All About Olives: Harvest, Processing, and Cooking Workshop

You will stay in a charming Tuscan country house dating from 1881, at the foot of the Apennines, surrounded by olive groves and chestnut forests near the village of Aramo, one of the 10 stone villages of the “dieci castella” in the Svizzera Pesciatina.
Price per person for a double room, including full board: €580; single room supplement: €120

We cook fresh meals every day using vegetables from our own garden or from organic farms. We serve a hearty breakfast (brunch), a light snack in the afternoon, and a multi-course hot meal in the evening. Beverages are included in the price.

On November 11, we’ll start with a group dinner at 6 p.m. and a short talk about olives. The next day, we’ll begin with a hearty breakfast at 9 a.m. Afterward, we’ll head to the olive grove to harvest olives by hand. In the afternoon, after a snack in the olive grove, we’ll take a walk to Aramo, one of the 10 medieval stone villages in this area. Dinner is scheduled for 6 p.m. After a hearty breakfast the next morning, we’ll focus on preserving the olives as part of the cooking workshop. Afterward, we’ll go in search of fresh chestnuts and prepare a multi-course traditional Italian dinner together (6 p.m.). On Saturday, after breakfast at 9 a.m., we’ll visit a local oil mill and observe the oil extraction process. Upon returning to La Gioiella, we’ll have a snack and prepare for pizza night together. On Sunday, the workshop concludes after a shared brunch. The daily schedule may vary slightly. Arrival one day before the start or departure one day after the end is possible.

Pescia is easily accessible by regional train without a car, via Florence (train/flight) or Pisa (flight). A shuttle service (approx. 15-minute ride/€15 per trip) can be arranged from Pescia to Aramo.