Il Rifugio (The Refuge) is a respectfully restored seventeenth-century villa set on a Tuscan hillside surrounded by fifty-six rolling acres of private property just ten minutes from the Etruscan citadel of Cortona where you will find cafes, art galleries, and beautiful winding streets.

Il Rifugio is situated on the edge of a centuries' old terraced olive grove, a chestnut grove, fields, woodland, and gardens. The house is beautifully and comfortably furnished with an artistic eye for the antique and contemporary. It offers places to linger including generous hearths, luxurious reading chairs and divans, and a library.

The grounds include olive and chestnut groves, beautiful woodland trails, a private swimming pool, bocce court (lawn bowling), and patios with gorgeous views of the cultivated valley below and the hills beyond.

Tuscany is located in central Italy, one of twenty regions much like states in the USA. The region is divided into ten provinces, somewhat like counties, with Florence as the capitol.
A very brief history: The history of Tuscany goes back to between 1350 BC and 700 BC when the Apennine and Villanovan cultures dominated the region.  The Etruscans were the first major civilization to settle here. It is thought the Etruscan culture reached its peak around 800 BC and politically began to decline about 500 BC. Sometime after the fading of the Etruscan culture (and there is much we don’t know about the Etruscans), the Romans took over. The Roman Period started to collapse around the 5th century AD, and was followed by the Medieval Period.

Tuscany is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, that period of flowering in the arts and sciences that ran from the 14th century to the beginning of the 16th century. The artistic heritage of the Renaissance includes architecture, painting and sculpture collected in dozens of museums in towns and cities across the region. Perhaps the best-known are the Uffizi Gallery, the Academia, and the Bargello in Florence.

Getting There

We will provide pick-up and drop-off service to and from the Florence airport. When you arrive at the Florence airport we will have a mini bus waiting to pick you up. The drive to Il Rifugio is about 1.5 hours. Arrival time is 3 pm. Should your flight arrive early, you will spend a little time in Cortona before heading to Il Rifugio to allow us to prepare the villa.

Should you choose to arrive in Italy a couple of days early and/or leave a couple of days after your stay at Il Rifugio (highly recommended) to 'do your own thing' and see a large city like Rome or florence, we will do our best to help find you a driver and get you a quote for private transportation to and from Il Rifugio.

All ground transportation will be included during your stay. There is no need to rent a car unless you plan to do some independent touring before or after your week at the villa.

We welcome you to Il Rifugio!

When you arrive at Il Rifugio we will greet you, show you around, and give you time to settle in. Expect a fortifying snack buffet of cold cuts, cheeses, vegetables, breads, fresh fruit, olives, and of course wine. This is a good time to ask questions, take a walk around the immediate grounds or just relax and unwind before dinner.
Living Room

Here is what you can expect every day.

- Each day will begin with breakfast Italian- (or American-) style with coffee and tea, juice, fresh baked pastries and bread, eggs, hot and cold cereals, yogurt, fruit, etc.

- Coffee, tea, fruit, soft drinks and other snacks will be available all day; wine, too, will flow, after a civilized hour….

- Lunch will be provided each day at the villa, in Cortona or where ever we might be at the time.

- We will convene each afternoon at Il Rifugio or in Cortona for a pre dinner aperitif of Prosecho, wine and cheese.

- Dinner will also be provided each day at one of Cortona's fine restaurants, at Il Rifugio or other interesting venus.

Here is what you can expect throughout the week.

2nd century B.C.Tabula Cortonensis

- Wine tasting - A professional sommelier in a local Enoteca (wine shop) in Cortona will share his vast knowledge of Italian wines and offer advice on tasting before you sample four specially selected regional wines of Tuscany. Questions and discussion are welcome. This is an excellent opportunity to choose from a large selection of Italian wines to purchase for your stay or to have shipped to your home.

- Everything Olives! - Homer called olive oil "liquid gold." In ancient Greece, it was a ritual for athletes to rub their bodies with olive oil . The cultivation of olive trees in southern Italy reaches back to the 8th century BC. Olive trees were planted in the entire Mediterranean basin under Roman rule and according to the historian Plainly, by the 1st century AD, Italy had "the best olive oil in the Mediterranean." Many feel Italy continues that distinction today.
After a leisurely breakfast we will step into the olive grove at Il Rifugio with a local expert for a field lesson on caring for an olive grovel. We will discuss olive varieties, pruning methods, and general care and harvesting techniques. Then we will visit an olive mill for a tour and explanation of the traditional methods (still practiced) of extracting oil from the olives. On our return to Il Rifugio enjoy an olive oil tasting, followed by free time until lunch, each course featuring some form of the versatile and magnificent olive.

