2023 Matta & il Sasso Montepulciano
Italian Language Program
2023 Matta &
il Sasso Montepulciano Italian Language Program
Sept 10 – 22, 2023
2023 Matta & Cultura il Sasso Montepulciano Italian Language
2023 Program Price: $4,500
To make a reservation click on the “Save Your Spot” button
Want to chat with Melissa about the program? Click Here
My friends and teachers at Il Sasso Italian School in Montepulciano and I are planning an exciting language and cultural program in the delightful hill town overlooking the Tuscan plains.
Join Melissa and Silvia Celli in Montepulciano next September for an experience you won’t forget!
The 2023 Montepulciano Program Includes:
13 Days / 12 Nights / 36 Hours Language Classes /
10 Dinners / Language Activities & Excursions / Accommodations /
Personally Guided by Melissa & il Sasso teachers /
Unlimited Italian Conversation & Learning
To make a reservation click on the
“Save Your Spot” button
Click Here to View Program
Join Melissa and Silvia Celli of il Sasso Italian language school in Montepulciano September 10-22, 2023, to LEARN & IMPROVE YOUR ITALIAN! Immersing in language and culture and traveling with like-minded individuals is a great way to learn the language in a relaxed and friendly environment. My friends and teachers at il Sasso Italian School in Montepulciano and I are planning an exciting language and cultural program in the delightful hill town overlooking the Tuscan plains.
Click Here How to Reach Montepulciano
Highlights of the 2023 Matta & il Sasso Montepulciano Italian Language Program include two weeks of classes at il Sasso Italian school afternoon activities, 10 dinners PLUS unlimited conversation practice! There will be day trips to San Quirico and Vitaleta, a salumi tasting at Fattoria Madonna della Querce and trips to Montalcino and Sant’Antimo. We will also visit Cantina Ciacci Piccolomini for winetasting, and we will spend the entire afternoon in Pienza with lunch included. We will have “walking and talking” excursions to meet local artisans and artists, as well as an “art history tour” of the museums and churches including San Biagio. We will have cooking lesson with Claudia and a pizza-making lesson with Linda. Our “soggiorno” will culminate in an excursion to la Foce gardens with a farewell dinner there at “Dopo Lavoro.” Come along with me and get to know all my friends in Montepulciano. It will be an experience you will never forget!
The Matta / Il Sasso Italian School Montepulciano
2023 Language & Cultural Immersion includes:
- 35 hours of Italian Lessons at Il Sasso Montepulciano (classes will be held in the mornings: 9 am – 1:00 pm, with two breaks,)
- Unlimited Italian conversation practice with teachers & Italian friends
- 13 Days/ 12 nights with hotel accommodations in three lovely locations: The Politian Apartments, Il Rondo Guest House, or Stefania’s Guest House. Accommodations will be determined by need and on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information see below.
- 10 Dinners included
- Welcome Aperativo Spritz and Walking Tour of the City
- 1 Pasta Making Cooking class in which we will prepare pasta and local recipes and dine on what we have prepared with Claudia
- 1 Pizza Making class with Linda
- Excursion to Montalcino & Sant’Antimo & walking tour with guide and a wine tasting at Ciacci Piccolomini
- Guided visit to La Villa Foce and the Gardens of Iris Origo with an Introduction and a brief history of the Villa and the author’s book “War in Val d’Orcia”
- Dinner in the Gardens of La Foce at Dopo Lavoro
- Guided Half-day Excursion to Pienza with lunch & time to shop
- Excursion to San Quirico
- Excursion to Fattoria Madonna della Querce with salumi degustazione
- Walking Tour of Montepulciano’s Artisan Shops
- Market day in Montepulciano visit with a guide from the school
- Walking Art History Tour to San Biagio
- Free Afternoons to relax, shop, wander about the town & two evenings to choose your own dinner locations
- All levels of language learners welcome from BEGINNER to ADVANCED. Students will be placed in appropriate classes according to their language levels along with other International students attending Il Sasso Montepulciano. All classes at Il Sasso feature a mix of grammar instruction, as well as Italian Culture, designed to take each student to the next level of speaking and comprehension.
Accommodations
You have the option of staying at the Politian Apartments, or il Rondó hotel, or in Stefani’s Town House.
