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.




Studio AMOS is a small but mighty craft studio in the South East of England, founded by Annemarie O’Sullivan and Tom McWalter. Together they grow, harvest, and work with local materials to create pieces ranging from functional baskets and statement lighting to large-scale installations. Annemarie is an Irish basketmaker whose work is rooted in traditional techniques and the natural materials she cultivates by hand. Growing multiple varieties of willow and working with coppiced wood, she creates baskets, lighting, and sculptural forms shaped by the landscape and agricultural craft traditions. Tom works closely with Annemarie to develop new forms and turn ideas into finished objects. His design approach blends drawing, curiosity, and practical problem-solving, with a strong interest in how materials behave. His explorations also include natural ink making as another way to understand the landscape. Together as Studio Amos, Annemarie and Tom create work that emerges directly from place, material, and tradition—objects that carry the quiet strength of the land from which they are made.
If you’re considering gifting yourself with a week of creating and connecting in the countryside of Sicily, this is the spot!
Jenny
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and thought the standard of the course was exceptional. I have taken other cooking classes in other countries, and this course was by far more authentic, serious, in-depth and has inspired me.
J.S.
The people I met: both the staff (kind, energetic, happy, informative) and the other folks in my group. Gathering around the table and laughing, learning and sharing stories is what stands out. And the fact that roosters crow all day which I didn't know. The setting is truly special as well - felt worlds away from the distractions of everyday life and instead in a rich, hands-on learning environment.
S.M
That was such a great experience and it was so much fun to be with all of you during the week. Please extend my thanks to the entire team who made things so fantastic. I can't wait to get started in my own kitchen!
C.H.
I loved everything, beyond beautiful surroundings, fabulous food, wonderful instruction and opportunity to learn about Sicilian cooking, as well as the knowledgeable and very helpful staff. The flowing wine and other guests, who just happened to be amazing also added to my exceptional experience!
B.W
We absolutely loved this week away, it was quite incredible to experience the gardens and wonderful estate… awesome learning with Annemarie and Tom, and also cooking with Leah, and making cheese… Viviana and Luisa were extremely kind and attentive hosts… And on top of that such wonderful, interesting and kind people who attended the course
AMANDA
That was such a great experience and it was so much fun to be with all of you during the week. Please extend my thanks to the entire team who made things so fantastic. I can't wait to get started in my own kitchen!
C.H.
The whole experience, from the accommodations (food, the beautiful location) to all the people we encountered was top notch. The kitchen crew was awesome in every way! I will definitely recommend to friends. David was great, enjoyed his casual style and expertise.
J.N.
We've been telling everybody what great experience we've had at Case Vecchie: breadmaking, Sicilian cooking lessons, daily walks to the winery, visit to the flour mill and ricotta maker and the sheep, your beautiful grounds filled with fruit trees and vegetable gardens and the chicken coop.
Y.W.
My stay at Casa Vecchie absolutely confirmed for me that my future is in food, I cannot thank them enough for solidifying that for me. My stay at Casa Vecchie absolutely confirmed for me that my future is in food, I cannot thank them enough for solidifying that for me.
J.C.
My time at Case Vecchie was one of the best experiences I've ever had. The setting is gorgeous, the hospitality amazing, and all of the cooking events were exactly what I had hoped for. I've spent my career in the food business and although I had made a lot of the recipes before I still learned so many things. Emiko is a wonderful teacher-so easy to relate to and a wonderful instructor. I would love to return.
F.C.
Everything about the week was worth the effort to get there and the planning was well worth it. It was a week of gourmet eating. The participants were all enthusiastic about being there and that helped make the overall "experience".
S.M
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.