3:00 pm | Arrival and settle into accommodations
7:30 pm | Aperitivo & dinner at Case Vecchie
9:00 am | Breakfast
9:50 am | Garden tour
10:30 am | Introduction to Juncus/fine rush and making cordage
1:00 pm | Lunch
3:00 pm | Making ink from local plants
4:00 pm | Visit the winery Tasca d’Almerita, optional walk back through the vineyards
7:00 pm | Aperitivo & dinner at Case Vecchie
8:00 am | Optional early morning walk to collect Asphodel
9:00 am| Breakfast
10:30 am| Weaving small rush cheesemolds
12:30 pm| Aperitivo and lunch
3:00 pm | Continue weaving rush cheesemolds
6:00 pm | Making ink from local plants
7:00 pm | Aperitivo & dinner at Case Vecchie
7:45 -11:00 am | Visit Filippo the local shepherd for cheesemaking and fill our own cheesemolds with ricotta
11:30am | Brush making
12:30 pm | Sicilian Cheese Tasting and lunch at Case Vecchie
3:00 pm | Making Ink from local plants
4:00 pm | A playful weaving session: pasta making board
7:00 pm | Aperitivo & dinner at Case Vecchie
9:00 am | Breakfast
10:30 am | Sicilian Cooking Lesson, Pasta making
12:30 pm | Aperitivo and lunch
3:30 pm | Painting our tablecloth and Creating a table scape for our banquet
7:30 pm | Aperitivo & Banquet at Case Vecchie
9:00 am | Breakfast
10:00 am | Goodbyes and departure
Planned activities and schedules may change at short notice due to seasonal rhythms of life in Sicily.
Accommodation
5-night stay at Case Vecchie or in one of the nearby cottages.
Shuttle Transfer
Group shuttle service from/to Roccapalumba train station, upon request.
Meals
All meals are included. Lunch and dinner are served with wines from the Tasca d’Almerita estate. Typical menus and cooking lessons feature three or four courses.
Excursions
Guided visits and local experiences as indicated in the program.
Lessons
All cooking classes and other activities specified in the course schedule.
Transportation
Private transportation to and from Case Vecchie is not included. Take a look here to know what is the best way to reach us.
Flight
Airfare is not included.
Insurance
Travel insurance must be arranged independently by participants.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate guests with celiac disease or a vegan diet due to the limited availability of specific ingredients in our rural and isolated location.
Spend a week exploring the intangible heritage of basketmaking on the beautiful island of Sicily. Known for its gastronomic identity, Sicily also has a rich history of basketmaking.
Going hand in hand, baskets were the original containers for harvesting, storing, and producing food.
Each day we’ll invite you outside to walk the land and to spend time in the garden, observing and testing plants. We’ll make our own small rush cheese molds and visit a local cheesemaker to fill them. We’ll learn about traditional Vs modern cheesemaking. We’ll weave pasta making boards and enjoy playfully exploring the imprint these can make on our pasta dough.
We’ll gather and prepare plant materials and learn some simple basketmaking skills, making connections with how humanshave used the plants for food, fibres, and dyeing. Each day we’ll be making ink from local plants and on our final day we’ll create a stunning tablescape which includes a painted tablecloth. We’ll be building towards a final feast which celebrates these extraordinary plants in all their forms.
Annemarie O’Sullivan is an Irish basketmaker and designer based in the South of England, known for creating woven objects that reflect the natural materials she cultivates and gathers by hand. She grows around twenty varieties of willow and works with coppiced wood, crafting pieces that honor both land and tradition. Rooted in the strength of agricultural baskets and shaped by the curves of the landscape, her work draws deeply from ancient techniques and endangered crafts. From domestic baskets and lighting to large-scale woven forms, Annemarie’s practice is grounded in heritage and inspired by the timeless language of weaving and binding. Collaboration and play are central to her creative process, always underpinned by meticulous craftsmanship. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Financial Times, The Irish Times, and Country Living, among others.
The majority of the website showcases the beautiful photography of Anne Embrun. Other photos are done by the Anna Tasca Lanza team and staff.
The visual identity and website were designed by StudioForward.