Customs &  Traditions

Italian Folklore--an Exciting Adventure for You! Enrich your Italian experience with local folklore! Live the "good life" (la dolce vita)! Use all your senses. Listen, taste, touch, smell and see the religious, historical and culinary events that take place throughout Italy.

Thermal Spa : Want to pamper yourself? Relax? Slow down old age? Obtain relief from arthritis and more? Located in an ancient volcanic crater, the Spa has one of the largest mineral water springs in Europe, numerous mud springs, and natural saunas. Join this free tour, and learn why this Spa is so special!

St. Gennaro Miracle, the Cathedral of Naples & Christmas Alley: learn about the Miracle of San Gennaro, visit the beautiful cathedral of Naples and the famous Christmas Alley.

Lasagne, Masks, & Mardi Gras: Learn about the origins of Mardi Gras and how Italians celebrate it. Learn how to get to Venice, Viareggio, Putignano, famous for their Mardi Gras parades, and become familiar with their typical costumes and food.

Italian Holidays & Celebrations: You will become familiar with all the Italian holidays and learn how Italians celebrate Easter Sunday, Liberation Day, Carnival, Epiphany, and more.

Festivals of Campania: Want to learn about some of the local popular festivals and other celebrations held in Campania, e.g., artichoke, chestnut, sausage, strawberry, homemade pasta? This is the seminar for you.

Neapolitan Christmas & New Year’s Traditions: How do Neapolitans celebrate these holidays? What are the traditional foods? Which games do people? What is a presepe? What do they celebrate New Year’s? Want to taste some of the traditional holiday food?

Superstitions, Legends & Myths of Naples: Want to avoid doing or saying things which could be inappropriate to superstitious Italians? Do you like spooky stories? Naples has many of them. Do you know the story behind Capodimonte and how it got its name?

Play Scopa: A traditional and very popular Neapolitan card game. Enjoy a game of scopa and learn the basic rules.

Play Briscola: Enjoy a game of briscola and learn the basic rules and strategies. strategies, and more?

Exploring Naples

Assisi & St Francis. - Learn about St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Italy, and Umbria Region.

Exploring Pozzuoli. - A tour of the port of Pozzuoli where you can catch ferries and hydrofoils to Capri and Ischia. See also the historical Center.

Transportation from JFC to Naples. – How to use public transportation from JFC. Visit Naples Central Station and learn the national train system.

Transportation from Support Site to Naples. - Learn transportation from the Support Site to Naples Central Station and the national train system.

Shoe Alley Visit. - Transportation from JFC to Shoe Alley, and shop at this market.

Shop at Gricignano Market. - Visit and shop at the local Gricignano open air market.

How to make homemade wine. – Everything about the different wine-making techniques.

Neapolitan Espresso Coffee: Learn about the origins of coffee, a few secrets on how to make an authentic homemade espresso, and more. Enjoy a caffe`…

Shopping on the Economy;  Discover good shopping areas in Naples. Visit open air markets and wine stores

Transportation and Pizza in Naples: Take local transportation to downtown Naples and visit some of the oldest and most famous Pizza Restaurants where you will enjoy a real Margherita pizza.

Exploring Aversa: Aversa is a city full of history, just ten minutes from the Support Site. It has an historical center with an 11th century cathedral, a Norman castle, and good shopping areas. The ICR field trip offers you a great opportunity to explore it.

Exploring your surrounding area by public transportation: Mergellina. Learn how to get to Mergellina and explore the famous seafront.

Caserta by train: A great opportunity to go to Caserta by train and visit the imposing royal palace and the Park.

Walking through the Egg Castle: Learn the legends and the history of this famous Castle.

Make Limoncello: A great learning experience! Make your own limoncello, the traditional lemon liquor.

Visit a Fresh Pasta Store: Learn how fresh pasta is made; the different types, prices and enjoy the taste!

Olive oil & organic products:  Enjoy the taste of olive oil and learn about health food products.

Hand-on-experience in a ceramic studio: This visit to the ceramic studio enables participants to become familiar with  and personally experience pottery works.

Discover the beautiful hill of Posillipo & the Virgiliano Park: Walk through the Virgiliano Park with its breathtaking view and discover some of the most beautiful areas of Naples.

Montenuovo & Averno lake: Learn transportation to the Phlegraean Fields and learn about this unique historical area with craters and volcanic fissures. 

Things to see and do in Naples: During this classroom presentation, participants learn about the most popular and traditional areas of Naples.

Hand Gestures: Learn about the meanings of the many hand gestures used in Naples and especially those not to use.

Pizza & Zoo for families: A chance for children (5 to 10 yrs old) to visit the Neapolitan Zoo. For lunch we will enjoy a pizza in one of the local restaurants.

Easy Italian: Introduction to basic Italian language and conversation.

Wines of Campania: Participants become familiar with the finest and most famous wines of the Campania region, such as: Greco di Tufo, Aglianico del Taburno, Asprino, Taurasi, Lachryma Chrysti. A great opportunity to learn about combinations of wines with food, and price range.

Neapolitan Cooking: Want to learn to cook some authentic Neapolitan dishes from a Neapolitan? These hands-on classes will help you to prepare and enjoy traditional Neapolitan recipes.

Fruits, Vegetables, and the Mediterranean Diet: Why buy produce in season? What’s the big deal? When is the best time to buy “blood” oranges, bell peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes?

Discover the “Sweet Heart” of Naples: Join us in a unique pastry-hopping tour. Become familiar with typical local pastries, ice cream, and cakes and how to order them. This seminar also includes visiting a pastry “lab” where you can actually see how pastries and cakes are made..
 

Cheese, Italian, Please: Did you know that Italy produces hundreds of cheeses besides mozzarella, ricotta, provolone, and parmigiano? Learn how to purchase cheeses and how they “marry” with certain foods and wines. Cheese tasting is included.

Mozzarella: Learn about the origin and properties of mozzarella, the cheese for which the Campania region is famous. Included are a few traditional recipes. 

 Opera & History

Italian Opera: A series of seminars designed to help participants become familiar with and appreciate the magnificent world of the Italian melodrama. Some of the most famous operas performed at the San Carlo Theater, such as Tosca and Boheme by Puccini; Rigoletto and Traviata by Verdi; Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni are included. Participants attending each seminar will receive an explanation of the plot, along with a bilingual text of the opera, so they can fully enjoy the music and the dialogues of the different acts.

Italian History: A series of seminars dealing with different important periods of Italian and Neapolitan history, such as The Founding of Rome, The Unification of Italy, Brief History of Naples, The Bourbons of Naples, and Italian Parliamentary Republic. Participants who attend these seminars will receive complete information about the chronology of the specific events and their impact on past and present history and politics of Italy.