PROGRAM EWMD SICILIA 5/9 JUNE 2023
Learning journey in the Mediterranean's largest island

Day 1: Monday June 5th, Palermo

Free transfer to hotel in city center (Eurostars CenterHotel) 
Around 6:00 p.m. meeting/aperitif at the hotel with the national President of CNA Impresa Donna, Mariella Triolo, CNA PALERMO and SICILIA local leaders, entrepreneurs and presentation of the program. A walk through the historic center and dinner at Le Angeliche restaurant. Return to the hotel and overnight stay.
 

Day 2: Tuesday, June 6th, Palermo

Breakfast at Hotel, at 9:00 a.m. meeting with guide e and walking tour. At 11:30 am meeting at Palazzo Asmundo with Claudia Calò, Nicoletta Cosentino and Maria Mercante

"Palazzo Asmundo, from whose balcony it seems you touch the Cathedral, holds various collections of halberds, weapons, majolicas and ceramics from the 19th century, postcards and prints, even carriages testifying to a past of wealth and luxuries of the Palermo aristocracy."

Claudia Calò: an entrepreneur from Palermo in the innovative beauty sector and Regional President of CNA IMPRESA DONNA, winner of the 'IMPRESE LEADER 2022' (LEADING COMPANIES 2022) award for RESILIENCE, INNOVATION and resistance as a testimony of the great commitment over the years and recognized capacities. She will tell us about her difficult professional and personal story of setting up her women's company in an arid land like Sicily. In setting up her company 'LeKalòs Medical Day SPA', https://lekalos.it/ an inclusive and innovative cooperative, she witnessed a long battle with intimidation against a mafia system disguised of legality.
 
Nicoletta Cosentino: Founder of 'Cuoche Combattenti', (The fighting female cooks) a social entrepreneurship project that aims to economically emancipate women victims of gender-based violence through training courses. The opportunity to learn a job, to become economically self-sufficient. Female self-entrepreneurship as redemption is the strong message that Nicoletta intends to send to other women victims of domestic and psychological violence.

Maria Mercante: embroiderer. She started at the age of 3 at home where her mother and grandmother were embroiderers. In 2020, she opened an Alab workshop and is responsible for the Art and Embroidery Workshop in Castelbuono where she teaches women victims of violence and proposes embroidery as therapy. She also organizes courses for primary school girls. She participates in and organizes several exhibitions so as not to lose this tradition that is becoming at last a popular craft again. 
 

Aperitif and lunch at Palazzo Asmundo

At 3 p.m. guided visit to the Royal Palace and the Palatine Chapel. The Royal Palace or Palazzo dei Normanni is in Palermo and is the oldest royal residence in Europe and home to one of the oldest parliaments in the world. The Normans later transformed the original castle into the nerve center of their monarchy. We owe to Ruggero the II the construction of a magnificent chapel inside the palace, the 'Palatine Chapel', dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul and consecrated in 1140 by many as the most beautiful church in the world. Today, the palace is the head quarter of the Sicilian Regional Assembly.
After visiting the Royal Palace departure by bus to the seaside village of Arenella where the "Palazzina dei quattro Pizzi" is located. The last home of the Florio family still inhabited by the last descendants. We will get to the heart of the story of this important family undisputed protagonist of the "belle Epoque".
At 6.30 p.m., transfer to the Porta del Sole Shop of Valentina and Debora Di Lorenzo, that together with their mother Raffaella run an important furniture shop in the city. They were victims of Mafia intimidation with an attempted fire at the shop. (see report)
We will also meet Margherita Tomasello.
Margherita was born and lives in Palermo and is the winner of numerous awards related to female entrepreneurship, including the most prestigious Marisa Bellisario Prize. An entrepreneur in the pasta sector, she is a director of the company 'Sicilia Naturalmente' and president of the Sicilian Pasta Academy. 
Show cooking and dinner in the shop, Return to hotel.
 

Day 3: Wednesday 7th June, Alcamo / Segesta / Marsala

8:30 am Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Alcamo to meet Linda Impellizzeri, administrator of AGRIMA, a company that today represents one of the most important businesses in southern Italy in the agricultural machinery sector. 
VISIT OF THE SEGESTA ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK and rustic lunch
Segesta is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. Founded by the Elymians, it was historically important for its eternal rivalry with Selinunte. Its most important building is the Doric Temple, still in excellent condition and that rises imposingly and solitary to dominate the hill.
Early afternoon transfer to Marsala. Brief tour of the town and visit with wine-tasting in a historic winery producing the famous "Marsala" wine. Transfer to the hotel in Marsala, (Sea Water  Hotel) dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
 