The Politian apartments are beautifully appointed with breathtaking views of the countryside. You will have access to a private garden behind the apartments. You will have kitchens with fridges & stoves. Each room features a private bathroom. It has WiFi, and fast internet access. You will prepare your breakfasts [Breakfast not included]. The Politian apartments are located on the street above the school and are about a 10-minute walk from the school.
Stefania’s Town House apartment is situated next door to the school. It is located in a renovated building on the ground floor and has a lovely view of the quiet city street, below the apartment and in the upper apartment views of the Tuscan landscape. The apartment features a washing machine, kitchen with fridges & stove, lovely modern bathroom, WiFi, and fast internet access. You will prepare your breakfasts [Breakfast not included].
The Rondó Hotel is a charming hotel that features a large garden and views of the countryside. The rooms are beautifully appointed, and each has a private bathroom. Rooms are air-conditioned, with fast Wifi and internet access. Breakfasts are included. The rooms at the Rondó Hotel are about a 10-15 minute walk from the School.
To make a reservation click on the
“Save Your Spot” button
Politian Apartments
Il Rondó Hotel
Stefania’s Town House
Book Now! There are only 10 spots!
Availability is based on first-come-first-served & a reservation is not guaranteed until the receipt of the deposit or full trip payment. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your reservation. Accepting reservations until September 1st, 2023. (After this date, you can still sign up for the program, but we can’t guarantee accommodations in the selected guest apartments. We will help find alternative housing options, but there may be a small price variation.)
The balance of the trip fee will be due approximately 60 days before the trip start date (7/16/2023). You may also pay the full trip fee at the time of booking. To book with peace of mind and to safeguard your trip investment, in the case of a personal emergency or a family life event that might prevent you from departing for Italy, you may want to consider purchasing travel insurance through agencies such as Travel Guard, AAA or American Express. Please read the Il Sasso Language School/ Matta Refund Policy & Terms of Conditions.
Day Excursions to Montalcino, Sant’Antimo, Pienza,
Val d’Orcia, La Foce Origa Villa, Cantina Ciacci Piccolomini
2023 Matta & il Sasso Montepulciano Italian Language Program
September 10 – 22, 2023
Maximum participants : max. 10 people, couples & singles welcome
Number of Days: 13 days / 12 nights
Morning lessons: 36 Hours
Proposed activities by Day (other than daily gelato eating!)
Activities and timing of activities may change slightly. A final schedule of daily events will be posted a month prior to the beginning of the program.
Activities by Day
Sunday, September 10: Participants arrive in Montepulciano and settle in.
(Melissa is happy to coordinate shared transportation from Florence or Rome nearer to the trip start date once she has everyone’s flight schedules. She will also coordinate a shared group van back to Florence and Rome at end of the program. Group or private transport to Montepulciano in a hired van will be out-of-pocket expense.)
5:00 pm – Welcome Spritz with Melissa & Silvia Celli, director of the school
6:00 pm- Orientation / Short Walking tour of the city
8:00 pm – [Group Dinner #1] Welcome dinner local trattoria
Monday, September 11:
9:00 – 1:00 pm – Morning Italian classes at il Sasso
Free afternoon / rest or shop
7:00 pm – Welcome Aperativo at Lucian le stelle to meet and greet students and teachers
8:00 pm – [Group Dinner #2] Local Trattoria with Melissa
Tuesday, September 12:
9:00 – 1:00 pm – Morning Italian classes at il Sasso
5:30 – Excursion to San Quirico / Vitaleta
[Free Choice Dinner]
Wednesday, September 13:
9:00 – 1:00 pm – Morning Italian classes at il Sasso
3:00 pm – Excursion to Fattoria Madonna della Querce with tour + degustazione salumi
8:00 pm – [Group Dinner #3] Local Trattoria with Melissa
Thursday, September 14:
9:00 – 1:00 pm – Morning Italian classes at il Sasso
4:00 pm – Escursione a Montalcino e Sant’Antimo with a wine tasting
8:00 pm – [Group Dinner #4] Local Trattoria with Melissa
Friday, September 15:
9:00 – 1:00 pm – Morning Italian classes at il Sasso
Free afternoon
[Group Dinner #5] Local Trattoria with Melissa
Saturday, September 16:
11:00 am – Cooking Lesson with Claudia at Il Covo
2:00 pm – Group Meal/Lunch #6 We will cook local recipes, make pasta, taste wine, and dine on what we have prepared
Sunday, September 17:
12:00 am – Gita a Pienza con Francesca (guida)
2:00 pm – Group Meal/Lunch #7
Monday, September 18:
9:00 – 1:00 pm – Morning Italian classes at il Sasso
3:00 pm – Walking / Talking Art History Visit to Museo e to San Biagio guided by Melissa
[Free Choice Dinner]
Tuesday, September 19:
9:00 – 1:00 pm – Morning Italian classes at il Sasso
5:00 pm – Pizza-making lesson with Linda
7:00 pm – [Dinner #8] We will eat our pizzas!
