Not only is Spannocchia located in the heart of Tuscany, our on-site activities and tours offer you an insider’s view of life on a Tuscan farm. Guests can enjoy hiking through the estate, touring the gardens, and visiting our rare heritage-breed farm animals. Foodies, history buffs, outdoor enthusiasts, and families will all find plenty to do on the estate and touring the region.
Many activities are led by our Education Director, Sara Silvestri. Sara graduated from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo with a Master’s degree in Food Culture and Communications and enjoys sharing with guests her passion for Italian ( especially Tuscan) food culture and sustainable farming systems.
For more than fifty years, Spannocchia has been working with educational institutions, artistic programs and environmental groups to offer unique customized tours to visitors from around the world. We invite you to join a group and explore your passion in Italian culture, cuisine, history, art, music or many other enriching programs offered throughout the year.
A TAVOLA! Discovering Food & Wine in Tuscany
Time: October 20 @ – October 27 @
Program Description: Now in its fourth edition we are excited to re-propose A tavola! In Italian a tavola! literally means “at the table” or a command “to the table!” – this concept is fundamental in the Italian culture because the table is where everyone meets to break bread, share laughter and stories, and deepen connections – it is as much ...
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Plein aire with Doug Dawson and Molly Davis
This is a plein aire painting workshop for a week at Spannocchia, Italy. The students go out each day and paint on locations around the villa. The mediums are oil, watercolor and pastel. At the end of each day there will be a critique and a discussion of the day's events. Doug Dawson has taught art for Colorado Institute of Art, Colorado Christian University, and The Art Students League of Denver. He is a founding…
Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA)
IDSVA offers a low-residency PhD in philosophy, aesthetics, and art theory to visual artists, architects, curators and creative scholars. Residency & fieldwork sites include Rome, Spannocchia Castle (Tuscany), Siena, Florence, Berlin, Venice, Paris, Athens, NYC and Colby College. Contact us for more info Coordinators: Founder and President: Dr. George Smith is an internationally recognized scholar and has long been a leader and innovator in American education. In 2006 Dr. Smith founded the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the…
Painting on Panels with Margaret Krug
Focus on traditional painting methods and their contemporary application including encaustic used in the Fayum region of ancient Egypt, egg tempera from early Renaissance Siena and oil painting from Renaissance Venice. Prepare small wood panels with traditional gesso ground. Produce paint by combining dry pigments with beeswax, egg, milk glue or oil. Using exercises from An Artist’s Handbook, technical proficiency is encouraged through copying techniques employed in master paintings, while gaining an understanding of color theory, composition and construction of…
Ann Hood’s Writing Workshop
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW: our workshop takes place on the grounds of the tenuta di Spannocchia outside of Rosia, Italy. We hold workshops by day and craft talks by night. Throughout the week we enjoy the entirely estate-raised/grown/produced food and wine Spannocchia has to offer. As far as our classes go, we divide our conference participants (usually 16-18) into two 50-page MSS workshop groups. 2015's workshop leaders were the excellent Laura Lippman and Helen Schulman. We also hold a full length (~300…
Italy: Tuscany Culinary Immersion
Located on a nature reserve in the hills of Tuscany, Spannocchia's 1,100-acres is a paradise for foodies, nature-lovers, and those who dream of "la dolce vita." The organic farm, education center, multi-national community of staff and guests, centuries-old architecture, bountiful gardens, secret hiking paths, and beautiful vistas all work in magical harmony to provide the optimal setting to relax and immerse yourself in Italian farm-to-table food culture through tastings, cooking classes, and tours. This is more than a vacation; you’ll…
Watercolor Plein Air in Tuscany with Doris Rice
Come join me for a painting adventure in beautiful Tuscany! We will work on location, learning the fundamentals of watercolor and capturing the many moods of Spannocchia. This is a ‘destination vacation’ where you will soak up the culture, the food, the historic surroundings as you work on your skill development with painting in watercolor! Tours of vineyards, wine making, cooking Tuscan style, heritage gardens, heritage line of pigs and the famous proscuitto….all at your fingertips. Look up on line…
Walk, Wine & Dine through Tuscany
Discover the best of Tuscany! This small group tour of Tuscany will explore picturesque Tuscan towns, while enjoying the world-renowned food and wine of the area. Taylored Tours’ Walk, Wine, & Dine through Tuscany includes a 6 night stay at Spannocchia (October 13-19, 2019), a beautiful nature reserve in the hills of Tuscany. Daily breakfast and four-course family style traditional Italian dinners are included while staying at Spannocchia. We will start our mornings hiking the lush Tuscan landscapes. Our tour…
A TAVOLA! Discovering Food & Wine in Tuscany
Program Description: Now in its fourth edition we are excited to re-propose A tavola! In Italian a tavola! literally means “at the table” or a command “to the table!” – this concept is fundamental in the Italian culture because the table is where everyone meets to break bread, share laughter and stories, and deepen connections – it is as much about feeding your body as it is about feeding your soul. The Discovering Food and Wine in Tuscany program combines…
Trail Running in Tuscany with Dan Jarrell
Trail Running in Tuscany invites travelers to actively immerse themselves in the Tuscan countryside. Each day will consist of two segments: a group run and a sightseeing tour. Daily Run. We will run once each day on the paths and gravel roads in the adjacent Alto Merse Forest Reserve. Runs will vary from 4 to 8 miles in length and will be adjusted to fit the needs and desires of the participants. Each run will include stops to tour…
Plan A Customized Travel Program in the Heart of Tuscany
Bring a group and explore Castello di Spannocchia, an organic working farm and education center located in the heart of Tuscany, near Siena! With hundreds of acres of natural preserve, the Spannocchia property is an idyllic setting to soak in the beauty of the Italian landscape, inspire creativity and learn about the protection and conservation of Italian culture, cuisine and nature.
Using Spannocchia as a base for housing and meals, student and adult program groups conduct intensive artistic or instructional workshops in the Castello’s studio space, explore the rich history and culture of the region through day trips to nearby Siena and Florence, or use the land and its organic products to learn about Tuscan cooking and organic farming and sustainability.
We are honored to have been chosen to host accredited academic programs from many institutions of higher learning.
