ABOUT BLAND BADGER IN UMBRIA
THE CONCEPT
We came upon the idea of the Bland Badger retreat when discussing our love of being creative in a collective and shared space. We both thrive artistically in the company of others and wanted to bring this state of mind to our guests by forming an environment to escape and connect with people through nurturing a creative instinct. We believe everyone has a creative spark inside them and that inspiration is the key to creativity; this is what we aim for people to come open to, and away with. Our retreat is a holiday which feels like a creative house party, not a talent competition.
OUR WORKSHOPS AND PROGRAMME
We offer a unique selection of non-compulsory workshops, run by experts in their field from all over the world, from cooking classes and floral arranging, to collage and gold embossed gilding. We provide all the practical elements for these activities and the location brings the magic. The workshops are run to suit all abilities and result in guests leaving with an item they have made; be it a book, a print or a cake. There is no need for any prior experience at our classes and there is no time limit to them either. One of the special things about our retreat is that it allows for guests to take the skills they learn in a workshop, outside of the class.
VILLA PIA
Villa Pia is a truly magical place. Nestled in the border between Umbria and Tuscany in the traditional Italian village, Lippiano, this 15th century country manor house, was once the summer residence for a wealthy Florentine family and is now a cross between a hotel and a guest house. The Villa’s approach to visitors is predicated on inviting them to treat the house as their own. This means helping yourself to unlimited Aperol Spritz and cappuccinos (no matter the time of day!), while also having your bed made for you each day. Every room is unique, with original traditional features and furnishings as well as astonishing views of the unspoilt surrounding landscape, which is unchanged since the great Renaissance painter Piero Della Francesca was born in a neighbouring village.
Villa Pia is perfectly located 30 minutes away from Arezzo and 1.5 hours from Florence.
THE FOOD
It’s hard to describe just how incredible the food at Villa Pia is. What we can say is that there will be:
Local cooks preserving traditional recipes that have been passed down to them for decades! These chefs are so good they have been asked by every visiting publisher if they will reveal their secrets in a cookbook – they are yet to agree
Seasonal local produce
A four-course dinner, EVERY evening!
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided daily, except Thursday when the staff have a day off