9 reasons to learn Italian in Southern Italy
Our school offers a friendly, personal and attentive approach to learning Italian
We are a small, intimate institution with a big desire to inspire learning in relaxed, yet professional surroundings. Individual attention is assured at all times. We have a long experience in teaching Italian to the foreigners. We have been offering Italian programs in Italy for over 20 years.
This part of Italy is a region which breathes more slowly and deeply…
The fast pace of life and short tempers of the North are dissolved by the atmosphere of this timeless landscape. People have time to stop and speak to you (in Italian!) and are more than generous with their help and enthusiasm. Otranto is a town that distils this spirit into one word: congeniality. There are no worries about crime or disorder, the sense of tranquil security is pervasive.
The region is one that has thankfully escaped the negative implications of a large tourism industry
The result is that the local population has very little English fluency, meaning that students will encounter a true Italian immersion, virtually devoid of people speaking English, whether locals or tourists. Indeed, 90% of Otranto’s tourists come from other parts of Italy rather than abroad, further ensuring an English-free aural experience!
Tourists with cultural interests
Another distinct benefit of the region’s low tourist profile is the fact that the individualistic tourists who do visit this magical land have interests different from those associated with mass tourism. For these discriminating visitors, the appeal lies with the culture, history, traditions and gastronomy of Apulia. Only in August does the population of Otranto traditionally swell with an influx of Italian holidaymakers.
The sea flanking Otranto is not only azure blue; it is the clearest and cleanest in Italy!
This is a fact established in each of the last 10 years by virtue of Otranto’s winning first prize in this important environmental cleanliness category.
Otranto and its environs offer the student a sensorial feast
The air is free from pollution, scented with nature’s bouquet of sweet and spicy fragrances. This sun drenched landscape provides the perfect conditions in which verdant crops flourish, with little artificial irrigation required. The land is carpeted with olive groves, vineyards and fruit orchards; natural vegetation also includes cactus, palm trees and pine forests. There are a number of environmental areas set aside by government as nature reserves, including dramatic, wild coastlines plus an Oasis founded by the WWF. Expanses of white sand beckon visitors to swim, or simply wade, in the warm azure waters lapping shores of hidden bays and crescent beaches. The school offers very interesting guided trips allowing students to experience firsthand these, and other, natural delights.
You can choose a slow-paced vacation dedicated to relaxation and wellbeing
Alternatively, you might choose a more active holiday engaging in physical and leisure activities immersed in nature. Explore the pristine environment of the protected marine areas, or dive into the nightlife as it lights up summer evenings in beautiful seaside towns of this part of Italy.
The climate of Southern Italy is very benign
The cold, frosty winters of the North are unknown here. Our summer lasts from April to October, with temperatures averaging 25°C (click here to see the average temperature during the year). The hottest days of August are tempered in Otranto by gentle sea breezes from the Adriatic.
Otranto provides a variety of services to meet all students’ needs and desires
In town you will find banks, travel agencies, supermarkets, agencies to rent cars, motorbikes and bikes, restaurants, pizzerias, pubs, discotheques, a wide range of accommodation, exhibitions and cultural events, cinema, theatre and concerts (open-air in the summer).