Seasonal Activities in Tuscany & Sicily

In occasion of the launch of Creative Italy, we selected two activities with which travelers can understand how important it is to respect a territory and the arduous work of the men and women that have been in the land for generations. We travelled through Tuscany and Sicily, in corners off the beaten track, to select amazing places where to experience the harvesting process as part of the local team.

Grape Harvest & Wine Tasting

Participants will manually pick the best bunches from the vines, and then bring their basket of fresh grapes to the fermentation area. Here is where they will have their “hands in the tanks” as a real vignaiolo. Throughout the experience, the winemakers will teach how to interpret the territory and bring it into a glass of wine.

Language is no barrier: whether the local workers speak English or not, visitors can use their body language to communicate and will enjoy learning some Italian. To better understand the structure and flavors of the product, the experience ends with a wine tasting paired with local food… a nice reward after the hard work!

Here is a video of one of our selected wineries off the beaten path.

This activity can be experienced from the end of August to October.

For more information and to book the activity in advance, please email info@creative-italy.com.

Basket Weaving & Olives Harvest

Italy’s olive trees can tell a story dating back hundreds of years and still provide sustenance today. We have selected two hidden gems in Sicily and Tuscany where visitors can get in touch with the territory.

The experience starts with learning the art of basket weaving in a historical palace. Local artisans will help participants to look for the right materials and to create a beautiful object with ancient techniques. The owner of the property will join the group for lunch to share the history and anecdotes of the place.

On the following day, participants will experience the olive harvest and olive-oil making in an ancient olive grove and olive oil mill. There is nothing like walking in the middle of an uliveto and taking back home a bottle of extra virgin olive oil.

This activity can be experienced in October and November.

For more information and to book the activity in advance, please email info@creative-italy.com.

If you would like to book experiences and courses together with the featured seasonal activities, our top picks are:

COURSES
Perfume Making
Ceramics

EXPERIENCES
Botanical Painting
Art of Cooking

What’s the difference between Experiences and Courses?

• If you sign up for an experience, you will have an enriching full immersion with artisans, or with an activity where your hands and your senses are completely involved. It is a way to learn while traveling.
• The courses are professional, for those who would like to learn a manual job and to discover the secrets behind the “Made in Italy” quality.

About Creative Italy

Creative Italy is a brand new, innovative platform where people can sign up for authentic experiences & craft courses, thus contributing to preserve ancient Italian traditions. How? By interacting and learning directly with artisans and experts of the “Made in Italy”.

The idea was born some years ago when Federica Baggiani (Studiainitalia) and Laura Notarbartolo (Italian Special Occasions) decided to unite their creative minds to create not only a business, but a different way to travel and explore new places, and a way to preserve history, something that they believe is very important for future generations.

Creative Italy supports the “Slow Travel” approach. Therefore, it does not provide a booking engine for immediate online availability and reservation; but rather it invites users to think about what they would like to do, and to understand the value of the activity.

Furthermore, artisans are workers and not tourist attractions, so it is important to respect their trade by asking them when they are available for an experience or a course.

Requests can be made by filling the dedicated contact forms on the website or by emailing info@creative-italy.com.