Want to PRACTICE & IMPROVE YOUR ITALIAN? Immersing yourself in language & culture and traveling with like-minded individuals is a great way to learn Italian, improve your conversation skills and become fluent. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced student, if you are passionate about the Italian language you will enjoy this Matta Italian Language Immersion “Study-cation”.
2015 Travel & Study with Melissa & Lucca Italian School – ONLY 10 Spots Available!
September 11 – 22, 2015 (12 Days in Lucca!)
(Based on double room occupancy, for a single room please add
a one-time fee of $135 / 100E for single room occupancy)
My friends & teachers at Lucca Italian school, Daniela, Angelo & Eva and I, are planning the next Matta Language & Cultural Immersion “Study-cation” in Italy and YOU ARE INVITED to join us! During our stay in Lucca, we will study Italian in the mornings at Lucca Italian School & in the afternoons we will explore Lucca and Tuscany with teachers & guides from Lucca Italian, thus maximizing our time to converse and continue focusing on Italian conversation skills throughout the entire day.
In 2015 we are adding some new things to our program! We have added AN EXTRA DAY of CLASSES (9 days/36 hours of instruction) and we will be VISITING LE CINQUE TERRE in Liguria. We will also be in Lucca for the FAMOUS LUCCHESE FESTIVAL OF THE HOLY CROSS! This festival is one of the most important events that occur in Lucca on September 13th and it is an event not to be missed. We will be part of the celebration, observe the candlelight procession and view the beautiful fireworks show on top of Lucca’s wall.
Our 12-day “study-cation” program price includes: 11 nights accommodation in a 5-star hotel, 36+ Hours of Language Lessons, 10 Meals includes special welcome and farewell dinners & All Breakfasts, Excursions to Pisa and Le Cinque Terre, Walking tour of Lucca, 2 Cooking Classes, Wine & Olive Oil tasting, Festival of the Holy Cross & Fireworks, Bike rentals, Concert tickets to hear Puccini arias, Italian Movie night. (Airfare is not included). Continue reading down the page to view the full itinerary or click here to download the daily program.
Book Now! There are only 10 spots! The price for the Matta / Lucca Italian School Language Immersion program is $3,500.00. Availability is based on first-come-first-served basis & a reservation is not guaranteed until the receipt of deposit or full trip payment. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your reservation. JUST ANNOUNCED: EARLY BIRD SPECIAL…IF YOU BOOK EITHER A 2015 TRIP TO LE MARCHE OR LUCCA BY SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 YOU ONLY PAY A $250 DEPOSIT.
The balance of trip fee will be due approximately 60 days before the trip start date (7/11/2015). You may also pay a full trip fee at 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 as such as: Travel Guard, AAA or American Express. Please read the Lucca School / Matta Refund Policy & Terms of Conditions.
To make a reservation please contact melissa at: melissa@studentessamatta.com. Then fill out the trip forms.
To access Trip Forms click on these links: 1) Registration, 2) Participant Survey/Terms/Waiver, 3) Program Itinerary. Fill out the Registration & Survey Forms and submit with payment or deposit.
The Matta / Lucca Italian School – Language & Cultural Immersion includes:
• 11 nights at Hotel Puccini a 3-star hotel with updated baths, TV, Internet
• 36+ hours of Italian instruction at Lucca Italian School
• Welcome Lunch Buffet at the School, a meal prepared by Eva
• 10 Meals
• 2 Cooking classes in which we will prepare 5 course meals and dine on what we have prepared
• Walking tour of Lucca with teachers from Lucca Italian School
• Participate in the FESTIVAL DELLA CROCE and view the amazing candle lite procession & FIREWORKS on the walls of Lucca
• All day Bus excursion to le CINQUE TERRE with the teachers from Lucca Italian School
• Train excursion to PISA with the teachers from Lucca Italian School
• Wine & Olive Oil tasting at a farm in the Tuscan hills
• Bike excursion on walls of Lucca w/tour, free time to bike for a few hours finishing with picnic on the top of the wall
• Puccini Concert in Lucca and tour of Puccini’s ancestral home
• Italian Movie Night with Pizza dinner
Accommodations: We will be staying at Hotel Puccini, a 3-star hotel in the heart of Lucca’s historical center, in Piazza San Michele. Prices are based on double room occupancy. For a single room please add a single payment of $135 / 100E per person
The Matta / Lucca Italian School – Language & Cultural Immersion Program:
Download a pdf version of the Itinerary
Check out photo highlights from the 2014 trip!
Friday, September 11: Arrive in Lucca & Settle into Hotel Puccini in the heart of city center
7:00pm Apricene/Light Dinner/Appetizers in Lucca – meet & greet!
