ITALY CONFERENCE 2019
THE ITALIAN CONNECTION: An in-depth experience of the development of the Church in Italy and the West.
SEPTEMBER 2019
In the early centuries following the resurrection of the Messiah, Roman culture began to shift belief and practice toward Gentile orientations. This resulted in a long process of syncretization, best seen in the structures, laws and way of life in Italy. This conference will get you “up close and personal” with this Italian history and local Italian living. We will spend time on a local farm, visit small but important towns, walk through villages that haven’t changed much in a thousand years, explore the roots of Western Christian thinking as it moved away from its Jewish origins, visit some of Italy’s renowned basilicas and just get to know people who live in this amazing culture. The idea behind this teaching tour is not to do all the “tourist” sites but rather to experience as much as we can how fifteen centuries of Roman Christianity has shaped Italy—and how that affects everyone in the West.
The tentative itinerary looks like this:
10 nights at a boutique hotel in Reggio Emilia. All rooms have private baths. Rooms are double occupancy. Breakfast is included. Wi-Fi is included. This hotel has been serving guests since 1515. The building was constructed in 1280. You can read about it here.
You will need money for lunches. Dinners are included except for 2 nights. Alcoholic beverages are not included.
Travel by train or bus to Parma, Milan, Florence, Correggio and Ferrara is included.
During the 10 days we will have teaching and interactive sessions almost every day.
We will also have the following activities:
An experience at the local fresh market in Reggio Emilia
A day at the Palio di Parma in Parma, a Medieval festival with costumes, competitions and a race
An afternoon in a piazza in Reggio taking in the local culture
A day in Milan visiting “off the beaten track” ancient sites – and the Duomo, of course
A morning in Correggio followed by an afternoon visiting churches in Reggio Emilia
A morning in Florence followed by a very special meal and wine tasting at Piazza del Vino
A day in Ferrara or Piacenza
An excursion to a Reggio Emilia winery
A cooking class demonstration and hands-on experience
Interactions with local citizens
Time to explore on your own (with direction and guidance)
An orientation if you want to go to Rome and Venice on your own after the conference
And a study of how all this happened and what it means to us
The size of the group is limited to 18 people (10 rooms of double occupancy).
COST: A total of $1750 per person with some adjustment if the Euro to Dollar ratio changes dramatically before arrival. This does NOT include transportation to Reggio Emilia or return to your point of departure (i.e., no air fare). You are responsible to get there and get back.
A $500 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit is due to hold your place. We will notify you if you have secured one of the 20 available spots.
WHEN: Currently the plan is to begin the conference on September 13, 2019. That means you will arrive on September 12, 2019 in Reggio Emilia. The conference will end on September 22, 2019 in the morning. We want to allow you time in a two-week period to travel to Rome or Venice or other places in Italy if you wish. We can provide useful travel hints for those of you who wish to do this. Since this is a LAND ONLY arrangement, you could also tour some of the other places in Italy before the conference begins. This way you are free to arrange your travel any way to wish.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW:
Send a message to me (skipmoen@mac.com) that you want to go. Indicate how many places you want. I will confirm your places and give you instructions after confirmation for payment, etc.
Here are some pictures of what we are planning.
