CIOCIARIA CULTURAL TRAVEL EXPERIENCES.
September 2025-2027
ADVENTURES THROUGH CIOCIARIA AND MOLISE
IN THE WILD HEART OF ITALY.
Follow us off the beaten path, into the extraordinary
For curious, cultured travellers.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH. INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY.
Meet the Ciociarian culinary creatives, organic producers & vignerons and local artisans who have been the inspiration for our Antica Australis journey, and explore the layers of ancient Samnite & Roman and Medieval history of Ciociaria in central Italy with us.
We have hand-crafted our itineraries from ten years of on-ground personal research and our groups are guided by our great Ciociarian friends who are local archaeologists, academics, culinary artisans, artisanal producers, hiking guides and art historians.
We re-design our on-ground itineraries bespoke for every single tour group. No experience is ever the same. This is born from our passion and belief in supporting the continual evolution of the regions we are visiting, to align with the personal adventures our curious & cultured travellers are seeking, and to revel in the glorious spontaneity of this ancient regions.
Paolo & Kelly PICARAZZI - antica australis | Antica Travel Co.
An immersive 7-night/8-day cultural travel experience through the undiscovered regions of Ciociaria & Molise in central Italy - just an hour south of Rome, it’s a whole world away. Follow us off the beaten path, into the extraordinary.
From 2026: all-inclusive package for AUD$6,597* per person based on double occupancy. Solo Supplement AUD$1,167*.
For our May 2026 travel experiences you will be staying in a unique boutique accommodation in a lovingly-restored 19th century Belle Époque villa with fine-dining restaurant, and stepping out into the main piazza of one of Ciociaria’s most charming villages encircled by the walls of a 1,000 year old castle.
Package includes pick up from Rome at a designated hotel and return.
Tour groups limited to maximum 10-12 guests.
Please note that our small group travel experiences require a minimum of 6 guests to be confirmed.
* May 2026 fully booked. Some availability forSeptember 2026. Taking enquiries for 2027, package cost will increase.
TOUR DATES:
MAY tRAVEL PACKAGES for 2026:
Sunday 3 to Sunday 10 May - FULLY BOOKED
Sunday 10 to Sunday 17 May - FULLY BOOKED
SEPTEMBER tRAVEL PACKAGES for 2026:
Sunday 20 to Sunday 27 September - only two places available
Sunday 27 September to Sunday 4 October - places available
SEPTEMBER tRAVEL PACKAGES for 2027:
We are also registering interest for May & September 2027. Feel free to make an enquiry.
EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS:
3-10 MAY 2026 TRAVEL EXPERIENCE ITINERARY
o Hosted by Paolo & Kelly Picarazzi of award-winning cultural dining experiences Antica Australis & Antica Travel Co. cultural travel experiences.
o Staying in an 18th century palazzo in the hilltop village of Atina in the Valle di Comino (Comino Valley) wrapped in the arms of the Apennines.
o Unique boutique accommodation. Double bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms. Private shared terrace.
o Continental breakfast is included with tea and coffee; seasonal fruits; and bread, pastries, yoghurt and conserves.
o All breakfast, lunches & dinners provided - except one free evening for a dining adventure of your own choice.
o Welcome Lunch on arrival at the iconic Casa Lawrence, a celebration of traditional Ciociarian cuisine and culture.
o Fresh produce market visit and guided archeological tour of our home village of Atina.
o Visit to local dairy farm in the Comino Valley for a ricotta-making class and cheese degustation lunch with local beer and wine.
o SPECIAL EVENT: the ‘Cammino dei Briganti’ following in the footsteps of Ciociaria’s famous Briganti (bushrangers) to the mountain meadows of Monte Prato near Atina.
o Nature reserve walk along the lake of Posta Fibreno followed by a cooking class at a 1,000 year old farmhouse to learn how to make gnocchi.
o Private guided art history tour of the stunning 8th-15th century frescoes of Subiaco Monastery, followed by lunch in the monk’s refectory.
o Magical Mystery Tour to Molise, a fascinating nearby region – the real Wild Heart of Italy. Guided tour of ancient Samnite archaeological ruins and fine-dining experience.
o Farewell Dinner in the private dining room of our palazzo, hosted by its aristocratic owners.
NOTE:
May is Springtime in Ciociaria, with the Apennine Mountains covered in wildflowers. It’s the perfect time for cheesemaking and foraging in the mountaintop forests. September is Autumn, providing an ideal experience of local harvests & fresh produce as well as being the beginning of the wine vintage plus mushroom & truffle season.
The weather in the Apennine Mountains in both May & September is around 18-25 degrees Celsius, sunny days and a little cooler in the evenings. Note that the villages of Ciociaria are hilly and some streets can be quite steep - you will need to have an average level of fitness to enjoy walking around.
