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Italian 15-day Language School and Cultural Experience
Agnone is famous for – La Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli - the bell foundry working here since 1040 AD! It’s the oldest surviving family business in the western world. A medieval town, off the beaten track, a community eager to share long standing traditions – gastronomic, cultural and artistic.
Not just a language school, it is an experience!
Discover family run businesses producing excellent cheeses, salamis, olive oil, honey, wine and other regional specialities. Here there is little tourism so the Agnonese are keen to engage with visitors; to cook and to share traditions and history of their town in Alto-Molise, in the Provincia di Isernia, between Abruzzo and Puglia. 850 m above sea level, Agnone in the summer stays fresh and cool, the local population is around 2000. The summer months are very festive with Italian visitors and families returning from the cities.
THE ITINERARY IS JUST A GUIDE OF WHAT TO EXPECT IN A 2 WEEK PROGRAM
The program has been specifically designed to get you learning in the classroom, but just as much, or more, outside of it. Practise by immersing yourself in the lives of the local community, discovering their history and traditions, and cooking and sharing meals.
Take a look at our sample programme for a guide to what to expect, but remember, no two weeks are the same; activities and encounters vary depending on local events, festivals and the seasons.
Transform hard won knowledge of Italian into fluent expression and every day colloquialisms. Revise and refresh what you already know - and communicate. We study grammar, of course, but teaching you loads of new rules is not our focus - it’s on getting you to put into practise what you kind of know, but are maybe not so sure of.
Ample opportunity to meet local people : Small groups of between 3 and 5 students :Maximum of 10 in the total group
All rooms have private bathrooms and are centrally located, within walking distance to activities. Breakfast is offered onsite, and guests are welcome to use the kitchen for light snacks and simple lunches.
In addition to daily breakfast, 11 other main meals are included. On weekdays you will generally be left to your own devices to prepare something simple for lunch in your B&B or at a local eatery.
Handwashing facilities are available. There is no launderette in the town, but we offer a laundry service on request.
Ask us about prices if you book a 7-day, or 3 or 4 week stay: [email protected]
Slow Tours offers a number of other Language Schools in Europe
Saturday arrival at Rome Fiumicino, transfer to Agnone - settle in to accommodation - welcome drink and dinner
Morning, after breakfast. An orientation/visit of the town and centro storico. Meet the teachers for your assessment in the early afternoon, then after a walk we lunch at an Agriturismo outside Agnone. In the late afternoon there will be a film screening evening.
Free time in the morning before your frist Italian lesson with break 10.00 – 13.15. Free time for lunch, study and homework. In the late afternoon we take a tour of the town’s family run food shops, followed by an evening dinner in Agnone
Morning Italian lesson with break 10.00 – 13.15 followed by free time for lunch, study,and homework until late afternoon. Conversation classes are available with teachers evening and a visit to a local town and dinner
Morning Italian lesson with break 10.00 – 13.15, free time for lunch, study and homework until late afternoon when we visio the Marinelli bell foundry. An evening dinner in Agnone followed by a film
Morning Italian lesson with break 10.00 – 13.15, free time for lunch, study and homework until late afternoon. Conversation classes are available with teachers then an evening of cooking and eating dinner with local hosts
Morning Italian lesson with break 10.00 – 13.15, free time for lunch, study and homework until late afternoon. today we take a trip to Pescopennataro sculptor’s studio before and evening dinner in a countryside agriturismo
In the morning we hike from Capracotta to Agnone with an Italian guide. In the late morning we find the market and cook lunch with our Italian hosts. In the late afternoon, there are conversation groups with a free evening for dinner
A morning visit and talk about the Samnite ruins (or other site) followed by a late lunch. An event outside Agnone in the early evening, a film screening evening and your free time.
Morning Italian lesson with break 10.00 – 13.15, free time for lunch, study and homework until late afternoon. Then we visit Azienda producing honey, olive oil, wine and an evening dinner at Azienda with home grown produce.
Morning Italian lesson with break 10.00 – 13.15, free time for lunch, study and homework until late afternoon. Conversation available with teachers then an evening dinner in Agnone .
