Antica Travel Co.

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Antica Travel Co.

Off the beaten path. Into the extraordinary. The Wild Heart of Italy & beyond. Antica Travel Co. From 2022, Silver Compass Tours has rebranded as Antica Travel Co.

was established in 2022 by Kelly & Paolo Picarazzi, owners of the multi-award winning locanda Antica Australis (est. 2020) in the historic village of Carcoar in regional New South Wales. Kelly and Paolo previously ran Silver Compass Tours (est. 2014) which specialised in food and wine packaged tours in the emerging wine-growing region of Orange in New South Wales, as well as hosted small group tou

rs to Paolo's home region of Ciociaria in central Italy. to focus on continuing to design off the beaten path and out of the ordinary travel experiences within the 'hidden' regions of Ciociaria and Molise in central Italy as part of our Wild Heart of Italy tour portfolio. Our mission is to create enjoyable food, wine and cultural travel experiences that enrich people’s lives by enhancing their discovery of people, places and new ideas. Follow us to the wild heart of Italy:
www.wildheartofitaly.substack.com

07/11/2024

Sign up for the Antica Travel Journal on Substack.

We’ve just released details of our May 2026 Ciociarian Cultural Travel Experiences.

Reservations and enquiries open for May & September 2026. Fully booked 2025.
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04/11/2024

2025 FULLY BOOKED!

Our personally hosted Ciociaria Cultural Travel Experiences for May & September 2025 are now fully booked.

We have opened up reservations & enquires for 2026 & 2027.

Details of our May 2026 itinerary available here:
https://www.anticacarcoar.com/antica-cultural-gourmet-travel-experiences

🚴 If you love the idea of cycling through Ciociaria on a gourmet adventure, there are still places available for September 2025 on our co-hosted cycle tours with Bespoke Cycle Tours.

Cycling Tour info for 2025 here:
https://www.anticacarcoar.com/bespoke-ciociaria-gourmet-cycle-tour

Reservations are made direct with Bespoke Cycle Tours 🚲

20/10/2024

ANCIENT WALLS // if only they could speak. 1,000 year old stone walls of a Benedictine monastery on a hilltop, nestled in the original city-fortress walls of the village of Veroli in Ciociaria.

This is where you’ll be sleeping when you join us on our Ciociarian Cultural Adventures in May & September 2025.

Wake up to church bells singing merrily…and you may get to hear our favourite donkey in the world down in the valley below un-melodically braying - he gets super excited at the thought of breakfast 😆 🫏

Our guests stay in one location in the same village for your whole stay. It means you become part of the fabric of the village, people start to recognise you & our Ciociarian friends all get a little sad when you go.

Life is beautiful. La vita é bella.

Details of our itinerary for May & September 2025 through the link in our bio 💌
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08/10/2024

We have co-designed & co-host the spectacular itineraries for Bespoke Cycle Tours Ciociaria Bespoke Cycle Adventures - reservations open now for May & September 2025 🚴

05/10/2024

VILLA INGLESE // our Ciociarian Cultural Travel Experience finished last Sunday on a high note, with a farewell Ciociarian fine-dining experience at the incomparable Villa Inglese in the tiny mountaintop village of Picinsico in the Valle di Comino (Comino Valley) of Ciociaria.
UK-born Chef Ben Hirst has lived and worked in Italy for over 25 years and it was his search for Italy’s finest ingredients that first brought him to the Valle di Comino.
He has worked in the kitchens of some of Europe’s greatest chefs, including the Michelin-starred restaurants of Fergus Henderson (St John’s, London), Pierre Koffman (La Tante Claire, London), Michel Rochedy (Le Chabichou, Courchevel, France), Gualtiero Marchesi (L’Albereta, Erbusco), and with Mary Paollilo at Enoteca Ferrara, winner of the Best Enoteca in Italia Gambero Rosso, in Rome.
Ben brings his signature style to Ciociaria, focusing on the cuisine of central Italy with an occasional modern British twist. He is a passionate advocate for the Slow Food movement; and for a short, straight line from the producer to the plate.
Combined with a hand-selected wine list from local Ciociarian producers, the Villa Inglese hosted dining experience is a highlight of our Antica Travel Co. itineraries.
Villainglese
We have two places available on our 11-18 May 2025 and two places each on our 31 August - 7 September 2025 and 21-28 September 2025 travel experiences. We have also opened up reservation enquiries for May & September 2026.

