Description
Sicily: A Sense of Place – May 17 to 26, 2025
“To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything.” – Goethe
At the crossroads of the Mediterranean, the gorgeous island of Sicily continues to seduce travelers with its diversity of landscapes, spectacular architecture and warm and inviting people. It has been home to the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Greeks and today’s Sicilians, so when you have the sense that history is lurking just around the next corner, it’s because it is. Presiding over all of this is Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest active volcano, a constant reminder of the power of nature over man’s interventions.
Nowhere else on this remarkable island is this history, this landscape, these towns and these people more evident than in the southeastern corner of Sicily, which is where we’ll spend a week exploring, learning and photographing our response to this incredible place.
We’ll start on May 17 with a pickup by our professional driver at the airport in Catania, on Sicily’s eastern coast. From there, we’ll drive about 90 minutes south to the town of Ragusa, where we’ll check into our hotel then explore, photograph and learn about this fascinating area of Sicily.
After 3 nights in Ragusa, we’ll move to our hotel in the town of Noto, with its stunning Baroque architecture, making stops in the beautiful towns of Modica and Scicli on the way. We’ll spend 3 nights in Noto, photographing in and around the area and then head toward the coast, making stops in Siracusa and the small, island-city of Ortigia, before moving on to spend 3 nights in Catania, a bustling city with a world-famous fish market that’s very near our hotel. We’ll photograph in and around Catania, with its breathtaking views of the volcano of Mount Etna, and on our last full day, we’ll spend a few hours working to put together our slideshow stories of the sense of place we’ve captured in Sicily.
On the morning of May 26, a driver will take us to the Catania airport, and we can fly back to the mainland.
Mixed in with our explorations will be time spent on photographic instruction – both in the field and back at our hotel, where we’ll critique images, learn nuances of technique and vision and discuss our photographic intentions and how they inform your personal sense of the places we’ll explore together. Through ample time for image making, a blend of formal and field instruction and time for discussion and critique, we will work to uncover themes and lines of vision that may not have been previously evident to you. I limit my groups to a maximum of 7 photographers to ensure a high level of personal instructional attention.
Non-photographer companions are welcome and warmly invited to attend – contact me for details.
Sicily: A Sense of Place – May 17 to 26, 2025
Land Cost: $7,600 (9 days)
Your non-refundable deposit of $1000 reserves your workshop – Balance of $6,600 is due by February 15, 2025. See our Terms and Conditions here.
On the Itinerary:
- Ragusa – 3 nights overnight in a town of palazzi and elegant piazzas
- Modica – a pearl of a baroque hill town
- Noto – 3 nights in a gorgeous architectural wonder
- Scicli – a Sicilian baroque town nestled in a gorge
- Curto winery visit and tasting
- Siracusa & Ortigia – windows into the ancient history of the Mediterranean
What’s Included:
- Expert instruction by Jeff Curto, including small group field instruction, plenty of one-on-one time & critique sessions
- Maximum of 7 participants
- Extensive pre-trip planning documents for both photography and Italian culture
- Travel and instructional materials during the workshop
- All ground transportation during the workshop
- Admissions for all Included sightseeing
- All lodging during the workshop – single occupancy
- Local expert guides
- All included Gratuities, Taxes and Fees
- Breakfast daily
- Some lunches
- All dinners (including wine)
Important Notes:
Physical Activity:
All of the Italy Photography Workshop destinations require a fair amount of walking, hill-climbing and physical activity. You should be comfortable with being on your feet for up to three hours, often walking on uneven and possibly slippery surfaces. A typical day involves walking 3 to 5 miles and climbing/descending the equivalent of 10 to 20 flights of stairs. If you have any questions about the physical activity level of this workshop, please ask.
Airfare:
Since our workshop participants join us from places all over the world, airfare is not included.
Other Travel:
You may decide that you’d like to travel around other places in Italy either before or after the workshops. Or after reviewing flights, you may discover that you may want to arrive the day prior to the beginning of the planned trip in order to meet the group in Italy. La Dolce Via Travel can assist you with transfers, accommodations, or other travel needs you may have. Regardless, we advise early arrival at least a day in advance so that you can be at your best and ready to go when we begin.
Exchange Rate:
The land cost is based on current exchange rate between the Euro and US dollar. Should these rates change significantly, there may be an adjustment in the trip price.
…On the sixth day,
God accomplished His work
And, pleased with all the beauty
He had created,
He took the Earth in His hands,
And kissed it.
There, where He put His lips,
That’s Sicily.
Renzino Barbera, 1923 – 2009 Poet, writer, artist, actor