Food and Culture in South Italy

North of Naples and South of Rome

In the area between Rome and Naples, in Lazio and Campania regions, there are several small towns and medieval borgo. In many ways, these communities in Caserta Province are a microcosm of all the things visitors to Italy look for: history, culture, traditions and a local community waiting to show you around. These towns stand out for palaces, museums, cathedrals and convents from the XI to the XV Centuries. 

A Roman Era Basilica and Archaeological Museum

Food and Wine Traditions the fertile territory north of Naples in Caserta Province has historically been a major contributor to food production in the region from the days of ancient Rome.

A Farmers Museum is situated in the 15^th Century palace of a medieval borgo; it features the special relationship between this land and its people with songs and dances by minstrels and cantors as well as tasting and making the local specialties.

Mozzarella, perhaps the most famous local food product, and a major export, it is made with artisan skills from buffalo milk into ovoline, ciliegine, trecce and ricotta, among others.

Olive Oil is another local tradition. The flavor, appearance and unique characteristics of this territory’s extra virgin olive oil, along with various natural factors, influence harvesting, cultivation and production in a strictly artisanal undertaking.

Falerno Wine the hills present near ideal conditions for wine making. The Falerno Vines originate in this area and are still cultivated by hand in the local vineyards, continuing a tradition dating back to the Romans time.

Prince William County Virginia

American Historic Small Towns Itineraries

A Civil War experience at the Manassas National Battlefield Park, Family Arts and Entertainment, History at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, National Parks and the Outdoors, Antique Shops, Cafes, Restaurants, Art Stores and Boutiques in:

Bristow most of the area was previously part of the Linton's Ford Plantation, owned by the Linton Family from the 18^th century. In 1894, Sarah Linton converted to Catholicism, the property was deeded to the Roman Catholic Church and the Linton Hall School was founded; in the late 20^th century, much of the original property was sold to developers to raise money to support the school.

Dumfries the largest town in Prince William County was chartered in 1749. It is named for a town in Scotland from where a locally prominent merchant hailed. It grew in wealth and importance as a tobacco port rivaling New York and Boston; soil erosion and silting ended the trade. Today, Dumfries is known as the oldest continually chartered town in Virginia, home to the Weems-Botts Museum and as keeper of much of our Nation’s early history.

Gainesville was once a changing point for stagecoach horses on the Fauquier & Alexandria Turnpike. In 1852, the Manassas Gap Railroad reached the area and the stop became Gainesville. The town was a shipping point for grain, timber and cattle and remained a major shipping point into the early 1960’s. During the Civil War, nearby Thoroughfare Gap in the Bull Run Mountains served as a path for soldiers to reach the First and Second Battles of Manassas.

Haymarket, in northwest Prince William, owes its location to an abandoned Indian hunting path which became Old Carolina Road. It was used by settlers as a route from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas. Haymarket grew around the intersection of Carolina and Dumfries Roads. It was burned by Union troops in 1862. Since then, the town has been revived with a collection of quaint restored buildings and shops.

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Manassas is 10 square miles of homes, the arts, entertainment and community events. With more than 40,000 residents, it serves as a transportation and business hub. Steeped in history and tradition, the city center has an old town feel with a city square type event pavilion - the Harris Pavilion.  Residents and visitors can watch a band or attend an ice cream social in the summer and ice skate in the winter. The city also offers a museum rich in Civil War and local Virginia history.

Occoquan in the early 1600s, the Occoquan River Watershed was occupied by the Dogues, an Algonquian tribe. In the Dogue Dialect, Occoquan means at the end of the water. It has been a successful industrial settlement as well as the site of Civil War skirmishes. Today, Occoquan is a small community rich in history with local shops, a waterfront, outdoor dining, ghost walks, and a boat dock.

Quantico rich in military history, Quantico is the only town in the U.S. that is surrounded by a Marine Corps Base. Quantico's military tradition dates-back to the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, when the area was used by Virginia Naval elements. The area also spent time as a resort community called "Potomac". Incorporated in 1872, it takes its name from a Douge Indian word meaning by the large stream. Today it is home to a notable Marine Corps Base, established in 1917.

Woodbridge offers a wide range of recreational and leisure opportunities. Outdoor recreational enthusiasts can access both a state and national park, the Potomac River, and numerous hiking and biking trails. Woodbridge is also the place to be for shopping and dining with Potomac Mills and numerous small shops and restaurants throughout the community. 

