4 Day Immerse Yourself in this Authentic Tuscan Cooking Holiday in Lunigiana

Facilities

Typical itinerary

The itinerary is for guidance only and is subject to change depending on the group’s needs and wishes but is typically as follows:

Day 1: Arrival and welcome aperitifs

Check into your room any time after 3 p.m., and enjoy a welcome drink and chance to taste some of the regions local dishes by the pool (weather permitting) before taking your time to explore the house, gardens, pool, and local area. Whilst enjoying aperitifs by the pool, there will be a chance to talk to your hosts and ask them about the course and the local area.

Day 2: Free morning and cooking class

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the palazzo and spend some free time getting to know the area or relaxing. In the afternoon, it is time for your first cookery lesson with the chef, which will last for four hours. Your dinner will consist of the delicious meal you will have prepared.

Day 3: Free morning and cooking class

After breakfast at the palazzo, you will have free time to enjoy the pool or explore the surrounding areas. In the afternoon, it is time for your second hands-on cookery class. Your dinner will consist of the wonderful meal you will have prepared earlier.

Day 4: Departure day

After a leisurely breakfast, guests are asked to check out of their rooms by 10 a.m. ready for departure. You will take home with you delicious new cooking skills and recipes and an insight into Tuscan culinary life that will stay with them long after the holiday is over.

The food that will be taught during the cooking class is mainly homemade pasta, sauces for the pasta and other very local recipes.

Lunigiana derives its name from the Roman colony of Luni, founded by the Romans in 177 B.C. at the mouth of the river Magra, so rich and dazzling marble to mislead the Normans, who mistook it for Rome. Lunigiana is a small region rich in history, which looks like a veritable kaleidoscope of lights, colors, pictures, and lush scenery.

Today, along the territory of Lunigiana, you can find the trace of the Via Francigena, a major road traveled by pilgrims and merchants who were pushed from northern Europe to Rome. In the ninth century, the street took its current name to mark the domination of the Franks. Along the way, over the centuries were founded monasteries and abbeys, to emphasize the nature of spiritual in that path. It was declared in 1994 Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.

Lunigiana is a land still untouched and waiting to be discovered. It offers the tourists a gentle and relaxing environment with hills covered with lush green forests and fish-filled streams in clear waters. Each of the 14 towns of the land has its own attractions: museums, hot springs, sports facilities, large complex underground limestone, ski, places for hiking, and horseback. Add to that the folklore, traditions, gastronomy and local crafts, which never cease to amaze.

Even the culinary traditions of Lunigiana have its importance. A remarkable variety of elaborate dishes from a few simple ingredients and for the demanding fragrant mushrooms picked in the woods of Lunigiana. There are vegetables that become delicious pies and chestnut flour can even show up in a whole menu. This is Lunigiana, the land of the moon.

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The alcoholic beverage included in the price is Palazzo del Duca's homemade red Tuscan wine (table wine and Chianti Classico 2016 and 2017) which guests can find also on sale on the spot.

This Italian cookery and wine holiday is perfectly located to explore this beautiful part of undiscovered northern Tuscany:

• You are within 2.5 hours of many Italian major cities: Florence, Genova, Pisa, and Milan
• Beaches and the coast are just 30 minutes away by car, or you can take a train from nearby La Spezia along the coast to visit the five villages that make up Cinque Terre
• The nearest shops and grocery stores are about six kilometers away
• The hamlet of Tavernelle is very small but there is a good family-run restaurant a short walk from the palazzo
• Your hosts will give you lots of information on what activities are on offer in the local area, such as the local markets, restaurants, walking, and more
• It is recommended to have a car to fully explore the area and there are many scenic drives throughout the region

• 3 nights accommodation
• 2 dinners
• Food and beverage for breakfast
• Use of communal areas of the Palazzo, garden, and pool
• Non participating guest can join the meal after the cooking class

• Airfare
• Airport transfers

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• A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.