ITALY 

Ours Italian courses in Italy see below :

Firenze
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Naples 

Our summer camp in Lignano

57,2 million inhabitants.

National Anthem

• The climate is variable according to areas'. Italy has a moderated, soft and pleasant climate, protected from the cold winds to north by the barrier of the Alps and the moderate influence of the sea.

• On the other hand, one can find very significant variations in temperature depending if one is near the sea or in the mountains.

• The winter is very cold in the Alps, cold and misty in the plain of Pô and the center of the Apennines. On the other hand the winter is soft and almost hot on the coast of Ligurie, the Neapolitan coast and Sicily.

• The summer is hot and dry. One can benefit from the marine breeze along the coasts or a fresher climate in the Apennines and the Alps.

• Italy is pleasant any time: winter sports in the north; balneal and lake localities in the summer; art cities in the spring and the autumn.

Italian

• Voltage : 220 volt

• Driving : to the right

• National Parade : April 25th and June 2nd

 Euro

• Canadian visitors please consult this handy site  Travel information and advisory reports

• For all other nationals please consult your Italian embassy or consulate in your country of origin.

You can if you it wish follow a pilgrimage at the sanctuary of the Holy Trinity, on the mount Autore with 1835 m close of Vallepietra (the last section must be walked, the path does not allow the passage of cars), where, each year (July 26th) since the second half of last century takes place the traditional representation of Pianto delle Zitelle (the lamentation of vieilles old maid), where twenty young girl dressed in white except the one which represent the Virgin, wearing some mourning clothes cry the death of Christ. Other interesting religious demonstrations; processions of the Good Friday in particular with Sezze, Civitavecchia, Alatri etc..

Let us quote in addition the infiorata of Genzano (carpet of flowers), known in the whole world and which is held the feastday God; Pugnaloni d' Aquapendente (mid-May), contest of the most beautiful panel of petals of flowers, in which takes part all the population; the festival of Inchinata, in Tivoli (the statue of the Virgin comes out of a church and goes to the meeting of the statue of Christ, coming from another church); Macchina di S. Rosa, in Viterbo, single spectacle, where a tower of 30 m, illuminated by thousand of lamps, is transported, the evening of September 3 out for one kilometer approximately, by a hundred carriers. Interesting spectacles of faith and folklore, Barabbata de Marta (May 14), which transforms craftsmen, peasants and fishermen of the Riante (small city) into picturesque actors of a representation, dialogues and ritual of popular inspiration; celebration of the Reign, which is held on July 8 with at Minturno and which consists of the transport of the sheaves of corn, with the participation of Pacchiane (vulgar women) in their local costume.

Among the exclusively profane demonstrations, let us begin with Festa della radeca, in Frosinone, the carnival (all the participants must be provided with a sheet of sisal plant) and more particularly, the carnival of Ronciglione, one of the most interesting and more animated latium, with allegorical tanks and an unrestrained race of horses without rider and of course the famous carnival of Venice.

Italy offers a large variety of products, each city and village has its own typical craft industry. The great centers like Milan, Rome, Venice and Florence are at the avant-garde of fashion and the tendencies, but one will also admire traditional silks of Lombardy, glass of Tuscany, the Carrara marbles, the accordions of Castelfidardo and the mosaics of Ravenna.

Smoked salmon Fettuccini & dried tomatoes

Ingredients for 4 people

Set-up time: 5 min. Cooking Time : Express (less than 30 min.)

• 340-400 g of Fettuccini

• 2 egg yolks

• 2 t. (500 ml) of thick cream

• 2 large spoons of butter

• 110 g of Parmesan

• 110 g of smoked salmon

• salt and pepper

• 1 t. of dried tomatoes

Preparation

1. Soak dried tomatoes in boiling water for 30 minutes; drain; cut in plates and leave on standby; cook the fettuccini and drain; beat the egg yolks with the cream;

2. In a small pan, melt the butter; add the pastas, the mixture of cream and egg yolks, the Parmesan and dried tomatoes; mix the whole using two forks; be careful the sauce thickens quickly;

3. Off the fire, add the smoked salmon and serve.

Italy is bordered in the north by France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. Bathed in the west by the sea of Ligurian, the sea of Sardinia and the Tyrrhenian Sea, it soaks its foot in the sea of Sicily and the Ionian sea... and its heel in the Adriatic Sea.

