When I first bought the Watermill at Posara in 1989 (having been delighted by the scenery in this unspoiled area of rural Tuscany and enchanted with the ancient buildings and their beautiful grounds), I had no idea that my capricious purchase would turn into a world-renowned centre for ‘convivial creativity’.
I was living and working in London, wondering how I was going to restore the historic buildings and make the watermill ‘wash its face’ economically, to pay its way. Luckily, I found Karsten Muller, from Hamburg, Germany, a fellow Italophile living nearby, and when I set up a little business letting holiday apartments, he not only supervised the restoration work but also helped look after our guests. He is still here today as the Watermill Manager.
The trouble in those early days was that although we were pretty full in the summer months, few people came in May and September. I mentioned this to a colleague in London said: “Why not run a painting course?” The following year, we did, running not one but two courses, one in May and one in September. They proved so successful that the following year we ran two painting courses in May and two in September. And the year after that, we ran six courses… The rest is history.
That first course was in the early 1990s, so we now have more than 30 years’ experience in looking after our guests. We now run more than 20 creative courses every year, all led by renowned international tutors. While painting has remained our mainstay, we have branched out into creative writing, the Italian language – and knitting! This latter subject has proved as popular as painting, with enthusiastic knitters joining us from all over the world.
Lois and I moved permanently to Italy with our children in 2010 and Lois’ enthusiasm and hard work has taken us to the next level of excellence, especially in interior design and fine cooking.
We call our courses ‘convivial creativity’, and we aim to provide inspiring teaching, warm hospitality, stunning scenery, delicious food and wine and the convivial company of like-minded people. We say at the Watermill: “There are no strangers here, only friends who have yet to meet.” In this safe haven, our guests’ troubles slip away, and they release their creativity as they paint, write, knit or learn Italian together.
Don’t be a stranger. Come and enjoy convivial creativity with us at the Watermill. You can find details of all our 2024 creative courses by clicking here.