Our beautiful and historic watermill stands beside the River Rosaro in the small village of Posara. Peaceful and secluded, yet part of the village, the mill is just a mile or so from the walled medieval town of Fivizzano with its cafés, restaurants and shops. This is the heart of Lunigiana, in the North-west of Tuscany.
Lunigiana feels very different from the rest of Tuscany: it is bordered by high mountains and the sea. The scenery, with steep-sided valleys wooded with chestnut and European oak and overlooked by mountain crags and ruined fortresses, is unexpected and breath-taking, yet the unspoilt villages and towns of Lunigiana are close to the sea and the resorts of the Golf of the Poets (where Byron and Shelley stayed) and less than an hour from the marvellous walled city of Lucca and from Pisa airport.
Set in a gentle valley with mountain peaks in the background, the mill is a peaceful spot, yet is within easy reach of the sea and the tourist attractions of Tuscany.
We have lovingly restored the historic buildings and created five self-contained apartments around a courtyard. These apartments come together for our painting and creative writing courses. The bright and airy rooms are well decorated and tastefully furnished. All enjoy lovely views of the the river, the gardens or the mountains.
Around the mill there's a walled garden, a vine verandah, a lavender garden and riverside gardens, all with tables and chairs and providing delightful spots for sun-kissed or shady relaxation and contemplation. Then there are further secluded private gardens where you can stroll beside the millstream for about a quarter of a mile.
For centuries artists have drawn their inspiration from the Tuscan landscape and you could find few better places than the watermill to enjoy your painting and improve your skills.
Our relaxing, inspiring and fun-filled painting courses with internationally renowned artists are designed to help both experienced painters and beginners to make the most of their abilities and, most of all, enjoy their painting.
The courses run from Saturday to Saturday and we usually spend the first day or so painting around the mill, followed by excursions to the hills (olive groves and mountain views), to the medieval walls of Fivizzano and the castle and village of Verrucola. We take a picnic lunch, including local hams and cheeses. Wednesday is a leisure day and we organise an excursion by train through the beautiful nearby Regional Park of the Apuan Alps to the wonderful walled city of Lucca.
There's a large studio at the mill where you will enjoy demonstrations by tutors and finish off your masterpieces!
Non-painting partners are welcome (at a small discount), but you’ll have more fun if you join in and dabble!
Visit our "Painting holidays" section for more details.
Our courses provide a unique opportunity to improve your creative writing skills, learning from excellent tutors and enjoying the companionship of a select group of like-minded people. We offer intimate, well structured tuition concentrating on writing romantic fiction.
Two special creative writing courses have been organised for 2008. One will concentrate on writing romantic fiction, drawing on the tutor's experience with her publisher, Mills & Boon. The other course is for those of you who want to write a novel but need help with work in progress or simply don't know where to begin.
Our courses will undoubtedly help you to become a better writer. You will have opportunities to experiment with new techniques and fresh ways to express your thoughts and ideas. As well as group presentations and discussions, each tutor will discuss your work with you on a one-to-one basis.
The ethos of our courses is creativity and enjoyment, but if one of your aims is to sell your work, you will also learn what publishers and producers are looking for and how to provide manuscripts and scripts that are more likely to be accepted. This service and the critique of your work is, in itself, worth more than the cost of the course!
Visit our "Creative writing courses" section for more details.
If you would like to rent an apartment (possibly before or after a painting or creative writing course), we offer spacious and well furnished self-catering accommodation. We have five self-contained apartments (three sleep 4, two sleep 2). Each has a modern bathroom and a fully equipped kitchen.
Two apartments are in the three-store Tuscan house in the mill courtyard, with views over the gardens and the mountains beyond; two others are set above the older watermill, with river and valley views; the fifth is set beside the olive press and the artists’ studio and looks out over gardens and the river.
You can spend some of your days exploring the area by car or by foot: there are miles of paths through the hills to be walked. You can savour the true Italian lifestyle in Fivizzano, with its cafés, shops and restaurants. But you’re likely to spend a lot of your time simply relaxing at the mill, sunning yourself in the garden or cooling off in the riverside plunge pool.
Visit our "Self-catering holidays" section for more details.
