Cortona or Lucca?
 

I have been convinced to change my time at the Italian School to a different location. My 11 year old daughter and I will be attending two weeks. We would like to do one week in Florence and there is an option with the same school (I think that would work best from a learing standpoint) to do another week in either:
Lucca or Cortona (they also have schools in Bolgona and Elba).

Which would you recommend?

Again, it is a 40 year old woman and 11 year old girl traveling.

Hi Dawn, I have never been to Cortona but my former opthamologist (Italian background) spent a week there and she did not like it..she said the people were not the least bit friendly. And she is a very nice and well mannered woman. But hopefully Fodorites can give you some feedback.

Anyway, I like Lucca. Family members spent three weeks in Tuscany two years ago and went to Lucca a lot as they also like Lucca.

Personally I would chose Bologna. I love that city.

Interesting - someone else said they were very unfriendly in Cortona as well on a search here.

Tell me about Bologna :-)

Hi,

Are you going to the Koine school by any chance? I went to Koine in Lucca 2 years ago for 2 weeks. I LOVED Lucca, not so much the school.

I have never been to Cortona, so I can't compare , but for me Lucca was perfect. The historic center is , for the most part, pedestrian. It was a joy to walk around and on the walls that surround the city. many people rents bikes and use them as transport.

Also, there are many good restaurants in Lucca.

People were very friendly (the people in the school seem to be the exception).

If this is the school you are going to and you want more details let me know.

I had only read good feedback on Slowtravel regarding this school, so yes that is the one I selected.

Please do tell.

I am doing 2 hours private a day with my daughter and myself.

I decided to go this route after a lot of brain damage regarding the school outside of Lecce (not regarding the school at all, but the location) for us.

I thought one week in Florence (which I love) and then a second week in another location - thus giving us a different area to explore for the week.

We did not like Cortona.. LOVED Lucaa.. people so friendly and there are things to do.. places to go nearby..

I personally did not like Bologna..a very college town.. We stayed two days..

Someone asked the other day of all the places where we were which was the favorite.. Lucca was the answer..

Lucca "looks" like something I would enjoy and believe dd will as well...

Hi,

Yes, I had read some of the very positive comments about Koine Lucca in Slowtrav as well before I went. I was so excited to go. When I got there the first day, the director and his assistant were very dismissive of me because they couldn't find my paperwork( I had booked online on their website and paid a deposit). Luckily, I had brought my copy/receipt so they had to place me, but you could see they weren't happy . Eventually they found my paperwork but the damage had been done. They really soured the experience. I don't think it was anything personal , as I saw them treating very poorly other students.

I couldn't believe that in a city filled with friendly and warm people, the 2 persons working at the front office of the school were so aloof and cold!

My teacher the first week was not one of their regular teachers. She was very sweet but not a good teacher at all.

The 2nd week the director was our teacher. We had a smaller group and frankly, he was a better teacher than PR person or manager.

Since you are going to take private lessons your situation might be different.

I found that the best "classes" I had were interacting with the owners of the B&b where I stayed, at the resturants, stores, markets, and speaking with the other students.

wow..that is a bummer. Had you emailed/communicated with them prior to the arrival?

Yes,

I had emailed with the school a couple of times. the assistant answered my questions in a very succinct way ( which I thought odd for an italian), but I didn't give it too much weight.

When I met them, I understood. these 2 persons were totally not
suited to receive foreigners that are paying money to learn their language.

Having said that, it didn't spoil my experience. I met very nice people in the classes and , as I
previously said, Lucca was a joy!

Thank you for your feedback. Maybe I will use a different school for our second week. There are many options out there.

We could do Rome for one week, Siena, Venice etc...

Actually, the school I wanted to attend is in Siena. I ran into problems securing accommodations because the Palio was during that time, so I changed to Lucca.

The school is www.saenaiulia.com.

I exchanged many, many e-mails with them and they were delightful. They Gave me a very long list of references , some of whic I contacted.(whereas Koine Lucca only gave me one reference!).
They also get very good recommendations in slowtrav.

I hope to attend that school next time.

Good luck in your search.

Sorry,

That website is saenaiulia.it

cruiseluv thank you very much. I have sent them an email.

Although we only spent one night in Lucca last summer, I wish we could have spent more time there. It was such a lovely city. We didn't go to Cortona, so I can't comment on that city.

We've been to Lucca and Cortona several times and loved them both. Tho our early trips to Cortona were before it was "discovered."

Now, if you could go to school in Siena I think that would be wonderful. Not only is it a much larger place than the others with all the options that entails ...but it
also has one of the most magnificent duomos (sp?) in Italy. You could spend days there!

In any event, good luck! I'm jealous.

Thank you everyone for the feedback.

I have emails out to several schools so I will see what the results are.

I feel better better about this agenda as opposed to the other school outside of Lecce (again nothing wrong with the school - the location was just more remote).

Bologna, yes the location of the earliest university in Europe I believe (or at least in Italy).

Lots and lots of university students.

The shops are fantatic and walking under the portico's while looking in the shop windows or going into the shops is so much fun.

Bands of university students playing on the street corners. Even the elderly bebop down the street in time to the music.

Fantastic food. Not overcrowded with tourist although more and more people have "discovered" Bologna.

Just my thinking, but I love Bologna as do most of my Italian friends in Italy.

Thanks LoveItaly - I bet the food there doesn't hurt either? I have heard it is fantastic!!!

Been to both and the people in Lucca are much nicer than those in Cortona. I think it's because they were so overrun with tourists after Frances Mayes' book came out. Not nice, not friendly- just acted hastled.