Please see the Venue and Access page for details.

During the conference it will be early spring, so the amount of pollen should not be exorbitantly high. You can access the pollen count for Bertinoro by obtaining info of the one for San Marino (https://pollencount.eu/san-marino-sm). Please inform the organisers about any food or other relevant allergies dietary requirements in advance!

There are no banks or cash machines in Bertinoro. So it is wise to bring some cash.

As February transitions into March, Bertinoro notices a gentle rise in the average high-temperature to a moderate 13.3°C (55.9°F). Throughout March nights, Bertinoro registers an average low-temperature of 5.8°C (42.4°F). In March, the average relative humidity is 74%. There are 11.4 rainfall days. March is the last month in spring when it usually snows in Bertinoro. During 0.8 snowfall days, in March, Bertinoro aggregates 18mm (0.71") of snow.

The most common problems to hit foreigners are pickpocketing and car break-ins. If you want to report a crime, contact the local police station at Via Guglielmo Oberdan 12 - 47032 Bertinoro (FC), +39 0543 45104. You can also report crimes via www.carabinieri.it.

We do not plan any extreme activities, so people should be safe if they take care under the excursions. There are, however, some potentially dangerous animals around. There are six venomous snakes in Italy. See the website for information. If bitten, seek medical attention immediately. Bites are not frequent and fatalities are comparatively rare. Als scorpions are present in Italy but they are not very venomous.

Although great care will be taken by the organisers to ensure safety of participants, it cannot be fully excluded that accidents or illnesses happen. Participants will take part in all activities of the course at their own risk and the organisers do not have any liability for accidents or illnesses affecting any attendee(s) due to course activities. If participants wish not to take part in part of the activities due to safety or health reasons, this is perfectly OK. The organisers will make a reasonable effort to avoid any disadvantage for attendees because of that.

There is definitely no dress code at the summer course. However, at the farewell dinner you might want to dress a bit smarter.

There are plenty of different wines around in the Emilia Romagna, most famous the local Albana and Sangiovese wines. Bertinoro, also known as the "City of Wine", is famous for its intense wine production. According to legend, on a hot summer day in 424 AD, the empress Galla Placidia tasted Albana wine offered to her by a local farmer in a simple earthenware shard and, struck by its aroma and flavour, exclaimed: "Oh Albana, tu sei degna di berti in oro!", which means literally: “Oh Albana, you are worthy to be drunk in gold!”. There are also lots of microbreweries now in the region, some offering even beer made from chestnuts. On the non-alcoholic side, try some local fruit juices. There is also a local mineral water from the neighbouring town of Fratta Terme.

There is a long-living myth that there is a kind of anarchy on Italian roads and “everything goes”. It is true that Italian drivers tend to improvise a bit more and rules are not always followed to the finest detail. However, road hogs are frowned upon speeding can be severely punished (even with prison sentences!)  and fines for unlawful parking are hefty. Also, Italian roads are quite narrower than in other countries and often cobbled in historic areas. Credit cards are accepted at most petrol stations. More information.

112 is the general emergency line throughout the European Union (similar to 911 in the U.S.) The number can be dialled from any phone, and the call is free.

We do not plan any extreme activities during the course, but it is good to have the following equipment with you

• Good shoes (roads are steep in Bertinoro)
• Backpack or bag
• Water bottle

In addition to the generic Italian dishes that are available and popular in Bertinoro, there is a distinctive local cuisine in  the Romagna area. See https://www.visitromagna.it/en/food for details.

Italy is an associate member of the Schengen agreement which exempts travelers from regular personal border controls between 13 European Union (EU) countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden) and two European Economic Area (EEA) countries (Norway and Iceland). People living in Great Britain and Ireland are subject to personal border controls upon entry to the Schengen area. Border controls can, however be imposed on travellers from all states and are often in place.

A list of countries whose citizens DO NOT need a visa to visit Italy can be found here. If you need a visa, please start the paperwork AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Not only can handling times be long, but it might be difficult to find the embassy responsible for citizens of your nationality and location.

The hotels and the venue offer wireless connections

In case of emergency, call 112 (general emergency). The medical service is quite good. There is a medical centre in Forlimpopoli Via Duca d'Aosta, 33 - 47034 Forlimpopoli (FC) Phone: Pharmacies (Farmacie) are also widespread in Italy. The closest one to the venue is Farmacia Azzaroni, Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, 25, 47032 Bertinoro FC, Italien. It opens Mon-Fri 08:30–12:30 and 15:30–19:30, Sat 09:00–12:30 and 16:00–19:00.

Italy has the Euro since 2001. Notes of the old "Lira” are no longer accepted as payment. There are no cash machines (ATMs) or banks at Bertinoro.

Post offices are generally open during normal shopping hours. The one closest to the venue is at Via Saffi, 38/A, 47032 Bertinoro FC.

Bertinory is a small, but very nice town. Most sights are also at close walking distance of the conference venue. This includes the Museum of religions, the town hall and the Column of Rings.

Shops generally open 09:00 - 18:00 (Mon to Fri) and 09:00 – 12:00 (Sat). Some department stores and shops in tourist areas stay open later. Please note that some shops have lunch breaks and close on Wednesday afternoon. Most popular souvenirs from Emiglia Romagna:

• Parmigiano and Squacquerone cheese
• Real balsamico vinegar (expensive)
• Wines from the Albano region
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Brisighella
• Local herbs
• Mortadella
• Nocino Liquor from Modena with unripe walnuts
• Salt from Cervia

Taxis are not recommended and drivers have ingenious ways to cheat tourists including modified taxameters.

For calls to Italy: Dial +39 (the country code for Italy), then the zero (!) then the area code and the subscriber's number. If you want to make a call from Italy, dial 00 + the country code + area code + the subscriber's number.

The GSM network works on frequencies of 900 MHz and 1800 MHz (dependent on the carrier). If you are taking your mobile phone with you, make sure that it is able to work on these.

Central European time (UTC + 1) will be in force during the meeting. There an one hour time shift between the UK and Italy. If it is 1 o'clock in London and 2 o'clock in Bertinoro.

Tipping has becomes less common in Italy. In restaurants, service is included in the bill, but if you get a good service in a restaurant where the bill is sent to the table you can tip 5-10 %. In case of bad service it is OK to give nothing.

The  gentlemen's is usually marked with “Uomini", and the ladies' room with “Donne". Unisex toilets are less common in Italy than in other countries.