Art & Study Retreats in Italy
Itinerary: Drawing & Pastel in Etruria 2008
May 9 - May 18
Tuscania—Friday 9 May
Arrive in Rome at Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci) airport. We travel by private coach along the coast to the ancient Etruscan town of Tuscania in the heart of Etruria, an area D. H. Lawrence describes with haunting efficacy in his Etruscan Places. The trip up the coast, with the Tyrrhenian Sea on our left, will take about an hour. The afternoon will be free to relax, sketch, and explore the town. We will stay at the Hotel Convento di San Francesco, a medieval Franciscan priory now modernized into an elegant hotel. We will have a welcome dinner in the hotel’s spacious dining room.
Tarquinia, Tuscania—Saturday 10 May
This morning there will be time to sketch and explore the town of Tuscania. We leave by coach late-morning for Tarquinia, site of the ancient Etruscan city, which dates back to the 9th century B.C. Author Mary Jane Cryan takes us through the museum with its extraordinary sculpture, ceramics, and jewelry. We visit the Etruscan tombs and see haunting paintings dating back to the 6th century B.C. We return to Tuscania late afternoon, where we dine and spend the night at the Convento di San Francesco. On our way back to Tuscania we stop to visit two famous Romanesque churches, San Pietro and Santa Maria Maggiore.
Viterbo, Villa Lante—Sunday 11 May
On Sunday morning, once again there will be free time to explore further the beautiful town of Tuscania before leaving for Viterbo, called “the city of the Popes” because five popes were elected there. Author Mary Jane Cryan is our guide on a walking tour through the medieval section of this fascinating city. We then head on to the Villa Lante at Bagnaia, where there will be an opportunity to sketch in the magnificent Renaissance gardens which were designed by Vignola and became a model for gardens throughout Europe, including Versailles. Late in the afternoon we return for dinner at the Hotel Convento di San Francesco.
Relais Pian di Vico—Monday 12 May to Friday 16 May
At Relais Pian di Vico artist Martha Wakeman will offer daily pastel and drawing classes classes outdoors, weather permitting, from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. There will be at least one late afternoon class to explore the quality of the landscape under the late afternoon Mediterranean light as the day merges into dusk.
Each class will begin with a brief introductory lecture of about 15 minutes that will include discussion of various techniques through the observation of reproductions and through demonstration. Emphasis will be on the development of a personal style. Basic drawing and pastel techniques will be presented. Instruction will be at all levels, from beginning to advanced. The drawing class will be especially structured for beginners.
During our week at Relais Pian di Vico we will offer optional afternoon activities such as a cooking class, a trip to the Farnese Palace at Caprarola, and to the Sacred Wood at Bonmarzo.
Lago di Bolsena—Saturday 17 May
This morning, the beginning of our last full day in Etruria, we will travel by coach to the beautiful Lake of Bolsena. There will be a boat ride and an opportunity to sketch at the lakeside town of Capodimonte. We will return to Relais Pian di Vico for an “Arrivederci Etruria” dinner. Departure will be Sunday morning, May 18.