Saturday, September 12:
10:00am – 12:00pm: Italian lessons
The school will be open only for our group (Depending on the number of students & levels, there will be 3
groups for beginners, Intermediate & Advanced)
12:00-1:30 pm: Lunch Buffet at the School prepared by Eva
Free Afternoon
5:00 pm: Guided tour of Lucca
(Listen to a podcast featuring Antonella that gives us a tour of the city)
7:30pm: Dinner at a local trattoria in Lucca
Sunday, September 13
Free morning & afternoon
7:00pm: Festival della Santa Croce, with a teacher from Lucca Italian school we will watch the procession, and afterwards watch the magnificent firework display on the walls of Lucca
Monday, September 14
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
Free afternoon / visit the grand market that is held only this day in honor of the festa di Santa Croce
6:00pm: Italian Movie Night with Pizza & Games! we will watch an Italian film at Lucca Italian School while we eat Pizza
Tuesday, September 15
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
3:00pm: Cooking Lesson & Wine Tasting with Eva in an agriturismo in the hills outside of Lucca followed by dinner. We will arrive by private bus. The cooking lessons will consist of preparing a complete meal, inspired by seasonal ingredients: antipasto, homemade pasta, piatto secondo, contorno (veggie dish) and a dessert. With wine of course! Students will help prepare the meal under the direction of Eva, Italian teacher and delightful chef. There will be 2 cooking classes and each will take place in a different agriturismo in the hills outside of Lucca where the views are breathtaking!)
Watch a little video of Eva preparing pasta with students:
Wednesday, September 16
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
3:00 pm: Excursion to Pisa (via train). Guided tour of the city on foot, Visit Cathedral & Bell Tower
Aperitivo in Pisa
Arrive Lucca in the early evening. No dinner scheduled: Free evening
Thursday, September 17
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
5:00 pm: Visit Puccini’s home
7:00 pm: Concert featuring Puccini arias
8:30 pm Dinner in a trattoria in Lucca
Friday, September 18
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
2:30 – 3:30: Meet to rent bikes for afternoon Biking on the walls of Lucca / guided tour of the walls
3:30 – 5:30 Free time to bike the walls on your own
5:00 – Meet for picnic supper on the walls
6:30 – Return rental bikes
(Listen to a podcast in which Susanna tells the story of Lucida Mansi as we biked the walls of Lucca together)
Saturday, September 19
9:00 am Depart for Le Cinque Terre via private bus / All day excursion
Lunch included
No dinner scheduled: Free evening
Sunday, September 20
Free morning & afternoon
5:30 Angelo, a teacher at Lucca Italian school will perform Italian music for us! Selections from his repertoire will include popular Italian tunes from the 800’s to the present.
7:30 Pizza Dinner in Lucca
Monday, September 21
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
3:00 Cooking Lesson with Eva & Final Group Dinner in an agriturismo in the hills outside of Lucca
Tuesday, September 22
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break*
Baci & Abbracci! Goodbye! Students depart
*There will be an extended check out at the hotel on the last day so that you can return to the hotel after class and gather your belongings for departure. For those who wish to arrive early or remain an extra day, please inquire about extended stay room prices.
Transport to Lucca: The nearest airport is Pisa, which is about 30 minutes by car from Lucca. If you are coming from Pisa/Airport, we can arrange private transport in a small bus that will accommodate up to 7 people for 80E. Florence is about a 1 hr drive by car from Lucca and we can also arrange private transport in a small bus that will accommodate up to 7 people: 130E. If you arrive during the day from either location there are frequent train or bus connections with a cost of about 6/10E per peron. If you arrive after 8 pm you must arrange for private transport (see above). Please contact us with your specific transport questions and we will be happy to help you with your travel arrangements.
For more information and to make a reservation contact melissa@studentessamatta.com . Ci vediamo a Lucca!
For current Learn Italian in Italy Programs click here
What previous participants say about the 2014 Matta Lucca Italian School Immersion Experience
Cheryl Levine: 2014 Lucca Study-cation Participant: Grazie a te Melissa! I had a wonderful wonderful time. Classes were great, the culture was beautiful, food was delicious. It was delightful to meet all of you. My Bostonian friends are tired of all of my Lucca stories! Too bad for them. I have already enrolled in an Italian language class at Harvard, beginning next Monday!
Marta Raaka: 2014 Lucca Study-cation Participant: Thanks again for the great experience at Lucca. I thought everything was great! The school and teachers were excellent. The extra activities were all lots of fun and it was great to have extra practice speaking Italian. All of our guides were excellent. The two cooking classes were really fun and I appreciate how Eva printed out all of the recipes so we didn’t have to take notes while it was going on. I can’t wait to try some of the recipes! Thanks again for a stupendo esperienza!
Read a blog Marta wrote about her experience on the Matta Lucca Italian School Immersion “Study-cation”!
Rebbeca Walter: 2014 Lucca Study-cation Participant: We had a great time. It was a wonderful experience. I miss Lucca! Thanks and I stay in touch!
Kristen Theologus: a Matta blog reader and Facebook follower, spent a month studying at Lucca Italian School. Kristen initially discovered Lucca Italian School through my blog. I spent April 2012 in Lucca taking private lessons with 3 fabulous teachers at LIS. Antonella, Laura and Daniela perfectly accommodated my learning style and schedule. It was a no stress learning environment where I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to practice speaking Italian everyday and refreshing some of my neglected Italian grammar. They were fantastic at helping me navigate shopping in Lucca and being an Italian movie lover, the school had a great library of films. In my opinion one could not pick a more perfect town than Lucca to experience an Italian immersion vacation.
