Intensive 1-week Study Program Italian Language and Civilisation ROME

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1 Intensive 1-week Study Program Italian Language and Civilisation ROME March 2018 In collaboration with: This is an intense and exclusive course (max 8 participants) in BEGINNERS ITALIAN LANGUAGE complemented by afternoon excursions to explore ITALIAN CIVILISATION. Morning language classes are offered by La Lente. Afternoon excursions are offered by your host, Ms. Marie Stamp, who is a fluent Italian-speaker and experienced trip organiser in Rome. Accommodation for visitors to Rome will be provided by the Irish College in Rome ( Villa Irlanda ). A total of 15 hours of lessons at La Lente (3 hours each morning) in Italian Language (Basic Grammar and Conversation), made-to-measure for the participants in this group. Materials included. Accompanied walking excursions and museum visits with your host to discover the history and culture of Italy including: Ancient Rome, Early Christianity, Folk Arts and Traditions of Italy, Art and Architecture, Food and Shopping For those travelling to Rome: We include the offer of Bed and Breakfast for six nights in the secure and peaceful setting of Villa Irlanda, the visitors accommodation of the Irish Pontifical College in Rome. Prices are pps (per person sharing) a double room: single supplement 100/ 150. For those travelling to Rome: Transportation to and from Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) to Villa Irlanda (when arranged by your host). Bus and Metro tickets for all city travel with your host. Transport to Rome and meals not included. COST: for Rome residents 400 COST for those travelling to Rome: 799pps / 899pps Contact studyitalian2018@gmail.com for information and booking NOTE: You are entirely responsible for your travel to Rome, including any travel insurance or cancellation costs in any circumstances. You are advised to plan carefully for contingencies when you purchase your tickets. Bookings must be confirmed by 5 March 2018.

2 ABOUT YOUR HOST: Your host and organiser for this week will be Ms. Marie Stamp. Marie is a fluent Italian speaker experienced in VIP travel and visits to Rome. She is a former diplomat who resides between the UK and Ireland, and travels to Italy several times per year. What others have said: One of the things that made our trip so enjoyable was Marie s part in helping us find our way around the city, find places to eat, and to tell us about what we were looking at! It was also very helpful that Marie is multi-lingual and negotiated the language barrier with us. I appreciated having all the tickets and so on included so that we could plan and not have to be nickeled and dimed all week. That system also engendered a feeling of being cared for. [I enjoyed] eating out in different restaurants every night and having your italian expertise to help us understand the menu. Staying in the Villa Irlanda, with the lovely trees in the garden, also the lovely trees all over Rome, especially the pines. It was so relaxing to know that you had organised how to get everywhere and picked such interesting places to go. The hotel (Villa Irlanda) was perfect. It was a good distance from the historic center and I felt safe within the walls. Loved the gardens and the irish priests.

3 OUR PROGRAM: Our Program: Mornings will be hosted by La Lente Corsi e Ripetizioni Italian Language: Morning classes will take place at La Lente, a language-learning centre conveniently located near the Pyramid of Cestius. La Lente means lens and the name represents the way we like to get up close and personal to meet our clients needs. La Lente specialises in tailor-made language courses to students of all ages, and our week-long program will be made to measure for the participants in this group. Class size for this program is limited to 8 people, and instruction will be at the beginner level. Overview of important verbs and tenses Vocabulary and conversation practice to prepare you for : getting around on public transit ordering food and paying the bill shopping for groceries asking for help talking about yourself and meeting others Answering other grammar questions according to your needs. If you have any questions, contact us at LaLente by ing: anastasia@lalentecorsieripetizioni.it Afternoons will be hosted by Marie Stamp (in English) Italian Civilisation (History and Culture): The history of the regions that make up Italy today is fascinating and complex, and stretches back thousands of years. We will focus more on popular history than political history, and try to connect with the values and tastes of people who lived in this region in various points in time. We will do this by getting out and walking around the city, getting a feel for things at street level and by visiting unique attractions that are slightly off the beaten tourist track. We will get around using the Italian language and public transport, however guided visits will be in English or Italian with English interpretation.