A Historic Small-Town Travel Experience in Prince William County Virginia

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Historic Train Rides in Italy

Campania and Sicily Itineraries in Original Locomotives and Railway Carriages

Travel aboard the original Centoporte and Corbellini carriages, which date back to the 1930s and 1950s, to visit some of the historic cultural and culinary sites in Campania region of Italy .

Pietrarsa runs from Naples to Portici along Italy’s first railway track. Inaugurated on October 3, 1839 by King Ferdinand II whose goal was to make his kingdom compete with the technological supremacy of England and France. The workshop was initially used to produce mechanical and pyrotechnical materials for the Navy, but later went on to build and repair locomotives and railway carriages. The very first locomotive made in Italy for the Royal Railroads bore the factory’s name. Pietrarsa was the first industrial complex in Italy, preceding the founding of Breda and Fiat by half a century.

Visit the Bourbon Dynasty Era Factory where Italy’s Rail History Begins

Reggia connects Naples with the Caserta Royal Palace. In 1750 King Charles of Bourbon (1716-1788), later king of Spain, decided to erect the Royal Palace as the ideal center of the new kingdom of Naples on the plains of Terra di Lavoro. The project was entrusted to the architect Luigi Vanvitelli (1700-1773), son of Gaspar Van Wittel, active under Pope Benedict XIV in the restoration of St. Peter’s dome in Rome.

Archaeo Train travels to the Roman and Magna Grecia archaeological sites of this region, including Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum and Velia.

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Sannio stops in S. Agata de’Goti, the region’s most beautiful borgo;

Telese Terme taste Falanghina and experience a wine tour of the vineyards;

Benevento area museums: Streghe, Egizio and Sannio as well as a tour of the Longobard era town; 

Padre Pio’s Pietrelcina, Fragneto Monforte e Pontelandolfo.

Sicily and Food by Train 87 municipalities are involved in the promotion of the island’s extensive culinary traditions along 50 itineraries traveling in carriages from bygone eras with diesel, electric, as well as a 1912 steam-driven locomotive to rediscover mountains and rural areas, borghi, castles, art and archaeological finds, parks and natural oases.

Explore Campania and Sicily Aboard Historic Trains

Community Planning

The Montgomery County, Maryland Experience

As Montgomery County continues to attract an increasingly diverse, technologically savvy, well-educated population, the Planning Department focuses its skills and talents to bring high-quality design in both form and function to all areas, from central business districts to rural villages and improve quality of life by conserving and enhancing the natural and built environment for current and future generations.

Community Planning great communities are created by developing master plans, reviewing applications for development and analyzing information to help public officials plan the future. Multi-disciplinary geographic teams with regulatory as well as community planning functions lead to better integration and more balanced decision-making. Staff also provide recommendations, information, analysis and services to the Planning Board, the County Council, the County Executive, other government agencies and the general public. 

The Environment sustainability and a reduced carbon footprint contribute to healthier communities by

o   assisting property owners to improve or develop their properties

o   analyzing natural resources for community planning

o   reviewing development applications, and

o   participating in efforts to promote environmental sustainability for residents and visitors.

Travel to the US Mid-Atlantic

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Sustainable communities are created by addressing resource protection, climate change, air quality, water quality and availability, human health and well-being.

Historic Preservation is supported by providing identification, designation, and regulation of historic sites in Montgomery County.  Staff maintains an archive and library of documentation on historic resources and provides preservation outreach and guidance on best-practices to the public.

Transportation Planning entails detailed analyses of transportation issues and improvements needed to support expected growth during master plan preparation as well as planned improvements. A biennial Mobility Assessment report plays an integral role in developing recommendations for growth policies matching transport services with new development.

Urban Designers establish guidelines, blend architecture, landscape architecture, and environmental stewardship, resulting in:

o   Street Character improving the character of the street system, promoting walking, providing easy access to transit, creating inviting connections to services

o   Open Spaces establishing open space systems designed to serve people of all ages and needs, providing a variety of urban spaces - plazas, urban parks and town commons - connected by a system of greenways and sidewalks

o   Building Form and Character fostering the design of buildings that shape public streets and open spaces, density, building heights, setbacks from the curb, and parking locations

o   Landmarks and Gateways preserving and highlighting the elements that make a community unique and increasing access to historic resources.

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Naples Bay and the Amalfi Coast

Boat Excursions

Visit magnificent Naples Bay, Capri, Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Cilento in a traditional local boat, hugging the coastline in a series of one day tours, stopping along the way to savor the history, culture and traditions in quaint villages and famous resorts.

The Phlegraean Fields there is a place where the fields burn, and vapors and mud come out of the land whose level is constantly rising and lowering; where volcanoes like 133 meter high Monte Nuovo have emerged overnight. Hence, the name Campi Flegrei coined by the Greeks who first saw it 2800 years ago, assuming that Titans were imprisoned underground and their breathing caused the bradyseism phenomenon of the earth’s crust.

