regional cuisine, but teach them about the wines and lifestyle of Chianti, which are an integral part of the Coltibuono experience. The daily excursions are led by John Meis, author of A Taste of Tuscany and collaborator with Lorenza de Medici in the Villa Table cooking program and numerous cookbooks. Meis, a long-time resident of Tuscany, is an experienced leader of food, wine and art tours, and is knowledgeable and entertaining guide.
2006 Dates: Classico Cooking: May 22-27, June 12-17, June 29-July 4 (Palio Week), September 11-16, October 2-7; Traditional Tuscany: April 14-17 (Easter), June 9-12, July 7-10, October 13-16, October 20-23.
Course Description
Monday - 4 p.m. Guests are met in Florence and travel to Coltibuono. Upon arrival guests are served tea and biscotti in Coltibuono's formal garden and then shown to their rooms. 7 p.m. Drinks are served in the refectory followed by dinner.
Tuesday - 8:30 a.m. Breakfast. 9:30 a.m. Cooking class followed by lunch. 4 p.m. Daily excursion with John Meis. 8 p.m. Dinner at a private villa.
Wednesday - 8:30 a.m. Breakfast. 9:30 a.m. Cooking class followed by lunch. 3:30 p.m. Daily excursion with John Meis. 8 p.m. Dinner at a private villa.
Thursday - 8 a.m. Breakfast. 8:30 a.m. Departure for daily excursion. 1 p.m. Lunch at Coltibuono's restaurant. 4 p.m. Cooking class. 7:30 p.m. Dinner at Coltibuono.
Friday - 8:30 a.m. Breakfast. 9 a.m. Free morning for optional activitites. 1 p.m. Buffet lunch served in Coltibuono's garden. 4:00 p.m. Cooking class. 8 p.m. Drinks and graduation dinner.
Saturday - 8:30 a.m. Breakfast. 9:15 a.m. Transfer from Coltibuono to Florence central train station (arrival approximately 11 a.m.).
Accommodation
A visit to Badia a Coltibuono provides a unique and unforgettable experience of the tastes of Tuscany. Guests make their own way to Italy to meet in Florence on the first day of the course week where transportation and our guide will meet you. During their sojourn guests stay in comfortable rooms located along the characteristic fourteenth century corridor of the ancient abbey. Each room enjoys a delightful view and a private bath.
There is time to relax in the magnificent frescoed drawing room, read in the extensive library, stroll in the gardens, enjoy the swimming pool and walk in the vast woods that surround Coltibuono.
Other activities
Participants during the July course have the great opportunity to experience the world famous Palio horse races in Sienna. Held every 2nd of July and 16th of August, the Palio is a unique bareback horse race steeped in a pageantry and centuries of tradition in which the various wards of contrade of the city vie for supremacy. It is perhaps the greatest folk festival of Europe and certainly the most authentic. Participants in this course are assured of an experience they will never forget. Besides holding prime seats at the race itself, we will participate in several of the events that precede the day of the vent, including the pre-Palio banquet held in the streets and piazza of each contrada. In between, we will enjoy the foods, wines and splendid historical and artistic sights of the province of Siena. This course requires a certain amount of stamina, sportsmanship and willingness to join in the festivities as privileged guests of the people of Siena.
Testimonials:
"Badia was a wonderful experience. The cooking classes were fantastic." Heidi E., Lynnfield, MA.
"The cooking class at Badia a Coltibuono was everything one could expect in a cooking class and more. It was an opportunity to step into another culture and be warmly accepted as if you were part of the family. Lorenza was generous in sharing her knowledge of cooking and in introducing the students to her friends, who hosted sumptuous dinners at their villas during the evenings. Food is a celebration of life and that spirit pervades the whole experience, creating memories that will last a lifetime." T. Kukuk
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price includes:
- 5 nights accommodations;
- 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 5 dinners;
- Cooking school tuition;
- All listed excursions;
- Transfers to and from Florence train station.
€ 400 supplement per person for Palio week.
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