Cooking holidays in Italy
Cooking classes in Umbria, at the border to Tuscany
Learn to cook in Italy !
Join La Rogaia´s "Umbrian Dinner Club" !
Is cooking your great passion? Do you never miss a cooking show on TV?
Do you love novels and memoires such as "The Umbrian Dinner Club" by Malena de Blasi or "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Frances Mayes?
Then you should not miss our Italian cooking classes.
Our chef, Mamma Ornella, has been initiating our guests for many years into the secrets of Umbrian cuisine. She is second to none and as entertaining as Julia Child portrayed by Meryl Streep in the movie “Julie & Julia”.
Tuscany and Umbria are famous for their exquisite cuisine.
La Rogaia cookery school offers cooking lessons for Umbrian and Tuscan specialties, accompanied by wines from Umbrian and Tuscan cellars and first class extra virgin olive oil. Your ideal vacation if you love Italian food and wine.
Enjoy a week of authentic cooking and fun in Italy ...
By the way, you can give away our Italian cooking class as a present. If you wish we will provide a nicely crafted gift voucher for free.
Guest comment
My stay at La Rogaia was a wonderful experience in every way. Ornella and the cooking classes were enjoyable and educational. Our tours of Cortona, Perugia, Sienna and Assissi including tasting the excellent local food and wine were made so interesting by sharing your knowledge of the history and culture of the area. I would most definitely return and have recommended La Rogaia to friends and family.
Connie Dattilo, Pittsburgh
Upcoming courses:
In the cookery lessons you will prepare four complete dinners from the Antipasto to the Dolce, under the guidance of Ornella, a maestra of Umbrian Cucina casalinga. For her simple but delicious cuisine she prefers fresh products directly from farms, markets and the meadows and woods around La Rogaia. You will enjoy all the meals accompanied by excellent wines from Umbrian or Tuscan cellars. Get inspired by Ornella’s mediterranean temperament and original recipes!
One morning we will accompany a truffle hunter with his dog to witness how these precious delicacies are found. We will also visit a producer of Vin Santo, the local sweet wine. And in autumn we will of course taste the freshly pressed olive oil.
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Hands on when making pasta -
Rolling the pasta with lots of "amore" -
Ornella, la "Regina della Cucina" -
Searching for the "black gold": Truffle hunt
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La pasta è pronta ! Penne ai peperoni con pesto di rucola -
Only fresh ingredients -
Mussels fresh from the sea -
Mushrooms from the Umbrian woods
Itinerary of the cookery week
Day 1 (Saturday): We will start the cookery class with a dinner where we will get to know each other and Mamma Ornella during a lush meal with local wine. You will get a first impression of the culinary delicacies and the Italian "Dolce Vita" awaiting you during the week to come.
Day 2 (Sunday): Breakfast. Guided half day walking tour and olive oil tasting.
The lunch, the rest of the day’s program and dinner at your free disposal.
Day 3 (Monday): Breakfast. The day program and lunch at your free disposal. From 4 pm onwards cooking class with Mamma Ornella.
Day 4 (Tuesday): Breakfast. The day program and lunch at your free disposal. From 4 pm onwards cooking class with Mamma Ornella.
Day 5 (Wednesday): Breakfast. This day will see us off for a day trip to the Upper Tiber Valley, one of Italy’s most important truffle regions. In the morning we will accompany a truffle hunter and his dog to join them for a truffle hunt. After the truffle hunt we’re in for a real treat, a truffle tasting lunch. In the afternoon we will visit a traditional winemaker of “Vin Santo”. The dinner is at your free disposal.
Day 6 (Thursday): Breakfast. The day program and lunch at your free disposal. From 4 pm onwards cooking class with Mamma Ornella.
Day 7 (Friday): Breakfast. The day program and lunch at your free disposal. From 4 pm onwards cooking class with Mamma Ornella.
Day 8 (Saturday): Breakfast, departure.
Rates for 8 days/ 7 nights cookery class at La Rogaia
Class with lodging in double room with shared bathroom and kitchen for 3 to 4 persons:
starting from EUR 1690 per person per week
The price includes:
- 4 cooking lessons with Ornella (starting at about 4 p.m.)
- all cooking ingredients
- selected wines from Umbria and Tuscany
- translation into English
- Ornella‘s personal cookbook and a La Rogaia apron
- 1 welcome dinner at La Rogiaa or at a local restaurant including wine
- 1 truffle hunt and truffle tasting lunch
- 1 Vina Santo tour and tasting
- lodging for 7 nights
- breakfast for 7 days
Not included in the price:
- Extra charge for lodging in single room with shared bathroom and kitchen for 2 to 3 persons: EUR 200 per person and week
- Extra charge for lodging in private apartment for 2 persons (with private bathroom, kitchenette and terrace): depending on the size of the apartment from EUR 60 to EUR 200 per person per week (double occupancy)
- Extra charge for lodging in private apartment for 1 person (with private bathroom, kitchenette and terrace): depending on the size of the apartment from EUR 300 to EUR 500 per person per week (single occupancy)
- All lunches. There is the possibility for selfcatering either in a spacious common kitchen or in the apartments. There are restaurants and shops at the village of Castel Rigone at 4 km distance from La Rogaia.
- Dinner on 2 evenings.
- Transfer to truffle hunt. Please use your own vehicles or share rides with other participants.
- Travel arrangement to and from La Rogaia. A detailled map and description how to get to La Rogaia and futher information about trains and flights you can find at how to get there.
Want to come with a partner or friend who does not want to cook? No problem - he or she can participate in meals and the truffle hunt only. Please inquire for the rate of accompanying persons.
Contact us about more information about all included in the price.
To make your mouth water we will give you some examples of Ornella’s recipes on our page Culinary Umbria. You will also find our personal recommendations for the best restaurants, wine producers and delikatessen stores in our vicinity. Please also read our story about a cookery class at La Rogaia.
The cookery week takes place at Villa La Rogaia, an outstanding old Umbrian countryhouse with many gardens. It is situated near Lake Trasimeno between Rome and Florence. Participants stay in individually crafted rooms/apartments with private facilities (for 1 to 4 persons).
Language of instruction is Italian with English translation.
Did you already know? We offer also Active Culinary Holidays in Umbria and Tuscany
If you want to combine
- olive picking and tasting of organic extra virgin olive oil
- truffle hunt
- wine tastings and
- Mamma Ornellas authentic Umbrian cuisine