Day One, Sunday

Arrive in Chiusi.

The Palazzo Bandino staff will transfer the group, to arrive at Palazzo Bandino by 2pm

Room assignments upon arrival.

You will be welcomed with a tour of the Palazzo Bandino and it’s wine cellar.  You will meet your host Gabriele Valeriani and hear about the local wines and then begin your Tuscan experience by tasting the wonderful products produced at the Palazzo Bandino.

8:00 pm dinner Palazzo Bandino.

Day Two, Monday

Breakfast.

Host Marta will guide you through the history of Palazzo Bandino, the family’s  ancestral estate.

Your first cooking lesson is at 10:00 am.  Focus is on antipasti dishes including bruschetta and crostini.  Making morsette, the famous Tuscan almond biscuit that is eaten by dipping into vin santo will also be on this first mornings agenda.

At lunch you will enjoy the wines of Chianti, Nobile di Montepulciano and  Brunello di Montalcino and don’t forget the morsette dipped in sweet wine after lunch.

The afternoon outing will be in Pienza.  Rebuilt between 1459 and 1462 by Pope Pius II, it is known for its architectural beauty and old world food shops.

8:00 pm dinner at the Palazzo Bandino.

Day Three, Tuesday

Breakfast.

A visit to Chiusi where you will see the ancient catacombs and visit an etruscan museum.

Lunch

Today’s cooking lesson will feature the classic southern Tuscan hand-rolled pasta called pici, followed by a lesson on baking a whole fish in parchment.

Dinner with local wines.

Day three comes to a reluctant end.

Day Four, Wednesday

Breakfast.

Enjoy a morning of personal freedom.  You’ll have time to enjoy a local spa or visit a nearby town and stroll, taking in sights, smells and maybe a little expresso with biscotti.  Get some of that “La Dolce Vita.”

We’ll be back at the Palazzo for lunch.

In the afternoon we will be busy a cooking secondi piatti, second dish or the main dish of and Italian meal.  Possibilities for preparation might be roasts, braised meats, grilled chops or local poultry.

Dinner follows the lesson, with wines from the region.

Overnight at Palazzo Bandino.

Day Five, Thursday

Breakfast.

This morning starts with a visit to Montepulciano, where fine wines are produced for wine lovers the world over. You’ll stroll through the town’s charming streets and visit an outdoor market.

A quick visit to a working olive mill where you may get to see olive oil being pressed.

A light lunch at the Palazzo of local specialties before our last cooking lesson.

Today’s afternoon cooking lesson will feature fresh vegetable dishes such as artichokes and tomatoes prepared with fresh herbs and local cheeses, we’ll finish with a traditional Tuscan desert.

Dinner will be accompanied by local wines.

Overnight at Palazzo Bandino.

Day Six, Friday

Breakfast.

Our last day will be spent in beautiful Siena. On the way we’ll pass San Gimignano and enjoy it’s magnificent skyline, called by some "The Manhattan of Tuscany." The day is yours in Siena, shop, sight see, wander the streets or just find a nice place to sit and enjoy the world passing by.

We’ll meet and motor back to Palazzo Bandino.

We’ll enjoy our final dinner and receive our cooking certificates.

Our last night at Palazzo Bandino.

Day Seven, Saturday

Breakfast.

Back to Chiusi-Chianciano rail station.