Let me suggest something really out of the zone here: build an ISAPI dll (or the Apache equivalent if that is your preference) from bare-metal C/C++ or even Delphi. Why? If you have the time to do this you will learn an IMMENSE amount about the underlying architecture of web applications and it will open up an entirely new perspective on all of the frameworks that everyone is suggesting here.
I did this in Delphi back in 2000 and it was a tremendous learning experience. Of course, this is predicated on the notion that you don't need to build anything quickly and that the primary purpose of the project is to learn about web development. But, if that is your objective, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better approach.