In Pozzuoli you can see the remains of the Macellum and the underground Roman city of Rione Terra by simply entering a 17^th Century palazzo.  Bradyseism is also responsible for the sinking of the Roman Imperial city of Baia. Just across the bay of Pozzuoli are the Baia Castle and Miseno, home port of Rome’s navy; it is from here that Pliny the Elder sailed in a vain attempt to save Pompeii. Your tour ends where it began: Cumae as Southern Italy and Magna Grecia acted as catalysts to bring Greek culture to Rome.

Western Civilization began right here with the Cuman Sybil and its Myths

Sorrento Capri and Positano your boat leaves the port of Sorrento and reaches across to circumnavigate and visit the nearby island of Capri. Then it hugs the Amalfi Coast side of the Sorrento peninsula, and an opportunity to swim in crystal clear waters, on the way to the resort of Positano. This very relaxing day can only end with dinner based on local food and wine specialties at a restaurant on the beach.

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Cilento all the ingredients that visitors to Italy look for can be found here: pristine beaches, a national park under Unesco’s protection, coastal and inland panoramas and a superb culinary tradition. Coastal, hilly, and mountainous landscapes showing vestiges of man`s ancient presence; Greek colonizers landed in the 7^th century BC and founded Posidonia, the Roman Paestum. Of major interest:

Paestum is surrounded by well-kept 5 Km long Roman walls and three famous and imposing VI and V century BC Doric temples, the Archaeological Museum and The Diver fresco.

Velia was founded circa 540 BC. Archaeological excavations have gradually unveiled the remains of this town, the amphitheater and the Porta Rosa (Pink Door).
Cilento Coast if you can spare an extra day, your boat can take you further down the Cilento coast with stops along the way at quaint fishing villages in the company of a breathtaking coastline, all the way down to Palinuro, named after Ulysses’ helmsman on the voyage back to Ithaca.

Travel Experiences in Naples Bay and the Amalfi Coast

Fort Worth Texas Cowboys Cowgirls and Culture

Cultural Heritage Museums Water Resources and the Environment Local Food Wine and Beer Public Transport Initiatives

Originally settled in 1849 as an army outpost along the Trinity River, Fort Worth was one of eight forts assigned to protect settlers on the advancing frontier. The cattle industry was king for a generation of people working the Fort Worth leg of the historic Chisholm Trail, which ran from the 1860s to the 1870s when the Texas & Pacific Railway arrived. In the years that followed, oil and aviation brought new wealth throughout the region.

The post-war years found Fort Worth capitalizing on its strengths as a transport, business and military center. Cultural pursuits included the development of the city's internationally acclaimed museum district. The mid-1980s saw the start of a major revitalization of that city's downtown and the introduction of Sundance Square, a 35-block commercial, residential, entertainment and retail district. Fort Worth's red brick buildings and its Western heritage live on as visitors can experience the Old West beautifully preserved through the Stockyards National Historic District.

Food Brews and Spirits experience cowboy cuisine, trendy farm-to-table, authentic Mexican and bayou fare. Highlights include beef briskets, pork ribs and locally grown, organic artisan cheeses, alongside nicely paired wines. Artisanal distilleries offer straight bourbon, premium blended whiskey and vodka made from black-eyed peas. Also handcrafted beers, some brewed with milk, honey and sugar, accompanied by live music and local food trucks.

The Outdoors the Trinity Trails extend through Fort Worth for over 40 miles along the Trinity River with amenities for hikers, bikers, runners, and horseback riders with connections to the Stockyards, Downtown, the Zoo and the Cultural District. The Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge is a 3621-acre preserved natural area designated by the Department of the Interior as a National Natural Landmark Site in 1980. Established in 1964 as the Greer Island Nature Center, it has small, genetically pure bison herd, a resident prairie dog town, and the prairie upon which they live. It is one of the largest urban parks of its type in the United States.

Museums renowned for their architecture and the quality of their collections, the Cultural District is home to six museums; Fort Worth is also home to museums devoted to Western heritage and the city’s colorful past. 

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is dedicated to honoring trailblazing women of the American West. Its multimedia exhibits and historic photographs, papers, clothing, spurs and saddles tell the stories of women pioneers, ranchers, performers and rodeo stars.

Log Cabin Village 19^th century Texas nestled on three acres and nine historic structures, Texas history is portrayed through authentic log homes, a blacksmith shop, a one-room schoolhouse, smokehouse, water-powered gristmill and herb garden. Experience frontier chores, including candle making, spinning and weaving.

