REDISCOVER THE LAND OF YOUR ANCESTORS
You are invited to a unique
tour of Sicily
September 20-October 5, 2009
INCLUDED IN THE TOUR:
- 10 nights accommodation in a first class Bed and Breakfast in Vita in double occupancy
- Full breakfast daily
- 9 lunches and 9 dinners, including wine, mineral water, coffee or cappuccino
- 1 visit to a Winery with wine tasting
- 1 aperitif with the Mayor of Vita
- 1 aperitif with the President of the Province of Trapani
- Entrance fees to sites indicated in itinerary
- Entertainment every night
- Arrivederci Gala Dinner with music and dancing included in the program With the folkloristic group "IViddaneddi della Valle Del Belice"
- Full sightseeing program with English speaking guides
- Transportation within the Province of Trapani by deluxe motor coach
- 4 hands-on cooking classes with the Grandmothers of Vita
- 1 visit to a olive oil mill and tasting
- 1 aperitif with the Mayor of Mazara del Vallo
- 1 aperitif in a private villa in Favignana
- Italian escort
- Gratuities at all restaurants where meals are
- Full Travel Insurance
NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOUR:
- International airfare to and from destinations
- Gratuities to guides and drivers
- Meals not specifically included
- Items of a personal nature (mineral water, phone calls)
TOUR DESCRIPTION
Come celebrate the annual Festa della Madonna di Tagliaviao and
the 400th Anniversary of the founding of il Comune di Vita
If there is ever a time to discover modern Sicily with its traditional feasts, it is now.
Experience four centuries of tradition. Its hospitable people. Its beautiful landscapes.
Its inebriating scents. Its delicious local wines and cuisine. Its magical sky.
Join a select group and for 11 days become immersed in the traditional preparations leading to the "Festa della Madonna di Tagliavia" - The Patron Saint of Vita.
“Enjoy the hospitality of our local Bed and Breakfasts, be taken back in to time as you participate in the feast's preparations. Visit the surrounding countryside, meet with local chefs who will teach you how to prepare satisfying simple dishes. Enrich yourself by
discovering an enchanting Sicily, unknown to most people.”
DAILY SCHEDULE
Day 1
Arrive in Palermo, transfer to Vita o Early afternoon you
will participate at a Welcome Reception at the Vita Wines winery.
Bed and Breakfast accommodations provided by, Immagine, Baronia or
La Casa della Nonna. Mingle and work side by side with members of
the Festa organization to create the spectacular parade float of
wine and olives. Help prepare small bags of olives that are
distributed along the parade route. At the end of the workdays end
enjoy Pani Cunzatu (seasoned bread), boiled potatoes, plenty of wine,
singing and dancing at the headquarters of “Il Ceto Del Vito e
Delle olive” - one of the three associations that are in charge of
the organization of the Sunday's Parade - the others are “Il Ceto
Dei Burgisi” and “Il Ceto Dei Cavallari”.
Day 2
Mid morning we will be received by the Mayor of il
Comune di Vita for ceremonial toast. After lunch stay with the
“Ceto dei Cavallari” for the last arrangements and to celebrate with them.
At midnight the Solemn Mass in honor of the Madonna di Tagliavia.
Day 3
Day long activities centered around this day of “Thanksgiving”
to the Madonna di Tagliavia for the abundance of farm products harvested
during the year: In the early morning: we have the blessing of the farm
animals. Followed by the parade where the wine and olive float and the
float with decorative breads are driven through the village streets as
the riders hand out favors to the parade goers en route. In the afternoon
the procession in the honor of the Madonna di Tagliavia. Will
participate members of the Provincia Regionale di Trapani and all
the Mayors of the Province with their standards. The parade’s
festivities end with the evening's fireworks.
Day 4
Sleep in, you’ve earn it. At noon, Promenade alongside the
traditionally decorated Sicilian carts as we head towards
the Baronia Woods, for a picnic, where you can spend the day
in serenity with nature. The “day after” tradition is still
used in Sicily after the feast. Relax and enjoy. Join us for
a wine tasting at a local Winery. You will conclude the evening
at the theater for a play.
Day 5
Guided tour of the Quarries of Cusa-Campobello di Mazara:
the ancient quarries are where the stone Tufo was extracted
and used in the construction of the Temples of Selinunte.
Followed by an olive oil mill tour and tasting. Mazara del
Vallo is next where we visit the ancient bronze statue of
the Dancing Satir. Discovered in the Sicilian Canal, represents
a mythological demon accompanying the god of wine, Dionysus.
Later we join the mayor of Mazara for an aperitif and lunch
to follow. We return to Vita for the first of four hands-on
cooking classes with the Grandmothers of Vita: you will
make a traditional pasta for special occasion to be offered to
the patron saint. After dinner will participate to a concert
of Classic Music.
Day 6
Off to Castellammare del Golfo where we visit the beautiful coast
of Scopello. We continue our trip to the best preserved
ancient Greek temple in Sicily-Segesta. Next we visit a site
of more recent history, where Giuseppe Garibaldi, patriot and
solder of the Risorgimento, began his campaign for Italian
unification against the Spanish Borboni. Enjoy your lunch
while overlooking the Temple of Segesta provided by the
Restaurant Agora o Return to Vita. Our second hands-on
cooking class: demonstration of the typical “Breads” and
a tasting of the “Saint Joseph's pasta” made with fresh
wild fennel and sardines. Dinner and following a concert
of Italian songs.
Day 7
Trip to the marvelous island of Favignana: rich with colors,
perfumes and traditions worth experiencing. Favignana is the
largest of the islands that form the Egadi’s archipelago
located off coast fo Trapani. While on the island we will
visit the Palazzo Florio, La Camperia, Cala Rossa and Cala
Azzurra. We will be hosted at a private villa for an aperitif
and lunch to follow. Return to Vita. our third hands-on cooking
class: you will make a traditional special occasion dish. Dinner
and a concert of Classical Music.
Day 8
Guided tour of Trapani, which includes the Church of the Madonna
di Trapani and the Museum of the Coral, and the
centre with its beautiful palazzos. We will join the President
of the Province of Trapani as he hosts our group for an aperitif.
We will visit the Salt Flats of Paceco in the WWF Reserve. We
continue on to Erice: a medieval town and one of the most
fascination and interesting centers of western Sicily. Erice
is also the city of science - the Scientific Cultural Center
“Ettore Maiorana” has its headquarters here. Lunch in Erice.
Return to Vita for our fourth hands-on cooking class: you will
make a traditional special occasion dish. Dinner and afterwards
will spend a charming evening learning about the Vitesi living
around the world with Centro Studi “Vitesi nel Mondo”.
Day 9
Guided tour of Palermo: Nestled in the palms and orange groves of
this tropical atmosphere of the Conca d’oro region. You will
stroll through the enchanting squares of Quattro Canti, and see
the mixture of European, Arab and Norman influences in the Palazzo
del Normanni. Lunch in Palermo. The remainder of the day you’re
free to wander and shop. Will return to Vita for a Cabaret Show.
Day 10
Guided tour of Partanna: We will visit the Matrice Church,
the Grifeo Castle, and the Monastery of St. Benedict home of the
town library and cultural center. Partanna was devastated in 1968
by earthquake, we will visit that site. Lunch at “The Terme Acqua
Pia”. Return to Vita for the 400th Anniversary Celebration of the
founding of il Comune di Vita with an equestrian show. Arrivederci
Gala Dinner and you will dance and sing with a typical Sicilian
Folkloristic group “I Viddaneddi della Valle del Belice.”
Day 11
Transfer to the airport for flights home
