Explore, Eat,  Laugh!  

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That is exactly what happens each time a group of culinary and cultural adventurers  come to our villages in the Sannio Hills. This is Literally Italy!   After absorbing Italian village life through visits to kitchens, playing bocce, dancing with the folkloric group, creating their art in historic places, urban trekking, farm to table eating, market day and bar life our guests feel like they have lived here forever.  Our guests love us and we love them.  Long term friendships are made.

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Cooking in the Kitchens of Pontelandolfo, which has morphed into Literally Italy, was an idea floating around a kitchen table. How could we bring some tourism money to Southern Italy and not promote the town into another jammed packed, self stick wielding tourist site?

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The "ah-ha" moment came when a visitor said to Midge (one of our founders), I would love to just spend a week living here like the "Pontelandolfese." Bingo!  In 2015, thanks to a group of savvy homemakers, this incredible opportunity for folks who love to cook and travel off the beaten tourist track was born.  

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The success of the program has been made possible with the help of the business owners, men and women of Pontelandolfo and Morcone who have adopted each guest as a member of the Pontelandolfese family.

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Visitors have been Exploring, Eating and Laughing ever since we produced our first event in May, 2016!  The program has grown beyond cooking. The 2024 "Write Where You Are" playwrights retreat was so successful it will be offered again. Our first group of Plein Air artists did a retreat in the fall of 2026 and are organizing another retreat for 2027.​

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Visit blog nonnasmulberrytree.com  or read , Cars, Castles, Cows and Chaos, to see how a type A personality from New Jersey handles living in a wonderful. hilltop Southern Italian Village.

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Ci Vediamo a Presto -

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