The Modern Art Museum maintains one of the foremost collections of international modern and contemporary art in the United States with works by Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko are displayed in a concrete and glass building surrounded by a reflecting pond.

The Kimbell Art Museum is a permanent collection with major works by Fra Angelico, Velazquez, Bernini, Rembrandt, Goya, Monet, Cezanne, Picasso, Mondrian and Matisse. It is also home to Michelangelo's first known painting. The collection comprises Asian and non-Western as well as European art as well as traveling exhibits on display throughout the year.

The American Airlines Museum is dedicated to commercial aviation and the world of flight. Exhibits include hundreds of historical artifacts, photographs, full-scale aircraft engines and a rare Douglas DC-3 airliner.

Transportation it is easy to get around Fort Worth or travel to nearby and Dallas and Grapevine. 

Bus the T – Fort Worth Transport Authority – provides extensive service throughout the city and its cultural attractions.

Rail the TRE - Trinity Rail Express - connects Fort Worth and Dallas with transfer access to DFW International Airport.

Air DFW is only 17.5 miles from downtown Fort Worth via bus, rail or taxi service. From here, you can reach any major city in the U.S. in less than four hours.

Walking is a wonderful way to experience the city’ entertainment districts and the Trinity Trails.

Bike Sharing: Bike sharing is an inexpensive, healthy and environmentally friendly way to get around Fort Worth. Pick up a bike at any of the 40 docking stations.

Planning Your Fort Worth and Texas 
Business Trip or Vacation

Italy

City Countryside and Regional Itineraries

Travel Programs for families, schools and theme groups with educational workshops, food and wine tasting and visits to museums, medieval villages, nature parks and archaeology sites.

Abruzzo is located on the Adriatic Coast, east of Rome. It is home to national parks, hilltop medieval and Renaissance towns and numerous nature reserves. The Apennine mountain chain forms much of its interior while the coastal plain has sandy beaches and dunes.

Basilicata, also known as Lucania, is a southern Italian region bordering with Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, with one coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania and Calabria, and a longer one in the Gulf of Taranto on the Ionian Sea.  

Campania the ancient Romans called it Campania Felix. Baia, Puteoli, Pompeii, Stabia and Capri were their favorite destinations. Then and now, Happy Campania is famed for its ancient ruins, coastal resorts and world-renowned culinary traditions. A cultural and national capital for much of its nearly three-thousand-year history, Naples is home to art museums, the San Carlo opera house and a spectacular bay framed by Mt. Vesuvius, affectionately and fearfully referred to by the local inhabitants as The Monster.

Lazio - Latium is mainly flat and hilly, with small mountainous areas in the eastern and southern districts. The coastline is mainly composed of sandy beaches. Behind the coastal strip, to the north, lies the coastal plain of Maremma Laziale. The center is occupied by the Roman countryside, a vast alluvial plain surrounding the city of Rome, and the south is characterized by flatlands. The Apennines of Latium are marked by the Tiber River valley and three mountains of volcanic origin whose craters are occupied by Lakes Bolsena, Vico and Bracciano. South of the Tiber, the Alban Hills, are of volcanic origin.

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Marche is slowly being discovered as the new Italian frontier; an abridged expression of the varied charms of Italy with a variety of attractions offered seasonally and year-round, including: authentic foods, breathtaking landscapes, a lively cultural landscape, artistic and natural treasures.

Puglia borders the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its southernmost portion, the Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the boot of Italy.

Veneto Venice is comprised of 118 islands intersected by 150 canals and linked by 400 bridges. Among the neighborhoods to choose for your visit: Cannareggio – Ghetto, Santa Croce, Miracoli, San Zanipolo, Rialto, Frari, Dorsoduro, Giudecca and Castello. This incomparable city is full of secret campos, Gothic palazzos and neighborhood wine bars. San Marco square with its bell tower and the Doge’s Palace, the Grand Canal surrounded by Venetian style palaces, numerous art galleries and boutiques.

Emilia-Romagna Bologna Modena Ferrara and Dozza. Arrival and private transfer from the Bologna airport or train station to a Farmhouse in the countryside. Lunch and guided tour of the city center. Dinner with typical dishes from Emilia. The Food Valley full day excursion and visit to some of the best Emilia food producers:

Langhirano - Prosciutto di Parma production plant and food tasting

Reggio Emilia - Parmigiano Reggiano Dairy with explanation of the production cycle

Modena – Acetaia (vinegar loft) and the aging process of traditional balsamic vinegar.