Majorana Centre offers accommodation in the Centre premises (three old refurnished monasteries) which are adjacent to conference venue (two minute walks). Depending on the attendance, students might be asked to share their room. We strongly recommend participants to use Majorana Centre premises for accommodation. Please note that Erice is a small village sitting on the top of a 800m high mountain. In summertime onsite hotel accommodation and public transportation between Erice and other nearby cities is limited.
Below is the list of services you will receive by paying the conference registration fee:
- Accommodation in Centre premises (for those who pay the full registration fee)
- Ground transportation from/to airport on arrival/departure day.
- Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Social events (social dinner and excursion)
- Free WiFi in all common areas and most bedrooms
- Coffee-breaks, snacks (at any time), access to the “marsala (wine) canteen” in the evening.
Excursion: the Centre organizes a half-day excursion to a destination in Erice. Depending on the weather, the trip can include a couple of hours on the beach and dinner on the way back. All expenses (bus, dinner, access to the beach, etc) are on the Centre, except the admission fee to archaeological sites/museums (if scheduled, typically 6 Eur/person).
Useful information:
Accommodation: (arrival: 2 September, departure: 6 September) of participants is organized by the Ettore Majorana Centre for Scientific Culture (EMCSC) either in their premises or in local hotels on the basis of the information provided by the organizers and by participants in their Travel Form. Notes about special needs and requests should be addressed to the organizers. In case of large participation, students may be requested to share the room with another student. They may indicate in the Travel Form the name of another participant, with whom they would wish to share the room in case of need.
Accompanying persons: Rooms in Erice are limited. For this reason persons accompanying accepted applicants are in general considered as regular participants with the same benefits and duties: they are requested to pay a fee of 120 Euros/day and to have the EMCSC badge. Please indicate the name(s) of the accompanying person(s) in the Travel Form. Special cases (persons accompanying senior participants, children, accompanying nurse, etc.) and requests should be indicated in the Travel Form and communicated to the organizers.
Technical facilities: Moderate photocopying is free. A limited number of PC's and internet terminals are available to participants at San Rocco (room of the 16th Century Madonna). WiFi is available in many areas of the Centre. The lecture rooms are equipped with projectors. Restaurants. At restaurants on the EMCSC list the meals are free, you just have to show your badge and sign a sheet provided by the restaurant. Beverages, and meals not included in the EMCSC menu, are extras and must be paid for. You may freely choose among all the associated restaurants. Thus, if you have special food requirements (vegetarian, kosher, etc.) you should negotiate directly with the restaurant (the EMSCS secretary will be glad to offer assistance). Coffee, tea, sandwiches, fresh fruits, mineral water and Sicilian sweets are freely available 24 hours in the San Rocco coffee area and in the coffee-break area at San Domenico.
Breakfast is served at the San Rocco coffee area to all participants accommodated in the EMCSC premises, whereas participants in hotels may have their breakfast there or at San Rocco. Banking. A bank service (Banco di Sicilia) is available for cash, money transfer and exchange operations, in a two-minute walk from EMCSC (please show your EMCSC badge at the bank counter to avoid bureaucracy).
Arrival day and get-together: There will be an after-dinner get-together at 9.30 p.m. on the arrival day at the Marsala Room in San Rocco. You should do your best to reach Erice before 5. p.m. in order to have enough time to adjust to the environment and to have a quiet dinner. No problem, however, if you cannot reach Erice before late at night: somebody will be waiting for you at the arrival place in any case.
Participants from remote areas may request to arrive one day earlier and/or leave one day later, at no extra charge, provided rooms are available.
Smoking is forbidden inside all EMCSC facilities, including residential rooms. In Italy smoking is also forbidden in restaurants, unless equipped with special smoking rooms. Restaurants in Erice are all non-smoking.
Dress: Erice is at about 800 m above sea level, on top of a mountain next to the sea. Even in the summer evenings in Erice may be chilly and, occasionally, foggy and windy. Don't forget to bring a good pull-over. Lecture rooms are inside old buildings and are agreeably fresh. On the other hand, archeological sites as well as the beach can be blisteringly hot. Therefore please be prepared and don't forget good walking shoes (to walk on the stones of the archeological sites as well as on the rough pavement of Erice streets), swimsuits (beach towels are provided by the EMFCSC), sun-glasses and sunscreen, a good hat, etc. No formal dress is required at any event, banquet included.
Excursion: TBA
Local transportation: A funicular railway, Funivia, connects Erice with the town of Trapani at the bottom of the hill. Trapani and Sicily bus schedules can be found here and here. The Centre can offer advice and assistance with local car rentals.
Shopping: Celebrated wines, cookies, ceramics, coral jewels and other Erice souvenirs may be purchased in some (not all) shops with a discount (show the EMCSC badge).
Music: EMCSC facilities host two old pianos. Participants playing portable instruments are encouraged to bring them along. Music sessions often develop in San Rocco, especially after some glasses of Marsala (free supply). All evening parties in the piano room must end at midnight.
EMCSC Personnel: The EMCSC relies on its local staff to tackle all issues that may arise (travel ticket & reservation changes, PC facilities, visa, medical care, police, etc.). For all technicalities concerning the conference there is a Conference Secretariat office at San Rocco next to the Marsala Room.
Working environment: For better or for worse, EMCSC is not Club Med. Outside of the planned excursion, a reasonably long afternoon break will be scheduled to allow for contacts and discussions in the inspiring environment of Erice. The success of the meeting relies on the attendance of all participants at all sessions.