Italy has two imposing mountain ranges:

The Alps which cover 1 000 km with the Mount Blanc (4810 m), the Mount Rose (4635 m) and Cervin (4478 m)

The Apennines which constitute the framework of the peninsula of the, majestic, Corno Grande with the highest peak reaching 2912 m.

At the bottom of the alpine arc extends the plain from Pô furrowed in its medium by the longest Italian river (652 km) which takes its source in Pian Di Re (Monvise) and throws itself in the Adriatic by a large delta.

The pre-alpine zone is characterized by the presence of large lakes of glacial origin: the Lake Maggiore, the Lake Côme, the Lake Iseo and Lake Garda (the most extended, 370 km square).

The largest islands are Sicily where draws up the large volcanic cone of Edna (3342 m) and Sardinia.

The principal archipelagoes are the islands of Tremiti in the Adriatic Sea, the archipelago Tuscan, the islands of Ponza, Eoliennes and Egades in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The rocky coasts, comprised of bays and gulfs are as spectacular as bay of Naples.

Milan

Roma

Light, healthy and very tasty, the Italian kitchen is considered rightly one of best in the world. Although it has an infinity of regional traditions, it melts its reputation on some dishes common to all of the peninsula.

Pasta of course, from the spaghettis to the tagliatelli, the tortellis to the cappellettis in brodo and the minestronis. They are made in thousands of ways, each area bringing their rich personal variety of the simple seasonings but filled with imagination which can be classified in two families; those containing butter and those based on olive oil. Let us take, for example the spaghettis; most traditional are made with oil, garlic and small peppers, but also with molds, or raw tomatoes and mozzarella, or with artichokes, gravy or truffles. The tagliatelli are generally been made with butter and, with Parmesan, truffles, mushrooms, meat or tomatoes... the tortellis are accompanied by melted butter and Parmesan. With the number of other pastas, let us quote Orecchiette of Pouilles and Fusilli of the South.In the north of the country, one often resorts to rice or, better still, risotto (Milan, Turin) raised Saffron, mushrooms, truffles or juice of game.

Italians also appreciate vegetables (rocket, radish, celery, artichokes, tomatoes). In the south in particular, the tomatoes, mozzarella of Buffalo and the basil make an extraordinary salad which owes its origins to the salad name of Capri. In addition to Mozzarella, Italy produces tasty cheeses; Parmesan of Reggio, in the delicious Gorgonzola, with the caprini, caciotte and provologne. Italy is also the fatherland of another race of culinary masterpieces: pork-butcheries especially as the Emilie and Venezia. In Venezia, it is the ham of San Daniele and the speck (shoulder of smoked pork) of High Adige. As for Emilie, in Parma, it is the ham of Langhirano, Culatello de Zibello and the sausage of Felino. Bologna, is a popular and a very tasty sausage; mortadella.

Pizza is also an exquisite dish. The true pizza, large and very fine, is a wonder of dexterity and simplicity in its ingredients, very different from that which offer, alas, pizzerias around the world. The meats are also cooked with much imagination, with the liking of an inspiration from the various regional gastronomical traditions; in Tuscany prevails the traditional beefsteak, in north they roast them, the osso-bucco, the braised ox; in the south, pork and cabri. And along the coasts of the peninsula and the islands, the fish triumphs over the wolf mullet, always raising new flavors.

On the Italian table, the wine never lacks, because Italy produces excellent wines; from the reds, it is necessary to quote Brunello de Montalcino, Barolo, Amarone, the Chianti, the Barbera, and also the sparkling Lambrusco; among the whites, Soave, Verdicchio, Pinot, Frascati, Malvoisie of Emilie... And the wines of desserts, which accompany with dignity the delicious cakes like almond tarts, are a specialty of the South and the islands; Marsala, vernaccia, muscatel of straw.