More info here:
https://www.anticacarcoar.com/antica-cultural-gourmet-travel-experiences

| Antica Australis

03/10/2024

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM // We have been recognised by local tourism authorities and business media in Ciociaria for making a valued contribution to the elevation of sustainable tourism in the region, through our recent cycling tours in partnership with Bespoke Cycle Tours.

“Two hosted cycling groups from Australia have just demonstrated that it’s possible to deliver sustainable tourism in Ciociaria, by following the compass of great hospitality with a green ‘slow travel’ approach.

Curated by Antica Travel Co. - an Australian tour operator that focuses on Ciociaria and which for years now has believed in the possibility of sustainable tourism for the region.

The importance of sustainable tourism and discovering the region of Ciociaria by bike allows guests to savour the authenticity of each place, the depths of its culture and its local communities.

The model of sustainable and authentic tourism established by Antica Travel Co. has shown how much Ciociaria can touch the deepest chords of visitors thanks to its unspoiled beauty and authenticity.”
| | | | | Antica Australis

01/10/2024

A T I N A // our two groups of Australian cyclists were sad to leave Veroli but ASTOUNDED at the natural beauty of the mountaintop town of Atina and the surrounding Comino Valley (Valle di Comino).

Home for the rest of their itinerary was the exceptional Palazzo del Senatore who hosted a welcome lunch on the palace terrace and a final farewell dinner.

The itinerary included bike rides to the towns of Alvito, the lake of Posta Fibreno and the charming village of Picinsico - which included a cheese making class and lunch at the extraordinary Casa Lawrence.

Antica Travel Co. and Bespoke Cycle Tours will once again join forces to host gourmet cycling tours in the Ciociaria region in September 2025.

For more details or enquiries:
https://www.anticacarcoar.com/bespoke-ciociaria-gourmet-cycle-tour

| Antica Australis

19/09/2024

LOVE FROM VEROLI, CIOCIARIA // 🤍 from adventures underneath the piazza to view the original Roman Forum and passing through the still-standing Roman Gate, our second group of Bespoke Cycle Tour guests have left a little bit of their hearts in Veroli ♥️

Staying in a 1,000 year old monastery, they’ve cycled to the 13th Century Charterhouse of Trisulti , walked alongside waterfalls in an ancient beech forest, dined on 7-courses of Ciociarian fine-dining and snuck in coffee & pasties by the famous waterfall of the medieval town of Isola del Liri.

With enormous thanks to all of our beautiful & generous Ciociarians, there is nothing in the world like your genuine hospitality:

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ciociaria

Our next Bespoke Gourmet Cycling Tours will run September 2025 & 2026 - contact Colin for more details 🚴

17/09/2024

CIOCIARIA BESPOKE GOURMET CYCLE // group 2 of Australians for has arrived in Ciociaria! Bringing much laughter & fun to the mountaintop village of Veroli.

The adventures commenced with a light lunch & briefing at before heading off onto the secluded country lanes of Veroli to Casa Mari Abbey.

Set menu dinner featuring local wines at capped off the day perfectly 🍽️😋
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14/09/2024

T R I S U L T I // cycling scenes from our first Australian tour group this September currently in Ciociaria, in partnership with Australia’s 🚲💥

For the super keen touring bike riders, a steep climb up into the Ernici mountain range to the spectacular Charterhouse of Trisulti, a former 13th Century monastery., hosted by 🚴

11/09/2024

F O R E S T | B A T H I N G ~ a guided walk through the Monte Ernici forest of Veroli, an ancient forest of beech trees, a source water river and waterfalls.

This is a real connection to nature and an atmospheric resonance of the ancient past ~ this forest was once home to the Ernici tribe of the original Samnite civilisation of central Italy, who pre-dated the Romans.

A huge thank you to our gorgeous local botanist & hiking guide, Roberta and our friends at who helped us arrange this forest bathing experience for our Bespoke Cycle Tours guests ♥️🙏
Antica Australis | |

09/09/2024

CIOCIARIA GOURMET CYCLE TOUR ~ Hard to beat a welcome Prosecco in the piazza! 🥂

Ciociaria’s very first group of Australian cycling enthusiasts in the ancient mountaintop town of Veroli on arrival day ~ and setting out the next day on their inaugural half-day cycle to the nearby Abbey of Casa Mari.