- Full Day Hill Town & Tuscan Wine Tour - Wine has been part of Italian tradition since the time of the Etruscans, who used it to honor their dead, celebrate festivals, and enjoy with food. We will visit one of many very elegant, traditional local winery's near Cortona.
At about 9:AM you will be picked up at Il Rifugio and taken by van to visit at least two traditional tuscan wineries and a classic hill town. At each winery you will have a private guided tour and tasting. Lunch will be included in the hill town visit with sufficient time to shop. At about 5:30 PM you will return to Il Rifugio to rest and ready yourself for tonight's dinner.

- Renaissance Night at Il Rifugio - Tonight we will join the ranks of the Medici and immerse ourselves in the Renaissance. What a wild and crazy time it was during the better part of 15th-century Italy. The money was flowing and change was happening at a rapid rate. Music and the visual arts took a quantum leap in style and shear volume. Clothing styles changed so fast that an expression of the time for people dressed in outdated fashions was, “…they look like figures in Arras.” Arras refers to the figured woven tapestries that reached their zenith in this era. A typical tapestry of this type took seven years from design to completion; by which time the dress depicted was seven years out of date. Never mind, to our eyes,  these tapestries are eternal.

The Renaissance saw the first contemporary cooking academy, the Compagnia del Paiolo (the Kettle Company) established in Florence. This was an extremely upper crust guild limited to twelve members, each required to provide a new “food invention.” One such novelty was multicolored gelatin, the precursor to today's Jell-O.

Renaissance Night at Il Rifugio begins with an hour’s slide presentation and discussion by local Renaissance enthusiast and sculptor, Lucio Minigrilli. Lucio brings his lively and insightful artist’s prospective to the period. Questions and discussion follow, rounded out by a well-researched meal prepared from traditional Renaissance recipes and served family style in the dinning room. Of course there will be music and beverages from the period as well. Go bonkers and dress for the occasion!

- Cooking Class - This cooking class is fun, informal, and hands-on. It is held in-house at Il Rifugio and designed around a typical Tuscan meal with fresh local seasonal ingredients. We will start about 9 am at Il Rifugio to discuss a menu and then it’s off to the Cortonato shop for ingredients. We will stop by a sidewalk café for cappuccinos, prosecco (sparkling wine), and pastries. Then it's back to Il Rifugio to roll up our sleeves and start the preparation and cooking. By early afternoon, we will all sit down to leisurely consume and critique the meal you just helped to create.
By the way, if there is something specific you want to learn to prepare and cook, just let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.
For those not interested in getting their hands dirty, we can leave you in Cortona while the cooks are at work and pick you up later, or feel free to relax around Il Rifugio and wait for the feast to begin.

- Whenever... Enjoy Ill Rifugio - Take time to walk the marvelous woodland trails that surround Il Rifugio or over the hill to a panoramic view of Lake Trasimeno, or just hang out on the patio (it might be cool so bring a sweater) and enjoy another cappuccino. Sit by the fire and enjoy a good book or interesting conversation with your travel friends.
There is also a little shopping expedition in the offing; we will be happy to take you into Cortona where you can enjoy the local ambience and browse the shops. Let us treat you to a break at a café for pastry and one more cappuccino.
With sufficient interest we will fire up the pizza oven and enjoy freshly made pizza for lunch.

Breakfast and departure by 10:00 AM

We bid you a reluctant arrivederci. We will provide transportation from IL Rifugio to Cortona if you wish to continue your stay or to the Florence airport.

Cost & Conditions

• This week-long program is for a private group of six to ten people Please contact us to schedule a date.
• The price for the week-long program is $3,450 per person based on double occupancy. Air fair is not included.
• A 50% deposit is required for a reservation. There is a $500 cancellation fee up until full payment is made.
• The remaining 50% is due four months prior to the arrival date at which time refunds are no longer available.
• The price includes the following:
• Arrival and departure pickup and drop off at the
  Florence airport (as a group).
• All ground transportation. (You will not need a car.)
• All meals including wine.
• All excursions.
• All in-house activities.
• All tickets for trains, museums, etc.
• All gratuities.
• We recommend travel insurance should you experience an emergency that requires you to cancel. (Sorry, there are no refunds for cancellations after the final payment is made.)
• Please note the itinerary is subject to change.
  
  

Other Considerations

• If it is at all possible, we recommend coming a day early and spending a night in Florence. Although we will have a day in Florence, as well, this gives you time to shed a little jet lag and see some of the city on your own. We could also arrange for a stay in a B&B in Cortona if you want to come early; this means taking the train down or arranging other transportation from Florence to Cortona.
• If you wish to stay an extra night or more in Cortona, we can make arrangements for you at a local B&B.
• It might be worth checking with a travel agent or airline for a group rate, if you can all travel together.
• Always feel free to contact us any time if you have any questions.
  
  

Food

Wine

Painting

Writing