Wednesday, September 20:
9:00 – 1:00 pm – Morning Italian classes at il Sassoil Sasso
3:00 pm – Walking / Talking: Meet local artisans and artists
[Dinner #9] Local Trattoria with Melissa
Thursday, September 21:
9:00 – 1:00 pm – Morning Italian classes at il Sasso
3:00 pm – Escursione alla Foce, Villa nd Gardens of Iris Origa
[Dinner #10] Dopo Lavoro at la Foce Farewell dinner with Melissa
Friday, September 22:
9:00 – 1:00 pm – Morning Italian classes at il Sasso
Baci & Abbracci – departure from Montepulciano
Melissa will be organizing a private van transport on the morning of September 10 (Sunday morning) from Arezzo to Montepulciano. You are welcome to meet Melissa in Arezzo and join the caravan!
For those who wish to meet Melissa for the Weekend Joust in Arezzo [September 2-4] you are welcome to remain in Arezzo and is also possible to take classes at Cultural Italiana that week. Please inquire for more information.
If you’re coming by airplane, it’s best to fly to Rome (Fiumicino Airport – Leonardo da Vinci, or Rome Airport – Ciampino), Pisa (Galileo Galilei Airport) or Florence (Amerigo Vespucci Airport).
If you rent a car in Pisa, take the “Fi-Pi-Li” (the highway that links Florence, Pisa and Livorno), get on the A1 motorway (direction Rome), exiting at Valdichiana/Bettole. If you’re coming from Florence Airport, you should get on the A1 motorway at Florence North (direction Rome) and exit at Valdichiana/Bettolle. From the airports in Rome, take the G.R.A. (the Ring Road) then get on the A1 motorway – direction Florence – and exit at Chiusi/Chianciano Terme. Follow the signs for Montepulciano.
When you arrive at Montepulciano, leave your car in one of the parking lots outside the town and come to the school on foot. The historic center of Montepulciano is a pedestrian area. You are not allowed to drive in town. The school is located on the main street just below the Piazza delle Erbe.
If you’re coming by train, take the Florence-Rome line and get off at the Chiusi/Chianciano Terme station. Attention: Although there is a place called Montepulciano Stazione, it is not where you want to go. Montepulciano Stazione is a small, country station, about 12 km. from Montepulciano with neither bus nor taxi service. Don’t choose this station when you are buying your ticket. From Chiusi take the bus for Montepulciano, getting off at the bus station. From there you can come into the centre on foot or take the little orange bus (“Pollicino”). If you take the “Pollicino”, get off at the Piazza delle Erbe. Please notice that on Sundays there are only a few buses from Chiusi to Montepulciano.
You can find all information about the Italian train schedules at www.trenitalia.com. For the bus schedules please see www.busfox.com.
If you wish to get a pick-up service from the train station, you can book it when you register for the course. The cost from Chiusi is Euro 45. You may also arrange a pick-up from the airport. Prices on request (from Euro 300, one way).
Our partner Auto Europe has the best car rental, chauffeur, and airport transfer rates. Check out their latest travel deals and specials at www.autoeurope.com.
Il Sasso Montepulciano / Matta 2019 Program Enrollment :
Studentessa Matta Travel Philosophy… if you agree…andiamo!
Please fill out the Deposit / Reservation form to reserve your spot in the 2023 Matta Montepulciano Italian Language Program. Please fill out the Trip Forms and sign the waivers to fully enroll in the program. Thank you!
Book Now! There are only 10 spots!
All Melissa’s Immersion Programs (Past & Present)
and Homestay Language opportunities
available through the Matta Website.
For more information take a look at these posts about Montepulciano
Montepulciano Here we come – Sara will be there to greet us!
Let me introduce you to Silvia Celli of Il Sasso Langauge School in Montepulciano
The 2018 Il Sasso & Studentessa Matta Italian Language Program
