OCTOBER 11-17, 2020
return
to yourself
A Cultural & Creative Retreat in the Heart of Tuscany
VAL D'ORCIA, TUSCANY
MAY 15-20, 2022
Nature, architecture, art, history, culture, cuisine. Needless to say, Italy has it all and oh how we've missed it! This retreat is a post-pandemic celebration, a reclaiming and a return, a reinitiation of our lives. What better a place to remember how to begin again than the birthplace of the Renaissance?
THE RETREAT
For five days and nights we'll savour, sip, steep, relish and devour every last bit of what bellissima Toscana has to offer. We'll embrace slow travel, engaging in authentic ways with the region's art, history, cuisine and landscapes. Designed to be a soul-nourishing, sensory week for the self, on this retreat you will let go of the demands of your days and be taken care of while enjoying the company of other like-minded women.
THE ITINERARY
Each day we will incorporate something for the senses, satisfying the mind, body and spirit. There will be yoga and meditation in the mornings, and plenty of time for indulging a variety of cultural and creative activities. When we aren't at the villa, we'll explore the UNESCO World Heritage Val d'Orcia, an off-the-beaten-path part of Tuscany that's featured in movies like "Gladiator," "The English Patient," and Franco Zefferelli's "Romeo and Juliet," and the recent Netflix series, "Medici." We'll visit hidden gems like nearby Romanesque abbeys, tour a prestigious Montalcino winery, and enjoy the most charming, medieval and Renaissance-era towns of Tuscany.
Our intention is to create an itinerary that balances your need for space and time with just the right amount of culture and community.
ACCOMMODATION
We will be staying in a private villa which is part of a larger, family-owned estate. An hour and a half from Florence, and fifteen minutes from Montalcino (renowned for its rich Brunello wine) the villa is nestled amid some of the world's most inspiring landscapes. Surrounded by the family's olive groves and 600 hectares of vineyards, with a pool and several panoramic sitting areas, the grounds are perfect for plenty of peace and quiet...a great place to dance like nobody's watching.
The villa also has wifi, a washing machine, air-conditioning and a private chef.
“There’s only one very good life, and that’s the life that you know you want, and you make it yourself.”
- Diana Vreeland
COST & INCLUSIONS
Prices are per person and include:
-
ROUNDTRIP PRIVATE TRANSFER FROM FLORENCE TO VILLA
-
FIVE NIGHTS ACCOMMODATION
-
ALL MEALS EXCEPT ONE LUNCH & ONE DINNER
-
PRIVATE WINE TASTING OF BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
-
PRIVATE ORGANIC FARM TOUR WITH PECORINO CHEESE TASTING
-
YOGA
-
CREATIVE WRITING SESSIONS
-
GUIDED HIKE
-
ART HISTORY TALKS
-
TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM ORGANIZED EXCURSIONS
For a supplement, we can arrange a photography workshop, landscape painting class, massage therapy, manicures, pedicures, additional wine tastings and/or additional touring.
ACCOMMODATION
SINGLE QUEEN WITH PRIVATE BATH (NOT EN SUITE) & VALLEY VIEW
€4400 - SOLD
SINGLE QUEEN WITH PRIVATE BATH (NOT EN SUITE)
€4300 - SOLD
SINGLE QUEEN WITH EN SUITE BATH & DRESSING ROOM
€4500 - SOLD
SINGLE QUEEN WITH EN SUITE BATH & VALLEY VIEW
€4500 - SOLD
SINGLE QUEEN WITH PRIVATE BATH (NOT EN SUITE)
€4300 - SOLD
SINGLE QUEEN LOFT WITH EN SUITE BATH
€4300 - SOLD
SINGLE QUEEN WITH SHARED BATH (SHARING WITH 2 OTHER GUESTS)
& VALLEY VIEW
€4200 - SOLD
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY WITH SHARED BATH (SHARING WITH 1 OTHER GUEST) & VALLEY VIEW
€3950 - SOLD
If this retreat resonates with you and you'd like to secure your place, a €2100 deposit is required. Deposits are refundable until January 1, 2022. Final nonrefundable payment due January 15, 2022.
Please note that if for any reason this retreat does not run or is cancelled you will be refunded in full.
“And how astonishing to feel this sheer bliss, for here she was, not doing and not going to do a single unselfish thing, not going to do a thing she didn't want to do."
- Elizabeth von Arnim, The Enchanted April