4 Our Itinerary: The following afternoon itineraries may be subject to slight change due to weather or practical considerations. Day 1. Ancient Rome: Short walk to look at the 2000 year-old Pyramid of Cestius before proceeding to the Metro (underground subway) station Piramide and take a short journey to Colosseo. We will enjoy a brief look at the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine, and from there we will walk for about fifteen minutes past the Roman Forum toward Trajan s Column, where we will enter Palazzo `Valentini for a visit of the Domus Romanae. This unusual multimedia tour recreates life in a Roman villa and provides a unique insight into the origins and meaning of Trajan s Column. The visit is narrated in English and lasts about one hour. We will end the afternoon with a short ten-minute walk to the Capitoline Hill where we will have a good view of the Roman Forum and the opportunity to enjoy the panoramic view from the Caffarelli Terrace. Participants might wish to have an aperitif on the terrace or explore the Jewish Quarter for their evening meal. Day 2. Christian Rome: After our morning s lessons we will have lunch nearby before traveling by tram to visit some significant places in the history of Christian Rome. We will start at the Basilica of San Clemente, where we will visit the underground excavations led by an Irish priest nearly 200 years ago. The archaeology reveals a shrine to Mithras as well as church foundations from early Christian and medieval times. We will walk along to the Church of the Santi Quattro Coronati and the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano. The convent of the Santi Quattro contains rare frescoes from the middle ages and a peaceful cloister. We will then walk to the Baptistery of San Giovanni, founded by Constantine the Great and the only Baptistery in Rome for hundreds of years. We end the afternoon at the Basilica of San Giovanni, also founded by Constantine the Great and adjacent to the Lateran Palace, home of the popes for nearly a thousand years. The Basilica is home to a number of significant relics, such as the heads of Saints Peter and Paul, and the (supposed) table used for the Last Supper. A cloister from the Middle Ages also survives. Across the street are the Holy Stairs - a set of stairs brought to Rome from the Middle East by St. Helen, and prized as the supposed staircase ascended by Christ to receive judgement from Pilate. Participants who wish to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Stairs will be free to do so at the end of the afternoon. Day 3. Italian Traditions: After our morning s lessons we will have lunch nearby before traveling by Metro to the EUR district, renown for its Fascist-era architecture. We will visit the National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions (Museo delle Arte e Tradizioni Popolari) with a guided overview of the collection. This museum is truly unique and provides a fascinating overview of the folk

5 customs and culture of Italy over the years. We will end the afternoon with a refreshing typical Italian coffee and pastry at the Caffè Lizst, before taking the bus back to our accommodation. Day 4. Italian Art and Art Patrons:1 After our lunch we will travel by bus to Piazza Venezia, where we will visit one of the largest privately-owned palaces in Rome. At Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj we visit the art gallery and stately apartments. Participants have the option to end the afternoon in the cafe of the Palazzo and to explore the surrounding streets. Classical music concerts take place in the palace at 6:30 pm for an additional cost of 40. Following the art gallery visit, participants have the option of joining a leisurely walk around the area to see the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, the Elephant of Bernini, the Pantheon and the Church of Sant Ignazio with it s trempe l oeil dome. Day 5. Italian Food and Free Time After we complete our morning lessons we will walk to Eataly, an Italian food emporium where we will have lunch and browse the various delicacies. Here you will find a huge variety of cheeses, meats, pasta, sweets and coffee as well as attractive kitchenware and gift items. Participants may wish to purchase some dry goods to bring home. Later in the afternoon, there will be an option for anyone wishing to continue shopping along the via del Corso or via Condotti to be assisted in finding your way around. We may take the Metro to the Spanish Steps, stop for coffee in the famous Caffè Greco, frequented by Goethe and the famous Romantic poets who lived in Rome, and stroll along toward the Trevi Fountain