Learn Italian in a Historic Family Home in Ofena
Looking for an Italian language course in Abruzzo? Madrelingua offers small-group residential Italian courses in Ofena, a village set between the Gran Sasso mountains and the Valle del Tirino.
When you join a course here, you do not simply attend lessons; you become part of the ongoing story of a historic family home. It is a place where history isn’t behind glass, but lived every day—where people have gathered, worked, cooked, and spoken for centuries. By staying and learning here, you step into that daily rhythm and become a small part of the house’s story yourself.
During the year, I live in Amsterdam, where my language school Madrelingua is based. I am a multilingual, international professional, but every summer I make my own annual “transhumance” back to Ofena. I reopen my family’s historic home to host these courses, accompanied by my Sleipnir, my Abruzzese Sheepdog, who loves to spend most lessons lying peacefully under the library table.
This is not a commercial language school with accommodation attached, nor a hotel with Italian lessons added to the programme. It is a vibrant, historic house brought back to life each summer with conversation, books, regional food, fine wine, and quiet everyday encounters.
The idea is quite simple: spend a few days in Abruzzo, learn Italian in a small group, and experience village life at a human pace. Read on for more details or mail me at info@madrelingua.com.
2027 Course Dates
Here are the open-enrollment residential courses planned for 2027. Regular courses follow our standard format, while special weeks have their own themes and programmes.
- 23–30 March | Easter in Abruzzo A special week devoted to local Easter traditions, seasonal food, and the spring countryside.
- 1–6 June | Italian in Abruzzo
- 19–24 July | Italian in Abruzzo
- 2–7 August | Italian in Abruzzo
- 11–17 August | Ferragosto and Village Life Built around Ferragosto, the mid-summer holiday, and the festivities in and around Ofena. Includes a festive lunch or picnic.
- 22–30 August | The Perdonanza Celestiniana A longer themed stay featuring a visit to L’Aquila during the historical Perdonanza Celestiniana celebrations and the opening of the Holy Door at Collemaggio Basilica.
- 6–11 September | Wine and the Abruzzo Countryside Focusing on the grape harvest, local winemakers, and the surrounding vineyards.
Custom Stays, Heritage Trips & Private Groups
The dates listed above are open for individual bookings.
Outside of these scheduled weeks, I also design custom itineraries for private groups, such as families on heritage trips seeking to reconnect with their Abruzzese roots, academic groups, hiking enthusiasts, or wine lovers.
As a certified sommelier and author of books on Abruzzo and Italian wine, my approach connects language directly with history, food, wine, and territory. They are not separate subjects, but different sides of the same cultural story.
If you would like to arrange a private group stay or plan a tailored programme in Ofena, please get in touch at info@madrelingua.com.
Prices for 2027
Regular Residential Courses
Regular courses include 6 nights’ accommodation, 10 hours of Italian lessons, a welcome wine tasting, and a cooking session with dinner.
Note: After the 5th day of lessons, guests who wish to depart at a relaxed pace can stay a 7th night free of charge (subject to confirmation at booking).
| Room type | Early bird (60 days prior) | Standard price |
| Single room | €650 | €750 |
| Small single room | €600 | €700 |
| Shared double or triple room (per person) | €550 | €650 |
Special Weeks
Easter Week (23–30 March):
Easter Week is an extended 8-day programme (7 nights) designed around authentic local Easter traditions. In addition to our regular language lessons and cooking session, this week includes:
Easter Celebrations & Meals: A traditional Easter Sunday lunch together and a relaxed Pasquetta (Easter Monday) picnic in the countryside around Ofena.
The “Madonna che scappa” in Sulmona: An excursion to witness one of Abruzzo’s most famous and moving Easter rites in Sulmona’s main piazza.
Getting around during Easter Week: To comfortably reach regional events like the Madonna che scappa in Sulmona, we coordinate local transport together, either by pooling private cars or hiring a dedicated minibus for our excursions (an arrangement we have successfully organized for past groups).
The Perdonanza Celestiniana (23–30 August):
The Perdonanza Celestiniana is an extended 8-day stay (7 nights) dedicated to one of Europe’s oldest spiritual and historical traditions, recognized by UNESCO.
- A Journey to L’Aquila: Guided visits to L’Aquila during the festival to experience the opening of the Holy Door (Porta Santa) at the Basilica of Collemaggio.
- The Unique Gift of Pope Celestine V: In 1294, Pope Celestine V granted the Bolla del Perdono, establishing the world’s first plenary indulgence. For Catholic visitors—or anyone interested in living history—entering the Holy Door on August 28–29 after confession and religious duties offers full remission of sins, a tradition that predates even the Roman Jubilees.
