The Rhode School of Cuisine is proud to present the new home of their Italian cooking school, Villa Lucia, a superb Tuscan villa with beautiful frescos and country elegance.   The main structure of Villa Lucia dates back to the year 500, while later additions and beautiful frescoes reflect the artistic period of the 18th century. Recently featured in the 2002 edition of Architecture del Verde, a book of elegant Lucchesi villas and formal Italianate gardens, the enchanting walled garden of Villa Lucia will delight you with its extensive grapevine pergola, ancient grottos and fountains, swimming pools.  For those wanting a little more exercise, the villa offers a gymnasium and our own private tennis court.

Villa Lucia will serve as your "home base" for exploring one of the most beautiful regions of Italy. The wooded foothills and meadows are carpeted with wild flowers in the spring and filled with magnificent colour and fungi in the autumn. Pisa and Florence are less than an hour away. Our Italian cooking school includes interesting cultural excursions. Explore Lucca's maze of pedestrian streets within its walls, stopping in unique shops selling food, trinkets and clothing, interspersed among the churches and other medieval buildings with their striped marble Romanesque façades. Visit Florence, where the displays of cheeses, salamis, vegetables, and fruit are works of art in of themselves. You will discover Vinci with a visit to the Home of Leonardo and a private tour of the Taccini Brothers' studio, well-recognized ceramic artists, as featured in Bon Appetit.

In Northern Italy you will find the glorious region of Tuscany, filled with ancient cities rich in art and architecture, all nestled amongst vineyards and olive groves, cypress and lemon trees. Vorno is a charming traditional village, comprised of rustic old stone farmhouses and majestic villas set in the lush countryside at the foot of Monte Zano in Northern Tuscany. The wonderful walled city of Lucca lies just six kilometers north, midway between Florence and Pisa. Tuscany's best kept secret, Lucca, was founded in 180 B.C. and is still surrounded by the old city walls which were built to keep out invaders from nearby villages. Don't miss the incredible Piazza dell'anfiteatro, Piazza Napoleone, Torre Guinigi or the amazing shopping.

Florence and Pisa are just "at your doorstep". Florence is famous for its wealth of art, including perhaps the most famous of all statues, Michelangelo's "David" and Pisa for its Leaning tower. Sienna, San Gimignano, and Voltera are all within easy distance. Whether you prefer to visit Cathedrals and Museums, wineries and pasta factories or simply have a picnic in the olive groves Tuscany offers so much to do that one visit is never enough.

Tuscany is deservedly famous for its sites, culture and centuries of art and history. But this area above all in Italy is famous for its food. The simplicity of "casalingua" cooking is the basis for all Tuscan cuisine. "To cook like your mother is good, but to cook like your grandmother is better," is an old Tuscan proverb. And, of course, in Tuscany the food is accompanied by wonderful olive oil and some of the world's best wines. From Chianti Classico to the stunning Super Tuscans this area produces a range of wine second to none.

Cooking Classes

Your day will begin with a breakfast of fruit, pastries, cereal, juice and coffee and depending on your mood you can either dine inside or outside in our beautiful garden. Each day will be a balanced mix of hands on cooking lessons, cultural excursions and time to relax and enjoy the beautiful property and surrounding countryside. Each cooking lesson is followed by lunch or dinner. The leisurely and relaxed meals are served to you either "al fresco" in the courtyard or by candlelight in the villa's elegant dining room. The meals are paired with a proper wine, including some of Tuscany's most noteworthy. Your dinners will be complemented with Chianti Classicos, Brunellos and other succulent wines from the region of Tuscany.

Your introduction to wine tasting in Tuscany will include some of the revolutionary Super Tuscans, such as Sassicaia, Tignanello, Castello dei Rampolia and Ornellaia. During the wine tasting you will hear the story of the Gallo Nero, which defines the Chianti region. You will learn of the different varieties that create this region, including sangiovese which has survived the Super Tuscan revolution of the late 1970s when a small group of Tuscan wine makers began to experiment with the new French grape varieties and new methods. The wine makers replaced their massive old casks with new barriques of French oak, while planting trendy international varieties alongside sangiovese, the ancestral source of Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. 'Super Tuscans' have reached heights of prestige, as affirmed by triumphant recent tastings in New York and London. - The New York Times

The Italian cooking classes are set up in an intimate, hands-on manner, so that complete novices can sit along side professional chefs, yet both be educated and amused. Our chef Fabio Guelfi will patiently teach you the skills and techniques required to prepare beautiful Italian cuisine in a relaxed and enjoyable environment. Guelfi's warm personality will make you feel comfortable and fully capable of producing some of Italy's most famous dishes. Click here for more information on Guelfi.

He will help you unravel the mystery of selecting the finest, freshest ingredients available. You will learn to differentiate between various olive oils and balsamic vinegars and use them appropriately. With this knowledge of ingredients, you will make full Italian meals: antipasti, soups, assorted primi piatti of pasta, risotto, pizza, secondi piatti of meat, poultry, and fish, various vegetable contorni, and many delicious dolci including Tiramisu and biscotti. You will recreate the flavours and aromas of traditional Tuscan cuisine with pizzas, breads and roasted meats cooked in our wood-burning oven. New "traditional" techniques adapt these recipes for the modern home kitchen and barbecues.

