Saturday 31 October – Saturday 7 November, 2026
(7 days and 6 nights)
DESCRIPTION: This week-long program will provide the essential foundations necessary for engaging deeply with Italian food culture. Through lectures, hands-on food labs, cooking classes and guided tours students will trace the development of foodways from the ancient Etruscans to the present day, gaining the historical, social, and cultural context needed to understand why food occupies such a central place in Italian society and cultural identity.
PROGRAM LEADERS:
– Jessica Mancini is an Australian born writer, educator, and food scholar whose work explores the intersections of food, philosophy, culture, and education.
– Claudia Paiella is a chef, certified sommelier, food educator, and cultural guide specializing in Italian food heritage and culinary traditions.
COST: $ 7,500 includes five nights in a centrally-located four-star hotel in central Rome and 2 nights in a small hotel in Bracciano, three dinners and two lunches, travel in Italy by both public and private vehicles, guided visits and special workshops, lessons, tastings, all entrance fees and taxes. Price covers double occupancy; a single use supplement is available for an additional €500.
Itinerary
- Arrival Day: Saturday
Upon your arrival, rest up or explore before our casual early-evening welcome gathering. - Day One: Sunday
Etruscan Roots: A Journey Through Landscape, Heritage, and Cuisine
A rich full-day learning and exploration of the origins and traditions of food we now call Italian. - Day 2: Monday
Roman Foundations: Foodways and Their Transformation Through Time
Today, we explore the ingredients of Roman cuisine, starting in the ports and markets of Testaccio, learning about olive oil production, and bringing these lessons into the kitchen to prepare and eat dinner together with a renowned chef. - Day Three: Tuesday
The Marketplace in Italian Foodways: Seasonality, Slow food and the Local Food Economy
We focus our third day on a very different market where we learn about seasonality and nutrition, ending the day with a narrated dinner at a local restaurant. - Day Four: Wednesday
Unification, fragmentation and identity
On our last full day in Rome we discuss “Tradition, Invention, and Identity”, taste cheeses and wines and learn hands-on about pizza making. - Day Five: Thursday
From Medieval Tables to Modern Traditions
Today we depart Rome for our base for the remainder of the program, the small medieval town of Bracciano overlooking a crater lake and filled with food experiences. - Day Six: Friday
The Creation of European Cuisine
To wrap up the program, we go foraging in the countryside and join friends around the table for a convivial farewell dinner. - Departure Day: Saturday
After breakfast, we will say our goodbyes and look forward to the next TBI study trip as we prepare to board transfers to the airport or back to Rome.
AT A GLANCE
- Small groups of no more than twelve allow hands-on engagement with sites
- Stay in comfortable, centrally located lodging
- Visit Rome’s markets in a relaxed seminar style setting (as students, not tourists)
- Discuss your findings and observations over healthy food in typical local venues
- Take a two-day excursion to the coastal town of Bracciano
- Relax with just enough down time in late afternoons and evenings
- Celebrate the course’s completion with a special farewell meal.
