CHARTER Program : Ancient Italian Interior Design
Fresco & Mosaic Production

This activity packed, one-week art class and cultural tour will teach you the delicate fresco and mosaic techniques used by Italian artists to decorate the walls, ceilings and floors of the churches, villas and public squares throughout Italy for more than two thousand years. Visits to artistic treasures, including stunning murals and and famous wall paintings, at several historical sites in Northern Italy are woven into the practical course instruction and each student takes home a fresco and mosaic production of their own at the end of the course.

Your journey begins with your arrival at the airport in Milan where we will meet your arriving airplane and bring you directly to your home for the week in the quaint village of Cuorgnè, Italy. You will live and learn in this charming little town that is nestled in the foothills of the Italian Alps on the outskirts of the city of Torino (Turin). On Tuesday, you will take a guided tour of this city that American broadcaster NBC called a cross between Paris and Vienna during its coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. This introductory tour should give you enough working knowledge of the city and its transportation systems to enable your free evening time to be spent there enjoying the city's nightlife. However, if you prefer, more relaxed summer evenings can be spent living "La Dolce Vita" at the cafes and restaurants dotting the city of Cuorgnè. It's your holiday and your choice!

In the classroom and the lab, CESMA Founder and Director Daniela Cima will share her knowledge of and experience with fresco and mosaic production with you as this course's instructor. You will study the foundational theories of the techniques, but most importantly, you will create your own unique artistic productions, or replicas if you prefer, in the lab to take home. See the slideshow on the left for a sample fresco production that was made by one of our better students. Don't worry, this incredible skill is not a requirement for participation!

In addition to your guided tour of Torino, you will also see beautiful frescos adorning the walls of Chiesa San Giorgio as well as the mosaics covering the original floors of the Fruttuaria Abbey in San Benigno Canavese on a couple of afternoon outings. And last, but definitely not least, your trip will end with a spectacular day touring Milan and its fantastic shopping and sightseeing destinations. You'll shop in the famous Galleria that is adjacent to the Gothic Duomo (pictured on the left), which you'll tour before finishing up this fabulous day visiting Leonardo da Vinci's wall painting of "The Last Supper"! See firsthand why both the technique and the story behind this painting are controversial.

If your stay with us must be short, then we'll say goodbye after this great day in Milan. However, if you've got a little bit more time to spare, we've arranged a fantastic optional trip to Florence for you. There you'll take in the city's top attractions including the Palazzo Vecchio, the Galleria dell'Accademia, and of course, the treasured Uffizi Museum.

This class can be taken by artists and non-artists alike, however, an appreciation for art is definitely a pre-requisite for your enjoyment. Also, tickets to see The Last Supper are extremely limited due to the popularity of Dan Brown's book "The Da Vinci Code", therefore, early registration for this course is highly recommended to ensure your reservation.

This art class is also offered as a part of our month long Ancient Italian Art Production for those who are interested in spending more time exploring additional artistic production techniques and other parts of Italy.