- Festive Atmosphere: Includes additional excursions and seasonal celebrations connected with the historic festival.
| Room type | Early bird (60 days prior) | Standard price |
| Single room | €1,050 | €1,150 |
| Small single room | €1,000 | €1,100 |
| Shared double or triple room (per person) | €950 | €1,050 |
Local Learners (Without Accommodation)
Includes 10 hours of lessons plus the welcome tasting or cooking session and lunch.
| Option | Early bird | Standard price |
| One person | €240 | €300 |
| Two people (total) | €450 | €550 |
What Is Included in the residential rates
- 6 nights’ accommodation in the family house (plus an optional 7th night free of charge after the 5th day of lessons for a relaxed departure).
- 10 hours of morning Italian lessons in a small group.
- Welcome wine tasting featuring local Abruzzo wines.
- Hands-on cooking session with Beatrice, followed by dinner.
- Full access to the shared kitchen, library, courtyard, terrace, and cellars.
- Personalized advice for exploring the surrounding national parks and villages.
Italian Lessons in a Small Group
Lessons take place in the library and combine conversation, vocabulary, grammar, and cultural nuances. Teaching is informal, adapted to your level, and designed to give you space to ask questions, try, and speak without pressure.
We keep formal class time to 10 hours per week so you are not tied to a desk. The morning lessons provide the tools; the rest of the day, whether chatting at the local bar, reading on the terrace, or sharing a meal, is where the real practice happens organically.
Cooking with Beatrice
One of the regular parts of the residential course is a cooking session with Beatrice, my neighbour, followed by dinner.
Beatrice loves coming to the house to cook with us. She knows local food traditions by heart and brings a wonderful energy to the evening. We prepare food together, talk, learn the names of ingredients, and sit down to eat. It is not a demonstration put on for visitors, but a normal evening spent cooking and sharing a meal with someone who lives here.
Italian and Art with Fausto
If you would like to combine language learning with an artistic activity, you can also take sessions with Fausto Rapinesi, an artist who left Rome to live and create in the mountains of Abruzzo.
Fausto has a deep connection to the house. During the post-earthquake restoration, I was heartbroken to discover that the original ceiling painting representing the Four Seasons had been lost beneath protective plaster. To heal that loss, I commissioned Fausto to create an alternative, modern work for the house. In the library, he painted a night landscape within a Latin motto attributed to Emperor Hadrian along the upper walls.
Fausto offers personalized art workshops for guests who would like to spend time making art alongside their Italian lessons. These sessions can be arranged separately based on his availability.
The House and Its History
Located within the medieval city walls of Ofena, this centuries-old building was once part of a convent before being acquired by my great-grandfather Nicola Silvestrone, a trader, and my great-grandmother Annina.
Following its anti-seismic restoration after the L’Aquila earthquake, I refurnished the rooms with original family antiques and preserved historical artifacts throughout, including setting up a wine museum in our three-tiered cellars with its natural grotto.
The house has always played an informal institutional role in village life, shaped by generations of strong women:
- Great-grandmother Annina (La Pulita): The original matriarch. While Nicola traded on the road, Annina ran the Trattoria della Pace and baked bread in what is now our guest kitchen (La Camera del Pane) for the family, guests, and local war orphans at the Colonia Frasca.
- Great-aunt Filomena: A schoolteacher and President of the Catholic Women’s League. She was a moral authority in the village; emigrants moving to the Americas signed formal powers of attorney giving her authority to manage their affairs back home—documents we still keep in the house today.
- Grandmother Peppina: Operated a workshop in the house with heavy industrial knitting machines, teaching local young women a trade (though Aunt Filomena always ensured they recited the Latin rosary together before heading home!).
During annual local fairs, carabinieri, goldsmiths, and traveling notaries stayed here or set up temporary offices. It is not a museum, but a living house whose history is present in its walls, cellars, and named rooms, like the Camera a Mezza Scala or the Scuola.
Staying in the House
The house has five guest rooms and four shared bathrooms. The setup is simple and informal, and I encourage everyone to make themselves at home.
Breakfast is not included, leaving you free to head to the local bar for coffee and conversation, or prepare something in the kitchen at your own pace. For other meals, you have complete flexibility. You can cook for yourself, try the local trattorias, or join the rest of the group in cooking together. In practice, most groups naturally tend to share meals, taking turns with the cooking and washing up, and simply splitting the grocery costs at the end of the week.
Getting to Ofena
Getting to Ofena
Ofena is easiest to reach by car, which gives you complete freedom to explore the countryside during your stay. The nearest airports are Pescara (the closest) and Rome (Fiumicino and Ciampino).
If you are travelling by public transport, please get in touch before booking your tickets. Depending on your schedule, I can often collect you from a nearby railway station (such as Popoli-Bussi) or local bus stop, or help you map out the simplest route. If your flight arrives in Pescara at an inconvenient time, a direct pick-up can also be arranged.
Get in Touch
If you would like to know more about the courses, room arrangements, your level of Italian, or planning a custom stay, just get in touch. We can talk through the options and find what suits you best. You can call or app me at: +31 647 254 144 or mail at: info@madrelingua.com