Culinary Italy
July 24–Aug. 2, 2009

 

Itinerary Register


Download and print program description.

Program leaders: Eric Lund, director of International and Off-Campus Studies and professor of religion, and Cynthia Wales Lund, special collections librarian, Hong Kierkegaard Library

Centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Italians have again conquered the world. Across the globe, Italian food has become almost everyone’s favorite. At the most elementary level this means pizza, parmesan or pasta, but in the U.S. and elsewhere people have discovered the Italian secrets of cooking tastefully with extra virgin olive oil or balsamic vinegar. Many people are familiar with bruschetta or biscotti, gnocchi or gelato, tiramisu or tartufi (truffles). We take delight in drinking Chianti or Pinot Grigio. And then there is Italy’s gift to the world of coffee: espresso and its delicious variations including cappuccino and caffè latte.

Explore and enjoy Italian cuisine at its best. We will go to areas where some of the best wines are made. We will learn how food artisans prepare some of the key ingredients of Italian cooking. Since this is experiential education, we will try our own hand at creating some classic Italian dishes under the guidance of expert chefs.

In Italian fashion, this program will be a multi-course meal. Not only will we enjoy food, we will learn about the role food plays in Italian culture. A famous chef once said, “Tell me what you eat, and I’ll tell you who you are.” When and how people eat tells us something about their values and lifestyles. We will explore the changing history of Italian food. (Did you know that Italy never saw tomatoes or coffee before the Renaissance?) We will talk about daily life in Italy in ages past and today. We will compare and contrast life in the big cities of Rome and Florence with life in small towns like Orvieto, which still feels quite medieval.

Program Leaders
Eric Lund, Director of International Studies and Professor of Religion at St. Olaf, has savored the food during his 16 trips to Italy and regularly tries to recreate memorable dishes when he gets back home. During this program, he will share his knowledge of Italian history and integrate the food theme with explorations of art and religion. The program will include visits to some of the best-known historical sites, churches and museums in Rome, Florence and Orvieto. Eric will also expose the group to a few of the more obscure curiosities he has discovered during prior visits.

Eric has been taking students to Italy during St. Olaf’s January Interim since 1981 and has previously taught Study Travel courses in Italy, Germany and Turkey. He will be accompanied by his wife, Cynthia Wales Lund, who is assistant curator and special collections librarian at St. Olaf’s Hong Kierkegaard Library.

Program Sites “You may have the universe if I may have Italy.” Giuseppe Verdi


Rome is a city of vivid and unforgettable images: the view of the city's silhouette from Janiculum Hill at dawn, the array of broken marble columns and ruins of temples of the Roman Forum, St. Peter's dome against a pink-and-red sunset, capping a gloriously decorated basilica. Rome is also a city of sounds, beginning early in the morning with the peal of church bells calling the faithful to Mass. As the city awakens and comes to life, the sounds multiply and merge into a kind of urban symphony. After a fruitful day, pause to experience the charm of the Roman evening. Find a cafe at summer twilight and watch the shades of pink turn to gold and copper before night finally falls. That’s when another Rome comes alive; restaurants and cafes grow more animated, especially if you’ve found one on an ancient hidden piazza or along a narrow alley deep in Trastevere. After dinner, you can have a gelato (or an espresso in winter) and stroll by the fountains through Piazza Navona, and the night is yours.

Adapted from frommers.com

Orvieto Umbria’s grand hill town enjoys three popular claims to fame — the cathedral, Classico wine, and ceramics. Orvieto’s duomo (cathedral) has Italy’s liveliest facade (from 1330), thanks to architect Lorenzo Maitani and many others. Why such an impressive church in a little town? Because of a blood-stained cloth. In the 1260s, a skeptical priest — who doubted that the bread used in communion was really the body of Christ — passed through Bolsena (a few miles from Orvieto) while on a pilgrimage to Rome. During Mass, the bread bled, staining a linen cloth. The cloth was brought to the pope, who was visiting Orvieto at the time. Such a miraculous relic required a magnificent church.

Adapted from ricksteves.com

Florence is the Renaissance city — home to Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, and Raphael’s Madonnas. It’s where Fra’ Angelico painted delicate Annunciations in bright primary colors and Giotto frescoed monks wailing over the Death of St. Francis. Take the time to enjoy the simple pleasures of Florence — wander the medieval streets in Dante's old neighborhood, sip a cappuccino on Piazza della Signoria and people watch, haggle for a leather jacket at the street market around San Lorenzo, or immerse yourself in the greenery of the Boboli Gardens.

Adapted from frommers.com

Personal Perspectives: What Past Participants Say
“Eric was just a great leader, his knowledge and enthusiasm for the program, his seminars were easy to understand; he was also flexible to the needs of the group and always willing to add side trips when there was interest.”

“Eric and Cynthia are exceptional people! Really complemented each other and worked very well together.”

“Eric had boundless energy, an ability to manage the details of the program, and related well to all members of the group. He challenged us with readings, lectures and visits — we were never bored!”

“I came from the trip with a richer and deeper understanding, in addition to the delight I experienced in seeing things of beauty and historical significance.”

Program Fee
The program fee is $4,900 per person through March 15, 2009. Based on double occupancy, it includes:

  • Seminars by Eric Lund
  • Assistance by Cynthia Wales Lund
  • Roundtrip airfare from Minneapolis
  • Accommodations
  • Breakfast daily and several other group meals
  • Group tours, classes and wine tastings
  • Admissions for group activities
  • Ground transportation
  • Gratuities

For single occupancy, add $430. To travel “land only” (making your own arrangements to and from Italy), subtract $1,600.

After March 15, 2009, the program fee is $5,150 per person and could be subject to additional airfare. Payment schedule

Continuing Education Units
Approximately 28 hours of continuing education are available.

Register
Register online, call toll-free 866-255-6523 or fax 507-786-8232. A deposit of $500 per person guarantees your space.