Carmelita Caruana is originally from Malta and has been passionate about food and cooking since a very early age. She fell in love with the beautiful city of Bologna, acknowledged food capital of Italy, and in 1999 she set up her Cook Italy cooking school there. In the historic centre of Bologna she offers fun hands-on classes for very small groups, private groups, including family classes for parents (or grandparents) and children, and one-on-one classes. 

She has written for the BBC Good Food magazine, taught classes all round Italy, in Malta, Spain, London and many US cities, at times collaborating on fund raising events with British and US chefs, including James Beard Award Winner Mike Lata of Charleston, South Carolina. You can read reviews of Carmelita’s classes on Trip Advisor, view her food photos, visit her Facebook and Instagram pages and her website: CookItaly.com

For a minimum of 4 guests and a maximum of 6, Carmelita will come to our fabulous Palazzo Fantini family kitchen to run a half day cooking class for you, making a three-course traditional meal. Of course, the class ends with lunching on the dishes made! Torre Fantini guests also get a 10% discount if they take a full or half day class with Carmelita in Bologna.

If you’d rather not cook, you can book Carmelita to take you round a picturesque, open air food market, where she will be your knowledgeable local food expert and guide. If you are interested in learning about Bologna’s top products, she has interesting stories to tell and insights to share, as she tells you about some of the gastronomic and social history behind this region’s famous food products – and you’ll get to taste them too!