WEEKLY ACTIVITIES

The following activities can be proposed in the afternoon:

- Guided visit to the historic town of Otranto: free
- Guided visit to the ipogeo (underground Byzanthine church): free
- Seminar about the traditional music “Pizzica” and the anthropology of “Tarantismo": free
- Italian cinema: a film will be pojected: free
- Italian song: listening to Italian songs: free
- Course of home-made pasta: 20 €
- After the lessons in the afternoon or evening: a lot of Italian native students attend the school to learn English, German and French. Here foreign students can meet Italian students: the school promotes linguistic exchanges with Italian speaking people in an informal context: meetings can take place at the beach, at a restaurant or at a bar. Our students find this method very useful to improve their speaking skills.

italian language school and courses in Italy - Program of a typical weekly-excursions in the italian language school Porta d'Oriente

PROGRAM OF THE GUIDED TRIPS

LA GRECIA SALENTINA (THE GREEK PART OF SALENTO)
Guided tour to some of the 9 villages where old Greek is still spoken:
- Visit to the most beautiful Greek-Byzanthine Churches (S. Stefano, S.Caterina, the second biggest church in Italy with more frescoes after the Basilica of Assisi): analysis of the Byzanthine frescoes on which the painting of Giotto and Cimabue was based.
- Visit to the historical centres: analysis of the Greek Conception of the Town and life in this area.
- Visit to a "Trullo" analysis of its building and of its symbolic conception.
- Visit to Soleto, the Town of the Witches; Corigliano with its beautiful Castle and the Lucchetti Arch full of strange and old symbols of the '500;
- Visit to Sternatia, the Greek town where the Greek old traditions are still alive;
- Visit to an underground olive oil-mill of the XVI Century: analysis of olive-oil production (entrance 1 Euro);
- Visit to Melpignano with its old monastery and the charming square.

Greek-Byzanthine Church S. Caterina - Galatina Salentine Trullo - Melpignano
Lucchetti Arch - Corigliano underground olive-oil mill of the XVI Century - Sternatia

GUIDED TOUR OF THE SOUTH COAST
The remains of the monastery of S. Nicola di Casole: the 2^nd biggest library of the XI century in the Mediterranean area, the first students' house in Europe, very important centre for the Greek and Byzantine cultures. Umberto Eco took the idea for his book "the Name of the Rose" from this monastery; Visit to the fortified farm houses of the XV century: understanding how they got the form of fortified castles to defend against Turkish invasion in 1480. Stops to admire the landscape: the cliffs are often lofty and inaccessible, yet they teem with caves and gorges that form a jagged coastline. Visit to Porto Badisco (charming little bay) where Eneas landed to go to found Rome; Visit to S. Cesarea Terme: Arab style town, Castro and grotto Zinzulusa, boat-tour to the Grotta Azzura (where the colour of the sea is deep-blue) and the Pigeon's Grotto (entrance 3 Euro).

guided tour of south cost: landscape fortified farm house
S. Cesarea Terme: Arab style town Grotta Azzurra

GUIDED TOUR OF THE NORTH COAST
The beautiful beaches of the South Coast, Alimini Lakes, S. Andrea and its beautiful landscape: little bays and cliffs, S. Foca and the archeological site.
The coastline is dented with narrow strips of sandy shore, once bordered with sand hillocks covered by a glory of psammophyious (sand vegetation) plants. Lying at the feet of precipitous cliffs are enchanting little beaches that change shape according to the irregular and impulsive rhythm of the waves beaten back by the cliffs.

GUIDED TOUR OF THE NORTH COAST
Alimini Beaches, near Otranto Apulian Beaches: the cleanest sea in Italy

GUIDED VISIT OF THE TOWN OF LECCE
Called the Florence of South Italy, known for its Baroque style; visit to the most beautiful churches and analysis of the Baroque conception of life; visit to the Roman amphitheatre and theatre, visit to a Papier Mâché laboratory to see how the statues are built.

Lecce: Baroque Church of Santa Croce Lecce: Roman amphitheatre
Lecce: the Florence of South Italy Guided visit of the town of Lecce

OLIVE-OIL AND WINE ITINERARIES
The wine and olive oil itinerary; visit to a Winery and a modern olive-oil mill: free tasting and explanations held by the wine and olive oil making experts about the techniques of wine and olive oil production.

olive-oil and wine itineraries grapes
wine tasting