When in Italy book a meal in a jail

This looks a fun experience! And for a good cause too - rehabilitating prisoners is part of the project. So next time you are in Volterra, Tuscany go sample a prison meal!

In what might be Italy's most exclusive restaurant, security is understandably tight. On reservation, guests are subjected to a background check. They are admitted in groups, their mobile phones and bags confiscated, and they then submit to metal detector tests. At the candlelit tables inside a deconsecrated chapel of what was originally a 14th-15th century castle, the meal itself is eaten with plastic cutlery. But even though this is the Fortezza Medicea top-security prison, the white wine -- Fattoria Sorbaiano -- keeps flowing.

The inmates at the jail in the picturesque Tuscan town -- surrounded by rolling green hills and brown-tiled villas -- have swapped their slacks for shirts and bow ties for a night. They are cooking up a sumptuous meal for curious diners who want to sample a taste of prison life. Part of a project raising money for charity, the aim is also to teach cooking and waiting skills that could help the prisoners find work when they are released. The dinners have been very successful: tables are booked up well in advance and one diner said he drove his family of seven some 200 km (124 miles) for the experience. (Reuters)

To book a meal at the Volterra prison / restaurant please contact:
Agenzie Toscana Turismo (Argonauta Viaggi)
Tel. +39-055-2342777

Booking must be made at least 10 days in advance with proof of identity. You will need to arrive early because of the security checks before entering. Please note that bags, mobile phones & camers will not be allowed inside and have to be deposited at the entrance.

Below is a list of the dinners planned for the rest of this year:

27 June
Dinner in Aid of: Progetto Agata Smeralda - Brazil
Chef: Luca Marin of RISTORANTE SANTO BEVITORE - FLORENCE

8 August
Dinner in Aid of: ARCI - Lebanon
Chef: Benedetta Vitali of RISTORANTE ZIBIBBO - FLORENCE

19 September
Dinner in Aid of: Movimento dei Focolari - Cameroon
Chef: Fabrizio Marino of RISTORANTE PEPE NERO DI SAN MINIATO (PI)

24 October
Dinner in Aid of: Centri Missionari della Toscana Diocesi di Fiesole - Palestine
Chef: Matia Barciulli of RISTORANTE OSTERIA DI PASSIGNANO - TAVARNELLE VAL DI PESA (FI)

28 November
Dinner in Aid of: ARCI - Philippines
Chef: Gaetano Trovato of RISTORANTE ARNOLFO - COLLE VAL D’ELSA (PI)

19 Deecmber
Dinner in Aid of: ARCI - Perù
Chef: Giuseppe della Rosa of RISTORANTE ORVM HOTEL WESTIN EXCELSIOR - FLORENCE

(Link)