ITALIAN+
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This intriguing course offers a full-immersion journey across the history and culture of Sicily. It combines Italian language and culture lessons in the mornings, with inspiring excursions and activities in the afternoons that span the ages and allow us to view Sicily through the eyes of each one of the great civilizations that met on this island, the crossroad of the Mediterranean.
At a Glance:
- 20 Italian group lessons
- 2 UNESCO world heritage sites
- 3 Visits and Cultural experiences
Itinerary
- Hike on legendary Mt. Etna, the volcano that inspired ancient Greek and Roman mythology (UNESCO site) or take a Nature walk in Pantalica Neolithic Valley (UNESCO site)
- Guided tour of the Catacombs of St John, one of the first sites of Christianity in the West
- Guided tour of Neapolis Archaeological Park and entry to Paolo Orsi Museum.
- Tastes of Sicily: join a Traditional Sicilian Cooking Class with wine pairings, enjoy a meal with fellow students
Siracusa, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, is the ideal setting to undertake or further your study of Greek and Roman history. This captivating city, renowned around the world for the most famous of its early citizens, Archimedes, was at the time of Dionysius I the most important centre of the hellenistic civilization in Sicily and later became a strategic hub within the Roman empire. It has been the inspiration for countless myths and legends such as the romantic tale of Alpheus and Arethusa or the alleged burning of the invading Roman ships by Archimedes, ingeniously using huge mirrors placed on a hill top castle.
Over the centuries, the Byzantine, Arab, Norman and Spanish dominations of Siracusa, have each left indelible traces of their passing. Today Siracusa is a vibrant modern city preserving the wealth of culture accumulated over 2,700 years of history.