Exploring the Wild Heart of Italy - Ciociaria & Molise
Central Italy. One to three hours south of Rome - and a whole world away.
The โhiddenโ regions of Ciociaria & Molise in central Italy are a whole world away from the usual mass tourism paths of Italy. We take our small sustainable groups of conscious & curious explorers on a series of handcrafted and personally hosted adventures through these undiscovered regions. We stay in the same location for our 8 day/7 night cultural travel experiences to become part of the social fabric of the villages we visit. Our life for a week in regional Italy is in restored historic palaces, boutique villas, 1,000 year-old monasteries and in diffused hotels aimed at reviving abandoned villages.
Join us for a deep dive into the ancient origins of these lands at low-profile archaelogical sites, meander through mountaintop villages, wander through forests filled with rivers and waterfalls, forage in mountain meadows, and experience the joyful vitality of these organic & biodynamic lands through their food and wine, craft and culture, people and places. Our local companions are experienced archaeologists, artisanal producers, culinary creatives, academics, art historians, shepherds, hiking guides and artisans - and all are our very good personal friends. They canโt wait to meet you and share their stories in their own dialects - weโll provide the translations and context for these passionate & creative individuals.
Take a look at our Antica Travel Manifesto below, and if you keep on scrolling youโll find even more information about our travelling ethos.
Paolo & Kelly Picarazzi, Antica Travel Co.
Antica Travel Manifesto
Make a reservation enquiry, ask for Itinerary Highlights, enquire about Private Group bookings
or just say hello!
Antica Cultural Travel Experiences & Gourmet Cycle Tours
31 August - 7 September 2025
Atina - Valle di Comino, Ciociaria
FULLY BOOKED
03 - 10 May 2026
Atina - Valle di Comino, Ciociaria
PLACES NOW AVAILABLE
Next available: 16-23 May 2027
14 - 21 June 2026
MAGICAL MOLISE - a journey to the ancient heart of Italy
ENQUIRIES OPEN
Contact us for more details.
20 - 27 September 2026
Veroli - Ernici Mountains, Ciociaria
RESERVATIONS OPEN
Next available: 19-26 September 2027
21 - 28 September 2025
Veroli - Ernici Mountains, Ciociaria
FULLY BOOKED
Make a reservation enquiry, ask for Itinerary Highlights, enquire about Private Group bookings
or just say hello!
Immersive Small & Micro Group Tours
Follow us to the Wild Heart of Italy to explore the layers of Samnite [Sanniti/Safineis], Roman and Medieval history in the regions of Ciociaria & Molise in central Italy - once the heartland of the ancient Samnite [Sanniti/Safineis] civilisation of the Bronze Age.
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ | Vรญteliรบ
Long before the ancient Romans, Ciociaria & Molise formed the heartland of one of the original nations of the central Italian peninsula - known as ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ [Vรญteliรบ] in the original Oscan language. Vรญteliรบ was the home to the twelve Italic tribes of the Samnite civilisation, who formed an alliance to establish a unified country around 300 BC in an attempt to fight back the ancient Romans and defend their lands. The Samnites pre-dated the ancient Romans by thousands of years.
Local Lived Experience
We have hand-crafted our itineraries from over twelve years of on-ground personal research and our groups are guided by our great Ciociarian friends who are local archaeologists, academics, culinary artisans, artisanal producers, hiking guides, art historians, shepherds and artisans.
We are constantly evolving and co-creating our itineraries in collaboration with our local partners. No experience is ever the same. This is born from our passion and belief in supporting the sustainable development of the regions we are visiting, and to align with the personal adventures our conscious, curious & cultured travellers are seeking. Most of all, itโs to revel in the glorious spontaneity, friendly warmth and genuine hospitality of these ancient regions.
Why Travel With Us?
Ideal for Curious Explorers & the Wild at Heart.
โKelly & Paolo take you deep into the heart of central Italy and immerse you in the incredible history of the Ciociaria region to understand the great civilisations that inhabited this area of Lazio between Rome and Naples over the centuries. You will be delighted to meet local producers passionate about the revival of traditional foods, wine and production methods - all in the unspoilt natural beauty of the Valle di Comino and the Apennine Mountains.
Itโs just perfect for the adventurous, the curious, those who are tired of crowds and tourist restaurants, and for those who dislike moving from hotel to hotel to make the most of their vacation. It's a great fit for those who want to learn more and appreciate more, and who want to extract the very essence of life from every day, and who are flexible enough to confidently do so.โ
โ Janette D, Ciociaria cultural travel experience guest September & December 2018