Morning Italian lesson with break 10.00 – 13.15, free time for lunch, study and homework until late afternoon. A visit to a copper foundry, workshop and museum and an evening dinner outside Agnone
Early morning (optional) is a visit to cheese caseificio then your morning Italian lesson with break 10.00 – 13.15, free time for lunch, study and homework until late afternoon. Afterwards experience cooking with local hosts and an evening dinner in Agnone with local hosts.
Morning Italian lesson with break 10.00 – 13.15, free time for lunch, stud and homework until late afternoon. Then we get together for a talk/discussion on the transumanza evening. Your final dinner in Agnone
Departure with transfer to Rome Fiumicino Airport
Tours marked with are special prices.
| Start | End | Max. No. Guests | Accommodation | Price p.p. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 01 2025 | Jun 15 2025 | 10 | Single rooms | 2,825€ | ||
| Double rooms | 2,625€ | |||||
| Jun 15 2025 | Jun 29 2025 | 10 | Single rooms | 2,825€ | ||
| Double rooms | 2,625€ | |||||
| Sep 07 2025 | Sep 21 2025 | 10 | Single rooms | 2,825€ | ||
| Double rooms | 2,625€ | |||||
| Sep 21 2025 | Oct 05 2025 | 10 | Single rooms | 2,825€ | ||
| Double rooms | 2,625€ |
If you would like to drive yourself before or after your tour, ask us for a quote on any brand new Renault, Peugeot or Citroen vehicle for driving in Europe.
Pick up your vehicle from most capital cities in Europe and return it to your drop off destination. Top insurance cover. Email [email protected] for a competitive quote
How do you imagine your Italian language vacation? Dodging cars and buses in a big city, or strolling the lanes of a picturesque hill town? Elbow to elbow with tour groups and commuters, or enjoying the vista of a peaceful, ancient valley? Brief words with waiters and shopkeepers, or long conversations with local residents? Making only memories - or friends, too? The Italian Language School and Cultural Experience looked great online, and after some deliberation, I went for it. 2 weeks in a town where no one speaks English struck me as a great idea; ancient ruins, farm and vineyard tours, pasta making, festivals… a bell foundry - artisanal bakers, cheese-makers, and candy-makers, too. I’ve travelled all over Italy, but I’d never heard of Agnone, in the region of Molise. Not surprising. Even some Italians have only the foggiest idea of its location, and there’s a joke going around that claims “il Molise non esiste…” Not true. Molise not only exists, it was once a vital centre of commerce, overflowing with coppersmiths, goldsmiths, and ironworkers. Renowned for its artistic past during the time of the Bourbon kings, its history is reflected in the many Baroque churches. Home to Italy’s oldest bell foundry, since AD 1040, you can step even further back in time, and find the pre-Roman Samnites, a populous tribe who left behind some truly impressive ruins. It’s not easy to get to, but it’s worth the effort. Everyone lends time and patience to helping students improve their Italian language skills, in and out of the classroom. Our group was small, and my fellow Italy-lovers an adventurous bunch; from the US, UK, and Canada, via birthplaces as diverse as Ireland, South Korea, and Syria. Our daily schedule went like this: wake up to the sound of church bells, then breakfast accompanied by conversation - in Italian! - with B&B hosts. Maybe stop by the shops for lunch items (we had use of our B&B kitchen), or order a panini and/or salad at a coffee bar. From 10:00 to 1:30, we attended fantastic Italian classes in an old monastery, with qualified native-speakers, then, for the remainder of the day, and on weekends, the schedule varied: a visit to a local specialist shop, a food artisan, or museum, a tour or lecture, maybe a festival or play, or pasta-making in a local home. Students, local guides and hosts dined together in the evening, sometimes at restaurants, other times in private homes. Meals often stretched to three hours, accompanied by excellent wine and conversation - in Italian, of course. After two weeks, I was thinking and dreaming in Italian, and my conversation and comprehension improved immensely. I learned about all kinds of other things too: bi-yearly shepherd migration, organic farming and winemaking, the secret to perfect pasta from scratch, and how to make a church bell - to name a few. Even more rewarding were the people I encountered. When the program came to an end, I was sad to leave. Now I’m enjoying connecting with my new friends on Facebook and Instagram. If the Italian Language School and Cultural Experience sounds like an experience you’d enjoy, “mi raccomando” (I’m telling you) - don’t hesitate! Do it! It’s only been a month and I’m already dreaming of going back. Joy, September 2018