We very purposefully select low season tourism seasons to host our guests in Ciociaria, to help contribute to the sustainability of the region - and it’s a much more intimate and relaxed experience with our locals. Please note that our Ciociarian guides speak in their local dialects, with Paolo providing translations.
MAY 2026 ITINERARY OVERVIEW*
DAY ONE - SUNDAY
Pick up from designated hotel in Rome at 11am and transfer to the village of Atina in the Ciociaria region (1.5 hours), high up in the Apennine mountains. Welcome Lunch at Casa Lawrence, an iconic Ciociarian cultural dining experience.
DAY TWO - MONDAY
Guided archelogical tours of Atina, including the remains of a Roman villa and the megalithic walls of La Collina Santo Stefano.
DAY THREE - TUESDAY
We will be exploring the Comino Valley and meeting some of its fabulous local producers. This includes a visit to a family dairy farm where they have been shepherding indigenous Ciociarian sheep and making cheese for nine generations. A wine-tasting at a cellar door housed in an old ironworks factory serving up Cabernet DOC and we will be meeting the last Cioce maker of Ciociaria in his small artisan workshop.
DAY FOUR - WEDNESDAY
The ‘Cammino dei Briganti’ on Monte Prato, Atina. Following in the footsteps of Ciociaria’s infamous Briganti (1850s bushrangers) to scenic mountain meadows and hidden caves.
DAY FIVE - THURSDAY
A guided art history tour of the frescoes of Subiaco Monastery - built into the side of a cliff (and on top of Emperor Nero’s summer palace) the 1,000 year old Monastery winds down the mountain through the centuries featuring frescoes from the 8th to 15th centuries.
DAY SIX - FRIDAY
A visit to Vicalvi Castle, followed by a nature reserve walk along the lake of Posta Fibreno. We will be spending most of the day at a 1,000 year old farmhouse learning to make gnocchi and tiramisu and a very long traditional Italian lunch.
DAY SEVEN - SATURDAY
A magical mystery tour to Molise, just across the Apennines from Ciociaria and together with Abruzzo these three regions formed the original Wild Heart of Italy during the ancient Samnite civilisation (pre-dating the ancient Romans).
DAY EIGHT - SUNDAY
Breakfast and return transfer to Rome. Depart 9am and arrival in Rome approx. 11am.
*ITINERARY SUBJECT TO CHANGE:
Please note that Ciociaria is a developing tourism region and not everything always follows the exact flow of the itinerary. Trust that we will cover all the itinerary highlights, expect the unexpected and embrace a little spontaneity as we go along!
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS:
Vegetarian preferences and certain allergies can be catered for. Please note this is a remote region and we will be unable to cater for any additional dietary requests such as gluten-free, dairy-free or vegan.
RESERVATION TERMS BELOW.
RESERVATIONS TERMS
Places are strictly limited and a transferable deposit of AUD$500 per person is required to secure your place on reservation.
If you change your mind within 30 days of your reservation payment being received, your deposit is refundable with written notice. Following this you will be able to transfer it to an alternative travel experience date if you need to change your initial reservation.
For our May packages, 50% payment (less deposit) is required six month prior to your travel experience [November] with final payment due three months prior [March].For our September packages, 50% payment (less deposit) is required [March] with final full payment due [June].
Please note that our small group travel experiences require a minimum of 6 guests to be confirmed.
More details on our Terms & Conditions will be provided on reservation.
ITINERARY INCLUSIONS:
o Return transfers from Rome. All transfers within itinerary.
o All breakfast, lunches & dinners provided (most with house wine inclusive) - except one free evening for a dining adventure of your choice.
o All day trips & museum entries.
o We have also included tips for our transfer drivers & dining experiences as part of your package.
EXCLUSIONS:
All flights, Rome accommodation, laundry, selected bottles of wine and personal discretionary spending are the responsibility of individual guests.
YOUR HOSTS
Husband and wife team, Paolo & Kelly Picarazzi of award-winning Ciociarian locanda and cultural dining experience Antica Australis
Paolo is a Ciociarian native and is descended from the Ernici & Volscii tribes of Víteliú and is deeply connected to the land. He also understands each of the dialects of the region, which enables our local producers, artisans and wine-makers to share their stories in their own way and words, with Paolo providing translation.
Australian-born Kelly has a background in sustainable and cultural heritage tourism. Kelly was noted as one of the global ‘100 Inspiring Women Travel Founders’ by Travel Massive in 2020.
Antica Travel Co. is the cultural travel experience subsidiary of the Antica Australis cultural dining experience.