Living at the Field School
Meals
Our meals are delicious local fare made from fresh ingredients, many of which were produced in the same regional soil in which we are digging!
In addition, the accommodation is equipped with a kitchen, and you will have weekly opportunities to purchase food and snacks.
The BISA fees include all meals EXCEPT dinner on Saturdays and lunch on Sundays.
Breakfast
Participants eat breakfast at their accommodation before the day’s activities begin. Breakfast includes coffee, tea, milk, bread, jam, and pastries. Participants are welcome to supplement these breakfast items by purchasing additional food items at a local market.
Lunch
BISA staff provide lunches every day except Sunday. During the week, we eat lunch in the field, and on Saturdays we eat lunch either at the accommodation or during our excursion to cultural sites. Typically, lunches will include items such as sandwiches, pasta, fruit, and similar dishes.
Dinner
BISA staff provide dinner every day except Saturdays (for Saturday dinner, there’s a good restaurant nearby, or you can prepare a meal in the kitchen).
Dinners are excellent Tuscan fare, and typically include pastas, pizzas, stewed pork (cinghiale), roasted chicken, vegetables, and other hearty dishes.
For meal times, see our Daily Schedule page.
Special Diets
BISA staff will make every reasonable effort to accommodate students with food allergies (e.g., nuts, shellfish, etc.) or individual lifestyle and dietary choices (e.g., vegetarians).
The degree to which we are able to accommodate special requests depends on the complexity of the request and our ability to secure appropriate ingredients and recipes.
Students must make special dietary requests when applying to the program.
* We will not consider special dietary requests after application acceptance. *
Accommodation
The BISA accommodations are modern living spaces in the Tuscan countryside. The specific facility will depend on the number of participants joining the team.
Participants can expect to sleep on a twin-sized (i.e., single) bed. Rooms will have up to 3 beds. Sheets, blankets, pillows, and bath towels are provided.
The facility will have a private bathroom and a kitchen.
Please note that, in general, most buildings in rural Tuscany lack air conditioning. However, the construction methods, building orientation, electric fans, natural breezes, and low humidity keep indoor environments reasonably comfortable.
Other Considerations
Laundry
The accommodation is equipped with a laundry machine and a clothes rack for drying clothes. Participants wash their own laundry, including sheets and towels. BISA staff will supply laundry detergent. Laundromats are also available in Pitigliano.
Internet
Wi-fi internet access is available at the accommodation at no additional cost. A network password will be provided. Participants are welcome to bring laptops, tablets, mobile phones, or other devices and connect to the accommodation’s wi-fi.
Mobile Devices and Cell Phone Service
We strongly recommend that you have mobile service before you arrive in Pitigliano — preferably as soon as you arrive in Rome.
Some wireless service providers offer international plans that you can purchase prior to leaving your home country, but these are often expensive. When buying an Italian or international SIM card in Italy, do so when you arrive in the airport in Rome. Good phone or data offers are harder to find in small towns than in the airport where salespeople are more accustomed to helping foreign customers.
Local Transports
Each workday, BISA staff will drive the students, materials, and supplies to and from field locations, during cultural trips, and in case of emergency. When free from other activities, staff will try to grant students’ requests for special trips.
Currency and Making Purchases
Although major credit cards are widely accepted throughout Italy, having a modest sum of cash (Euros) may be useful for purchasing souvenirs, gifts, snacks, sundries, and personal items.
Every cash purchase must be in Euros. You may exchange money at banks and exchange agencies, or withdraw it from local ATMs.
BISA staff will assist with reasonable shopping requests at your expense.
Excursions and Leisure
BISA is in an area that is rich with natural beauty, archaeological sites, charming hilltop towns, museums, trails, springs, and other significant natural and cultural sites.
On Saturdays, we plan excursions to see some of these places, such as the Etruscan necropolis of Sovana, the medieval village of Sorano, the cave settlement at Vitozza, and museums and castles in Pitigliano.
After the Saturday excursion, participants have free leisure time from Saturday afternoon until dinner on Sunday. Local festivals and legendary Italian food and wine are plentiful. We encourage fun and friendship!