Day 4: Thursday, 8th June Mazara del Vallo / Selinunte

8:30 Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Mazara del Vallo. Meeting with the guide for a walking tour. Mazara del Vallo is a pleasant and unexpected discovery where Western culture and Islamic culture coexist perfectly. A city with two souls: the Catholic religious heart and the multicultural kasbah. It represents the first and most important example of integration in Italy. In fact, the city is home to the third generation of Maghrebi Muslims who are perfectly integrated and in peaceful coexistence.
Transfer to the Gorghi Tondi winery to meet the two entrepreneur sisters Clara and Annamaria Sala. They represent the fourth generation of the family business, and they are the ones who defend and carry forward a very important winemaking heritage. Located within a WWF protected nature reserve, they could not but make of green attitude one of the main components of their production vision. Thus, environmental protection, low business impact and eco-sustainability are primary factors for the company's production. Lunch at the company with tasting of wines and typical products. In the afternoon, visit to the beautiful Selinunte Archaeological Park, the largest archeological park in Europe. Return to the hotel in Marsala for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5: Friday 9th June Trapani / Erice / departure

8:30 Breakfast at the hotel and departure for a guided tour of Trapani, the ancient Drepanum 'the Sickle', the city of the two seas. The historical center is well-kept, bearing witness to an important past rich in churches, convents, and noble palaces. After the visit, we will meet Mariella Triolo, who will host us in the family business for a wonderful sensory experience. Mariella will lead us into the world of salt and smoked oil, obtained using traditional techniques and local products, first and foremost the salt from our salt pans.
At the end we will transfer to Erice. Situated atop Mount San Giuliano, it is one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Italy. Here in Erice, legend and history intertwine around the goddess Venus, who consecrated her temple here at the highest point of the fortress. The whole village is an open-air museum where it is nice to stroll through the quiet streets and admire everything around. Lunch at Maria Grammatico’s Restaurant. The colorful ceramics, the strictly handmade carpets and the exquisite almond sweets that we will taste in Maria Grammatico's famous pastry shop. We’ll reach the airport around 5pm.
 

Participation fee per person

FROM 30 to 35 participants double room EURO 1100,00
FROM 25 to 29 participants double room EURO 1150,00
SUPPLEMENT FOR SINGLE ROOM EURO 250,00

DUE TO THE TIGHT AND VERY RICH PROGRAM, AND TO THE DIFFERENT TRANSFERS, WE CANNOT PLAN A DIFFERENT PROGRAM AND A DIFFERENT FEE FOR THE ACCOMPANYING PERSONS.

Rate Includes

● BUS GT as program. Driver, parking and all the taxes included
● Accommodation in double room in the selected hotels (Single rooms, see the additional fee)
● BB treatment in Palermo Hotel as per program
● Half Board in Marsala Hotel as per program
● Aperitif and Dinner at restaurant in Palermo (1st night)
● Aperitif and Lunch in Palazzo Asmundo in Palermo (Day 2)
● Dinner with pasta cooking show (2nd night)
● Lunch in Agriturismo and dinner at the hotel in Marsala (Day 3)
● Lunch and wine tasting in Gorghi Tondi winery (Day 4)
● Visit and wine tasting in a good vineyard in Marsala and dinner at the hotel in Marsala (Day 4)
● Lunch at restaurant entrance Erice (Day 5)
● Tasting with souvenir gift in Trapani by Mariella Triolo
● Local English-speaking guide as per program
● All the entrance fees as per program
● Earphones where necessary
● Medical and baggage insurance by Europe Assistance

Rate doesn't include

● City tax (to be paid directly in hotels)
● All that is not mentioned in “rate includes”
● Namely (but not only)
● Arrival and return flights to and from Palermo
● Transfers from Palermo airport to the hotel upon arrival
● Transfers to Palermo airport upon return, unless flights scheduled from 5pm on the 9th of June
 

Hotels selected

Palermo Centrale Palace Hotel 4* https://www.eurostarshotels.it/eurostars-centrale-palace.html
Marsala Sea Water Hotel 4* www.seawaterhotels.com

People arriving before the 5th of June and leaving after the 9th of June are kindly requested to book the additional overnights directly. The agreed hotels are the ones stated above and rates for the additional nights are under negotiation
For people arriving on Sunday the 4th of June, an extra tour or visit for the Monday morning/afternoon before the official start of the meetings can be organized. The activity to be done will be decided according to the number of participants present.
 

Further Terms

DOWNLOAD HERE THE PDF OF THE LEARNING JOURNEY 2023

This is the part of Sicily we will visit 

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