Posted by L’Acanto, Italian language school in Mesagne - Puglia.
Web site: www.lacanto.it

Puglia is rich in charming and ancient towns where Romans, Greeks, crusaders and other passed civilisations, left their imprint and much historical evidence on the people, towns and landscape. Coming here, you will feel as if you were taking a walk back in time through the pages of history.

Coming to Puglia, means the opportunity to discover a place unspoiled by tourists, full of long sandy beaches, rugged landscapes, vineyards, old olive groves, castles and local trulli (the unique coned houses, found no where else on earth). What else will you find in Puglia? Well, the answer is a slower pace of life to the one you’re probably used to. This means people have time to stop and chat, to share their hospitality, great Mediterranean food, folklore, passion for music and lively local dances from Puglia. All in all, a place that you can fall in love with.

The town of Mesagne (where our school is located) is an elegant, charming and beautiful town typical of southern Italy. Art, culture, tradition and history make it particularly fascinating and full of interest, surrounded by rich, vibrant and fertile land overflowing with luscious vintage wines, sweet fruit and sun drenched Mediterranean flavours.

Countless age-old olive trees girdle, protect and nourish Mesagne, much as the crusading knights and kings of noble fable once stood guard over the city. Situated mid way between the Ionian and the Adriatic coasts, Mesagne grew to be a fortress as a result of its strategic position in the ‘Penisola Salentina’, the strip of Puglia region abundant in astonishingly beautiful and pristine beaches, unspoilt nature, captivating folklore and a multitude of outdoor activities begging to be discovered.

Mesagne is 68 km from Alberobello, 29 from Ostuni, 96 from Otranto, 120 from Santa Maria di Leuca, 67 from Gallipoli. These are just some of the most beutiful and easily accessible destinations of interest.
In addition, you can visit the WWF preserve by the sea, in Torre Guaceto , for a delightful full immersion with nature and is only 15 minutes from Mesagne. Moreover, to get to the nearest beaches it takes just 15 minutes to get to Adriatic and 40 minutes to Ionian coast.

Whilst visiting some of the places described above, will undoubtedly impress you with their cultural, architectural, historical and artistic offering, your emotions will be truly assaulted thanks to the intense flavours and smells of our Mediterranean food, as seen on TV when Jamie Oliver visited the area in the summer of 2005. The local cookery is based around organic, simple, genuine and wholesome food. The so called ‘cuisine of poverty’ where there are no rules but are absolutely overflowing in inspiration: fresh fish, wild vegetables, olive oil, breads, taralli, frise, fresh pasta, fresh cheeses, wine, liqueurs…. everything must be experieced by visiting the local wine cooperatives (cantina), oil mills (frantoio), old farms (masseria), in order to taste the very best of the local produce.

You shouldn’t miss the traditional ‘Salento’ and experience the local music and dance belonging to a past time full of popular songs and sounds that recount tales of passionate love, life and struggle. It is due to our marvellous microclimate which ensures sunny weather for much of the year, that there are such an abundance of out-door festivals. This is when the main village and town squares show off their real character, providing a popular and unique way for communication and gathering of communities, to reflect local art, tradition and culture. Pizzica Salentina, the local dance, is the typical dance of the region and its people. Easy to learn and fun for all age groups to participate in, you will find that language and cultural differences are quickly forgotten in the hypnotic beat of the music.

In summary, choosing a stay at the l’Acanto school, means much more than just learning the Italian language in Puglia, it’s also a great holiday. It’s also a special place where you will meet friends and build memories for a lifetime.

Our Italian language courses mean you will be warmly welcomed as a special guest and made to feel immediately at ease. Moreover, you get to spend a holiday in a truly remarkable region.

Posted by L’Acanto, Italian language school in Mesagne - Puglia.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 12:10 pm and is filed under italian language, italian culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.