The first segment of the E.C.Co. program consists of a language and culture course taught in Lecce. The three weeks in Lecce offer the E.C.Co. students the perfect balance between intensive Italian language study and travel throughout the Salento region of Puglia. Based on levels of language ability, students divide up into groups for their morning Italian class.  The ECCo group of students, teachers, and directors travel together by bus most afternoons to see many of the the breath-taking beauties of the Salento.  Beside experiencing the past and present treasures of Lecce, some of our destinations include the sea grottoes of Leuca at the tip of the heel of Italy, the fortress town of Gallipoli at sunset over the Ionian, the seaside resort of Torre dell’Orso on the Adriatic, the bleached-white gem of Ostuni on a hill overlooking the sea, the mysterious octagonal Castello del Monte, and the awe-inspiring cool underground cave of Castellana.  Cooking lessons, concerts, and lectures are some of the highlights at the Apulia complex, where students live in community with the directors and the non-local language teacher(s).  Students over the past decade have found this program delightful, and many will never forget the dinners amidst the olive groves of the masserie