Located in the postcard-beautiful medieval town of Recanati, Italy, Scuola Dante Alighieri is amazing! They offer a rich, wide-ranging experience in the language and culture of Italy. Classes are held 5 half-days a week, and the afternoons are spent in teacher-guided local trips to cities and towns nearby, cultural activities, and free time to explore Recanati and the area as you wish. The weekends include teacher-guided trips to many of the major historical and cultural cities, such as Rome, Venice, Florence, Siena, Bologna, and more. Teachers act as tour guides and historians on these trips, and once oriented to the location, students have ample free time to explore at their own pace. Every day at Scuola in Recanati is a very full day, but it's most enriching!! I can't imagine having such an amazing experience anywhere else!
The Director, Anna, and the staff, Laura, Martina, and Alessandro, are outstanding for their dedication and attention to making sure that every student feels welcome and has a fulfilling, rewarding experience at the school. The teachers are all so talented and so warm and friendly, and they sincerely care that students are gaining knowledge while having a fun time doing it. Each class has only 14-16 students, so there is lots of interaction amongst students and the teacher. Whether a beginner or above, you leave each class having had fun while learning. Each class session is 1 to 4 weeks - enroll for number of weeks you choose. I attended for 4 weeks in 2022 and had such an amazing time that I did it again in 2023, and I plan to go back later this year (2026). Many new long-lasting friendships have grown from sharing the experience as students together at Scuola in Recanati!
Recanati is a bit south of Venice near the Adriatic Sea coast. It is a storybook kind of village-town perched on the ridge of a mountain. One side overlooks the Sea, and the other overlooks rolling farmland and distant hills. The town is pristine clean, small, walkable, no traffic at all, great people, great food, interesting history. I especially love the flower-filled window boxes outside many shop doors along the main street. You can sense the history and age of the town in the cobblestone streets and the incredible architecture. It's truly a beautiful place!
I would heartily encourage anyone who wants to learn about the Italian language and culture to consider attending Scuola Dante Alighieri in Recanati. You may not leave speaking fluently yet, but you will leave with more knowledge than you had before, and a heart filled with the beauty and spirit of bella Italia!! See you in Recanati!!