"Thank you for providing a model of how to construct a good life!" S.P. 2009
Welcome to Il Chiostro 2012. We are happy to announce our 18th season of arts and culture workshops in Italy.
Our name Il Chiostro means "the cloister" and like those sequestered gardens of a convent or monastery, it is our wish to provide a place - away from the distractions of daily life - where you can spend a little time paying attention to yourself. When you come to Il Chiostro you can unpack your bags for a week and be taken care of while you explore the other side of your spirit that so often gets neglected. Maybe you want to learn to painting or to cook Tuscan style, or to improve your photography or even express yourself through singing.
Since 1995 it has been our pleasure to bring people to Italy - and Italy to people - by sharing its culture, values and life style through workshops in the arts, culture and personal development. Although we started in Tuscany, we now offer programs in many locations - but always in Italy because we believe that Italy just never runs out of fascinating places. In Italy the food is astonishing, the wine is luscious, the people are welcoming, the art work is phenomenal, the history is mind-boggling and the scenery is spectacular.
This year we offer programs in Tuscany, Venice, Milan, Lake Garda, Florence, Bologna and Cortona. We also have our eye on the Piedmont, Sardinia and Sorrento (again) for the future.
We also customize programs so if you have your own small group we can design something specifically for you in any one of our locations.
At Il Chiostro we also like to maintain contact with our alumni once your program is over. We are unique in that we provide an opportunity for our participants to submit their art work to be displayed at our annual exhibit at a gallery in New York. This year is it entitled Italy - the Eyes Have It! from March 23-April 1. Come see us at 25CPW Gallery on 62nd Street and Central Park West in Manhattan.
Please read the “About Us” section and see why we feel that the food, art, wine, history, language, crafts, and the glorious scenery all work together to make Italy unforgettable. The authentic accommodations we select, our passionate staff, and our connections with the local population combine to create the Il Chiostro Experience.
Come back to yourself this year in Italy with Il Chiostro.
Arrivederci presto!
Linda Mironti and Michael Mele, Directors
"Words cannot express how much my time with all of you meant to me. I do still have the halo around me...and I know it will remain with me because it is radiating from my heart! Hopefully, the wonderful healing energies from Il Chiostro will now flow through me to others (especially through my paint brush). I will be seeing all of you again because I will be back...in fact, you will have to put up with me at least once a year." - SS, Florida [For more comments from participants, see Testimonials under About Us.
Featured Programs
Artisanal Food and Wine in Tuscany Get into the minds and hearts of the Tuscans who eat and produce their elegantly simple food. Follow Tuscan chef Andrea Anichini as he seeks out the best organic ingredients from local artisanal producers.
Italy-the Eyes Have It!, Our 7th Annual Exhibit in Soho, NYC Submit your artwork to be considered for our spring exhibit at the 25CPW Gallery in New York. Get full details and the Submission Form by clicking here. Any Il Chiostro alumni is eligible. The work should be something you did at your workshop or that was completed at home, based on something from the workshop.
Photography with your iPhone in Venice Imagine: You are capturing the photographic romance, beauty and intrigue of Venice, and you do it all without a burdensome camera around your neck or heavy camera bag on your shoulder. That is right, you are traveling light, exploring Italys visual cornucopia with your iPhone. Workshop instructor Dan Burkholder.
Welcome to Il Chiostro 2012. We are happy to announce our 18th season of arts and culture workshops in Italy.