As well as some of the more complicated dishes there are several simple and delicious recipes all complied in the recipe manual each student receives at the beginning of the week. The manual also contains a wealth of information such as a glossary of Italian cooking terms, conversion tables and a list of the recipes you will prepare, cook and eat during your week. Our staff all speak English and will make sure you are entertained or completely relaxed depending on your mood. They have a genuine interest in making this a special experience for you. They understand that this is first and foremost a holiday. The theme is Italian cuisine, and it's offered in abundance, but never at the expense of enjoyment. At the end of the week you'll receive your very own Rhode School of Cuisine Certificate, certifying your participation and completion of one of our cooking courses.

Excursions

As part of the Rhode School of Cuisine experience, our staff offer several excursion possibilities to guests. Because of the size of the Italian School, flexibility on some of the set excursions may be limited. But if the group agrees at the start of the week on an excursion or activity they would like to do instead of one of the planned excursions, we will do our best to accommodate the group's choice.

Some of the possible excursions are listed below:

• Visits to selected restaurants and food markets
• A visit to the beautiful city of Sienna and Marble Duomo
• A guided tour of the villa, vineyard and olive groves
• Visit the 11th century Tuscan vineyard of Castello Banfi
• A lecture and tasting of local Tuscan and Chianti wines
• A visit to the beautiful city of Florence and Uffizi museum
• A day trip to the beautiful city of Pisa
• A visit to the Cinque Terre and its cliff top villages
• A visit to the local olive oil press factory
• Visit the white wine shops in medieval San Gimignano
• A visit to several historical Roman towns in the area
• Visit the castle and fortress enclosure of Lerici
• A visit to the town where Puccini spent his later years
• Guided tour of Lucca and shopping along Via Fillungo

Activities

Close to our villa there are some good hiking and jogging tracks that wind up the Monte Pisamo. The villa also has several mountain bikes that can be used to explore these tracks and the surrounding area. The nearby village of Vorno has stables where horse back riding can be arranged if you wish to explore the area at a more leisurely pace. Conveniently located nearby are two excellent golf courses for the more active sports person: one in Versilia and the other in Monte Catini.

Accommodations

Guests will stay at Villa Lucia or Casa Cameron.  The rooms include the Caravaggio, the three-room master suite, which has a separate salon with fireplace and a large bathroom with  an antique tub, double marble basin, and a glass shower that sympathetically integrates the historic frescoes.  

The deluxe rooms, Bronzino, Raphael, and Michelangelo, are very spacious and have glorious scenic frescoes.

The Villa's premium rooms, Fra Angelico and Da Vinci, are located off the main drawing room that is decorated with beautiful Tuscan silk curtains, a marble fireplace, fine antiques and a grand piano.

The upper floor has three bedrooms and is designed as a separate maisonette.  The bedrooms, Botticelli, Masaccio, and Donatello, share a spacious deluxe living room.  The kitchen and dining area are located off the large central salon and television room.

Superior Room

 Deluxe Room

Premier Suites--Caravaggio and Botticeelli

• Fly into Pisa or Florence airport and arrive at Villa Lucia by mid-afternoon.
• 2-3 pm  Welcome cocktails and canapés
• 3-3:30 pm  Meet your hostess at the beautiful frescoed grand entrance at 3:15 for a walk around the charming historic village of Vorno.
• 3:30-4:30 pm  She will present to you our philosophy of a flexible and relaxed vacation.  You will discuss the program for the week and any special interests you might have.
• 4:30-6:30 pm  Free time to relax before your buffet dinner.
• 6:30-6:45 pm  Introduction to your Chef for the Week
• Buffet Early Dinner
  • Panzanella (typical bread and vegetable salad)
  • Vergure Alla Griglia (grilled vegetables)
  • Lasagne (Homemade fresh pasta with béchamel sauce and meat ragout)
  • Arista (Roasted pork loin)
  • Fagioli all uccelletta (Cannelini beans with garlic, tomatoes, olive oil and sage)
  • Insalata Mista (Mixed Salad)
  • Formaggi Misti (Mixed cheese platter)
  • Torta Alle Mele (Apple Tart)

• 8-9 amBreakfast available.
• 9:30-12:30 pm  Hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of lunch.  Fresh Pasta Lesson:
  • Caterina de Medici Salad 
• 1-2:30 pm  Lunch served on the terrace
• 3 pm  Free-time to relax around the villa.
• 6:00 pm.  Hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of dinner:
  • Caterina de Medici Salad (mixed green salad, toasted pine nuts, raisins, pecorino cheese, capers and anchovies)
  • Tagliatelle with Chickpeas, bacon, rosemary and cherry tomatoes
  • Artichokes ravioli with thyme and parmesan cheese
  • Holly wine and pine nuts cake with vanilla sauce
• 8:30-9 pm  Free-time before dinner
• 9:00 pm.  Dinner
  • Asparagus flan with sauce Mornay
  • Livornese style stockfish served with parsley mashed potatos
  • Sage and Vodka sorbet