We have designed this travel experience in partnership with Australia’s Bespoke Cycle Tours and on-ground collaboration with Ciociaria’s BikeXtreme 🚲💥

Little bit of rain not dampening any spirits!

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08/09/2024

V E R O L I ~ an ancient Samnite fortress city, conquered by the Romans around 300 BC and known as the town of Verulae in ancient Roman times from 90 BC.

Veroli is a fantastic and fascinating mix of layered history: from ancient Samnite fortified walls circumnavigating the cobbled street town; a still-standing Roman Gate entrance and the remains of the original Roman Forum underneath the piazza; a medieval quarter with aristocratic palaces and once vibrant with artisanal shops; secret Knights Templar laneways and 1,000 year old monasteries & churches.

A weekly local produce market and traditional Ciociarian cuisine dining. We love it dearly ♥️

We are hosting three Australian tour groups here in Veroli this September ~ there are also a couple of places still left on our Ciociaria cultural travel experiences for May & September 2025.

https://www.anticacarcoar.com/antica-cultural-gourmet-travel-experiences

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05/09/2024

Imagine staying in a 1,000 year old Benedictine monastery ~ founded by Saint Benedict himself.

Tucked away up a secret laneway, the Monastero di Sant Erasmo in Veroli ~ one of the most charming ancient Samnite fortress towns in the ‘hidden’ region of Ciociaria in central Italy.

Just one hour south of Rome, Ciociaria is a million miles away. Take a step off the beaten path with us, into the extraordinary.

There are a couple of places now available for our Ciociaria cultural travel experiences in May & September 2025. Enquiries are open for 2026.

09/08/2024

OFF THE BEATEN PATH. INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY | curated cultural travel experiences to the Wild Heart of Italy.

Hosted by Paolo & Kelly Picarazzi of award-winning cultural dining experience, Antica Australis, our 'Wild Heart of Italy' hand-crafted itineraries have been designed following more than ten years of intense on-ground research through the little known Italian region of Ciociaria.

Our small group tours (max. 12 guests) are guided by our personal Ciociarian friends who are local archeologists, academics, hiking guides and art historians.

This is an opportunity to venture off the beaten path and into the extraordinary.

Meet the Ciociarian culinary creatives, local producers, vignerons & local artisans who have been the inspiration for the Antica Australis cultural dining and cultural travelling journey - and join us to explore the remarkable layers of ancient Samnite, Roman & Medieval history of Ciociaria.

Our 'Wild Heart of Italy' cultural travel experiences to the 'hidden' region of Ciociaria in central Italy are fully booked for 2024.

Reservation enquiries are now open for May & September 2025 and 2026.

More details here:
https://www.anticacarcoar.com/antica-cultural-gourmet-travel-experiences

Wild Heart of Italy |

18/08/2023

Off the beaten path into the extraordinary.

10/08/2023

FOLLOW US // to the Wild Heart of Italy and beyond.

Cultural travel experiences commencing from September 2024.

Off the beaten path into the extraordinary.
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10/08/2023

WILD HEART OF ITALY // follow us deep into the wild and ancient heartlands of Ciociaria & Molise in central Italy.

off the beaten path…

…into the extraordinary.

Wild Heart of Italy cultural travel experiences commencing from September 2024.

Open only to followers of the Antica Travel Journal [link in bio] and members of Antica Australis 💫

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https://www.anticacarcoar.com/antica-cultural-gourmet-travel-experiences

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Our Story

Curators of charming food and wine travel experiences, we have a focus on slow, sustainable and immersive small-group tours. Established in 2014, Silver Compass Tours is a regionally-based Australian tour operator with a global vision. We specialise in packaged and hosted travel experiences to the food and wine region of Orange in regional New South Wales, Australia and the ‘hidden’ region of Ciociaria in Central Italy that we call home – all of which are food and wine lovers’ dream destinations.

Our carefully curated food and wine cultural travel experiences are aimed at being genuinely immersive, where curious travellers, aficionados and seekers of the extraordinary are encouraged to interactively engage with local producers and their produce to understand the provenance, vision for the future and intrinsic cultural heritage of each region.

Our mission is to create enjoyable food and wine cultural travel experiences that enrich people’s lives by enhancing their discovery of people, places and new ideas. Everything we do, we do with the art of intention and in alignment with our values of authenticity, creativity, collaboration, inspiration, integrity, fun and innovation.

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