Sunday afternoon, October 4 through Monday morning, October 12, 2026
Erin Lee Gafill & Tom Birmingham
8 nights total – 7 nights – at Spannocchia; first night in Rome
- Award-winning, small-group instruction
- All skill levels welcome and supported
- Visit Orvieto, Siena, & Montalcino
- Sketch in line and watercolor
- Stay in a fourteenth-century villa on a 1000+ acres estate of cultivated and wild lands
- Authentic Farm to Table, Family Style Meals at Spannocchia
- In Rome, 4-star lodging at the Abitart Hotel in Ostiense and dinner
- Ground transportation to Spannocchia, on two excursion days, and to SMN train station in Florence on the final day.
- One year Membership in the Spannocchia Foundation
- all lodging city taxes and fees.
- Start to finish support and service!
Program Description
Join us for a Tuscan Sketch Holiday. We’ll spend some days at Spannocchia practicing sketch techniques, then put our skills to use on day trips around the area to Siena and Montalcino.
Together with a small group of like-minded people we will interpret the Tuscan Countryside and the 800-year-old architecture of Spannocchia in line and color.
Spannocchia is the perfect enviornment for our time together. We’ll share family style, farm-to-table meals in the birthplace of the slow food movement. We’ll have plenty of time each day to relax; with quiet time alone, sharing with new friends, exploring the 1000+ acre property, and diving deep into our creative practice.
You’ll gain new skills, develop new friendships, and have the opportunity to build creative habits that can last a lifetime.
Program Itinerary
Sunday, October 4
Meet in Rome at a the Abitart Hotel, a 4-Star Hotel in the Ostiense neighborhood
Evening neighborhood walk and dinner
Monday, October 5
Morning Pickup – head to Spannocchia
Visit Orvieto, with Lunch at our favorite restaurant
Arrive at Spannocchia in time to unpack and unwind
Aperitivo, and Dinner
Daily Schedule
Breakfast – buffet
Morning Session
Lunch – buffet
Afternoon Session
Evening Aperitivo
Sit-down Dinner
Two Excursion Days
Breakfast at Spannocchia
Time to tour a new town and practice skills
Lunch together
Back to Spanocchia for dinner
Monday, October 12
Breakfast at Spannocchia
10 am – Private Transport to SMN Train Station, Florence
Arrivederci Tuscany!
About Spannocchia
Spannocchia’s castello is operated by The Friends of Spannocchia. You can read about them on their website. Friends of Spannocchia is a not-for profit organizaiton which preserves an ancient form of life in Tuscany that is based on community, respect for tradition, and a responsible use of resources. They seek to serve as an international model for sustainability, and for more than twenty years have hosted interns from around the world to learn about agriculture, responsible tourism, and the importance of preserving the cultural traditions of Tuscany.
As a guest on our retreat, your registration includes a one-year membership in the The Friends of Spannocchia. This membership (a $60 value) includes certain benefits, and makes you a part of perserving traditional, sustainable agricultural and community practices at Spannocchia.
Lodging at Spannocchia is in a 16th-century villa on a historic Tuscan property that includes cultivated and wild lands and miles of hiking trails.
Rooms
The Castello has 13 rooms. Each room is unique, and all rooms are located on the second floor, with no elevator access.
Rooms are divided into two sections of the Castello. On one hall, The Villa, are the rooms where the Spannocchi family lived for centuries. The other hall, The Fattoria, was originally for tenant farmers and staff.
Each room has a private bathroom, some en suite, some across the hallway. All rooms have been updated with comfortable beds and traditional decorations.
Some rooms have antique fixtures and floral decorations, while others have finishing touches in yellow Siena marble.
Location
The Tenuta di Spannocchia is located at the end of a 1.5 mile unpaved driveway. The closest town, is Rosia, 3 miles away. Siena is locate 13 miles east and Florence is 51 miles north.
Property
The Tenuta di Spannocchia is a 1,000+ acre working farm and wildlife sanctuary in western Tuscany near Siena.
The property includes a 12th-century castle tower, farmhouses, and outlying farmsteads.
Activities
Guests experience daily life on the farm, including traditional Italian cooking made with fresh ingredients. The property also offers private roads and trails for walking.
About Erin & Tom
We’ve been teaching art, writing, and creativity for over thirty years. We’ve brought groups to Spannocchia for over twenty years. Each year we teach at Rancho la Puerta in Tecate, BC, Mexico, and at Esalen Institute in Big Sur.
Erin was born and raised in Big Sur, California. After 35 years living and working in Big Sur, we have recently relocated to Hamden, Connecticut.
Registration
What’s Included
- Eight nights lodging (seven at Spannocchia, first night at The Abitart Hotel, a four-star hotel in the Ostiense neighborhood)
- All meals beginning with Lunches during excursions, Dinner, Sunday, October 4 through Breakfast at Spannocchia, Monday, Oct 12
- Ground transportation in a private coach from Rome to Spannocchia, on two excursion days, and to SMN train staion Florence on the final day.
- Award-winning daily instruction
- Safe and Supportive learning environment
- Aperitivo at sunset each evening at Spannocchia
- Award-winning daily instruction
What’s Not Included
- Airfare to and from Italy
- Painting supplies and equipment
- Travel insurance (highly reccomended)
- Personal and Incidental expenses
Registration Fee
Single Occupancy – $4475
Double Occupancy – $3975
Deposit –
Double Occupancy is reserved with a $500 nonrefundable deposit. The balance due before July 1, 2026
Single Occupancy is reserved with a $1000 nonrefundable deposit. The balance before July 1, 2026
Please Download and fillout this registration form (a seperate form or each participant)
You can pay the depisit online through the link below, or send a check
Studio One – Big Sur
11 Hepburn Road
Hamden, CT 06517