Arrive in Bologna and check into your apartment or hotel. Meet the chef and enjoy a quick tour of the city's historic center followed by an aperitive and dinner in a typical trattoria. After breakfast on days 2 and 3, you will meet the chef at CIBO Cooking School at 8:30 AM and then take a historical tour en route to the Bologna market area where you'll decide what to prepare in the kitchen as you shop at the market stands. Learn how to prepare 2 delicious meals for lunch and dinner including handmade pasta. In the afternoons, choose between 3.5 hours of cooking at the school or a walking tour of Bologna City Center with your chef/guide. At 6 PM head back to the school to prepare dinner.
On day 4, embark on a tour of the Fiorentini Vineyards in Castrocaro. After snacking and tasting great Romagna Wines such as Sangiovese, Albana, and Famoso, stop to enjoy a lunch of piadina romagnola and handmade ravioli in a local Trattoria. In the afternoon, continue on to the mountain retreat on Mount Fumaiolo. After check-in, take a short walk in the mountains. In the evening, cook dinner in the mountain house with a menu focused on seasonal ingredients and ancient local recipes.
On day 5, visit the Sanctuary of La Verna founded by St. Francis of Assisi. Admire the beautiful works of lead-glazed terracotta by Andrea Della Robbia, before heading home to cook lunch. Walk to the Eremo of Saint Alberico on top of Mount Fumaiolo. Then cook and dine at home with more wonderful local food. The following morning, go to Borgo San Sepolcro in Tuscany, home of the Painter Piero della Francesca. Visit the local Museum and marvel at the frescoes of the Resurrection of Christ and the Polyptych of the Misericordia. After lunch in a local Tuscan Osteria, head to Monterchi to see Piero's Madonna del Parto. In the afternoon, walk to the Sorgenti del Tevere on top of Mount Fumaiolo. Cook and dine at home with more wonderful local food. On day 7, spend the morning exploring Ravenna before returning to Bologna.
