Top Sicily Craft Classes

Our guide answered all of our questions with enthusiasm, and we had the chance to manipulate the strings ourselves. The backstage experience really added to an appreciation of the show and the talent and artistry of the craft.

We really enjoyed going behind the scenes of the puppet show! Paolo shared really interesting information about the puppets, being a puppet actor and the physicality needed to work the puppets. They were much heavier than I would have thought! I definitely had a different perspective watching the show afterward. I would definitely recommend this for all ages!

Giovanni was absolutely amazing!! If i could give this 1000/10 I would. He was so kinda, informative, and helpful to my kids, who are 10 and 4. Then the ladies thag did the painting were great too and so kind. I recommend doing this, no matter who you go with!! It was awesome to learn about the pottery and then getting to make your own!

Pelin’s Artisan tour added great value to our brief stay in Ortigia. All of her shopping and dining recommendations were spot on. A friendly and generous guide.

To meet and work with Pelin is to allow yourself to be immersed into a way of life unique to Ortigia and the surrounding area. The experience you will have with Pelin goes beyond the typical guide engagement. In addition to Pelin's Ortigia Artisan Tour, we worked with Pelin to develop a week long itinerary. It is important to Pelin that she get a sense of who you are so that she can mold an experience that resonates with you. Pelin will create an itinerary that will enchant, educate and enthrall you. You will discover the soul of Ortigia, meet her artisan friends, explore nearby villages that you would not find or appreciate necessarily on your own, visit family run oil and wine producers whose products will exceed your expectations. Most importantly, you will have a friend in Pelin, someone you can get to know and who genuinely wants to get to know you. Dear Pelin, thank you for your transformative experience. We cherish our new friendship. Until next time, Paula and Tom

Very nice experience, wonderful care by the fantastic staff and overall impressive craftsmanship. Authentic handicraft and Sicilian tradition. I would recommend everyone to make this trip!

Once my sister and I started planning our trip to Sicily, I knew that I would take this pottery class no matter what else happened. It was better than I could have ever imagined and truly a one-of-a-kind experience for me! You are invited into the award-winning artist's studio by herself and her husband. She describes her process of creating works of art including different influences that affect all of us when putting our passion into something we are creating. We made Baroque masks out of clay which she will fire and glaze and ship to you. I consider myself more of a crafter than an artist and she guided me through the whole process. There was also a translator so we could chat during sculpting! Her other art is for sale as well and I bought a couple of espresso cups and saucers. If you want a one-of-a-kind souvenir and experience with amazing people then I recommend this trip 100%. Thank you very much for showing me such a wonderful experience!

This was truly a very nice experience with very kind people. Gloria and her husband took the time to explain the whole process of making ceramic. They let us the time to try to make something nice. They helped out where needed so we would create very nice masks.Even our teenagers were very enthusiastic about the workshop. If you want to do something out of the box and creative this is the one. I would recommend it 100%

Beautiful experience. Small but very cute theater. We were enchanted throughout the entire performance. Very talented actors and puppets just waiting to be discovered. Our son's curious little eyes wanted the show to never end. Afterward, he forced us to review Orlando Furioso because he wanted to hear the whole story again. The guys from the company also introduced the story in English. It was a nice way to start our vacation in Syracuse.

Good traditional family outing

This was a highlight of our time in Sicily. We have 3 young kids (6, 4, and 1). The two older kids participated as well as my husband and me. We all had a lot of fun and learned a lot. All of the artists who helped us were exceptionally warm and kind with our children, which made the experience very special. We can’t wait to see all our finished pottery sent back to us at home to remind us of such a great day!

Very nice experience. Very friendly people. Nice atmosphere. Our daughter of 8 years thought this was a very nice change within the travel planning.

Pelin has a passion for art and a passion for Ortigia. I loved getting to spend time with her and learning through her eyes. The tour was so much more than we expected and we have done artisian tours in other cities. It was wonderful to meet the artists and learn about their work. I have since followed Pelin social media and her drive to preserve these arts that could be lost with future generations and educate is inspiring. We toured with our thirteen year old daughter who really enjoyed and appreciated the pieces we got to see and enjoyed speaking with Pelin also.

Amazing tour with Pelin who knows very well Ortigia. It was a pleasure to discover artisan’s workshops and have some discussions! (Ceramicists, painter, galleries, leather makers) Interesting to learn more about the city and avoid high commercial souvenirs. I highly recommend this visit!

GLORIA'S CLASS WAS AMAZING and we had such a good time, she and her partner were soo welcoming. When we arrived and we all shared a glass of bubbles. She then gave us a studio tour and we spoke about what we would be making. We knew no Italian which was not a problem as Gloria organised a translator, Simone who was also fantastic.The atmosphere was perfect, with great music, some wine and food, lots of good material and a chilled casual environment to get the creative juices flowing.While not being an artist myself, Gloria's teaching method meant we all ended up with something we loved. After the class, they offered us a lift back into town even though it was just a short walk. I would do it again.

I knew this would be a unique experience for my family but, I was just as amazed. The size of the puppets was our first surprise and the skill of the puppet masters was absolutely amazing. This is a must activity for children, teens and adults as well! It is so wonderful that this art form is being kept alive and shared with Sicilians and visitors as well.