• 8-9 am  Breakfast available
• 9:30-1 pm  You will have a guided tour through the city of Lucca by Cristiana. Lucca is known as a city of no galleries, but many churches--with 100 in existence at the end of the Middle Ages. The city became a colony of ancient Rome in 180 BC and bordered the Etruscan country. The survival of the Anfiteatro from these Roman times is due to Nottolini, the architect who built the aqueduct between Lucca and Pisa and who also is responsible for the current aspect of Villa Lucia. The name of the church San Michele in Foro indicates that it stands beside a Roman forum. In the 12th-13th centuries, Lucca was the center of a thriving silk and wool trade and rivaled Florence in power and wealth. The proof of this abundance is the many churches and the wall of protection around the old city.
• Free to explore or shop at your leisure
• 1-3:30 pm  Lunch at the "Buca di Sant' Antonio restaurant"  in  Lucca
• 5:30 pm  Arrive back at Villa with time to relax
• 6:30-8:30 pm  Hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of dinner:
  • Homemade potato gnocchi with tomato sauce and fresh Mozzarella
  • Mediterranean style Sea Bass on a bed of potatoes with fresh tomatoes, black olives, onions and basil
  • Cantuccini and vinsanto (typical Tuscany biscuits and dessert wine)
• 8:30-9 pm  Free time before dinner
• 9 pm  Dinner

• 7-8 am  Breakfast available
• 8:15 am  Meet in the formal salon to depart for Pistoia market.
• 9-11:30 am  Visit to the bustling market town of Pistoia to help the chef choose fresh produce for dinner. You will have plenty of time to explore the many piazzas and stop for a panini in a local café.
• 12:45-1:45 pm  Free time to have lunch in Vinci, birthplace of Leonardo Da Vinci
• 2-3 pm  A Visit to the museum of Leonardo Da Vinci.
• 3:30 pm  Visit to the famous Tacchini brothers where, you will see the famous brothers' produce fine pieces of ceramic art.
• 4:30 pm  Return back at Villa
• 5:30-6:30 pm  Free-time
• 6:30-8 pm  Hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of dinner:
  • Crespelle all Fiorentina (Crepes stuffed with spinach and cheese)
  • Tagliata all Frantoiana con rucola (Sliced Florentine steak served with black and green olives, cubed tomatoes , olive oil and arugula
  • Ice Crème
• 8-8:30 pm  Free time before dinner
• 8:45 pm  Dinner

• 8:30-9:30 am  Breakfast available
• 9:45 am  Wine tasting and a delightful lunch at Enuta di Valgiano which is situated 250m above sea level on a hillside 10km North-East of Lucca.  You will have the opportunity to taste fine wines, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  
• The Tenuta's 16 hectacres of vineyards stand on a terrace of pebbles and clay alberese rocks.  By preference, the Sangiovese is grown along the edge of the alberese soil, which allows it to maintain its aromatic properties and at the same time achieve good structure.  The clay soil is where the Merlot is cultivated ant it is able to maintain its fineness and elegance, despite the heaviness of the soil.  On the sandstone pebbles, it is only the Syrah that can achieve structure as well as perfume.  The vines are between 6 and 40 years old and there are 5,700 plants per hectare.
• Traditional methods are used in the cellar and technological interference is kept to a minimum.  The object is to produce, in the simplest possible way, wines that are an expression on the place in which they are cultivated:  Valgiano!
• 4:30 pm  Arrive back at the villa
• 6:30-9 pm  Hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of dinner
  • Pappa al pomodoro Gratinata (Thick bread and tomato soup gratin)
  • Millefoglie di vitella con verdure all grigli e formaggion affumicato con piselli alla fiorentina (Multi-layer tower of veal scaloppini, grilled vegetables and smoked cheese served with peas).
  • Tiramisu
• 8:30-9 pm  Free time before dinner
• 9 pm  Dinner

• 8-9:30 am  Breakfast available
• 10 am-1 pm  Cooking lesson and preparation for Buffet lunch
• 1:30-2:30 pm  Lunch
  • Pizza
  • Formaggi al Taglio con miele e noci (Selection of Italian cheeses with honey pears and walnuts)
  • Selezione di salumi italiani (selections of Italian salamis)
  • Mixed salad
  • Cookies
• 2:30-5:30 pm  Free time to take a stroll through the olive groves, play tennis or to simply relax as you wish.
• 6-8 pm  Hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of dinner:
  • Selection of Tuscany bruschetta (chicken liver pate, melted onions, fresh tomatos)
  • Stewed wild boar Tuscany style with polenta
  • Chocolate "Vulcan"--warm, soft chocolate heart cake
• 8:30 pm  Champagne Graduation Ceremony in the large demonstration kitchen
• 8:30 pm  Formal dinner

• Depart for the airport before noon. Thank you for sharing a special week with us.  Alla prossima volta!
• Note: This schedule is subject to change.