VILLA MICHELANGELO

In Session 1, students will live and work for two weeks at Villa Michelangelo, a restored farmhouse in Tuscany on the border with Umbria. Peaceful and bright, the house is located on a dominating hillside (550 meters above sea level) with extensive views. Villa Michelangelo has extensive grounds, including a garden, grass terracing, olive groves, meadows, and a lake. On one of the terracings below the house is the swimming pool (8 meters in diameter). The house and grounds have numerous quiet areas where students can work undisturbed, including a large roof terrace.

The villa does not have Internet service, which many of our students have found improves their focus on writing. However, 3G wireless reception is good, so students can take advantage of data plans for their laptops and smart phones. Also, there are internet cafes in the nearby towns of Cortona (30 minutes away) and Umbertide (20 minutes away).

See DIRECTIONS for how to get to Villa Michelangelo.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Villa Michelangelo is divided into three apartments, one large and two small. The large apartment has two floors, including dining room, living room, a huge modern kitchen, three bedrooms, and 1 1/2 bathrooms. The smaller apartments each have a bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom.

Each of the villa's 3 full bathrooms has two sinks, a bidet, a shower, and a separate bathtub with a handheld shower.

Tina, Villa Michelangelo's caretaker, will clean the villa and change the linens on the middle Saturday of the session.

CLICK HERE or scroll down for more information about student housing.

MEALS

On each of the ten seminar days (see PROGRAM information for details), Tina will provide a light lunch and a delicious, full country-cooked dinner for the entire group.

Lunches and dinners will be fixed menu. We cannot guarantee that Tina will be able to cater to special needs, but in the past she has worked with us to accommodate vegetarian and gluten-free diets. If students find it necessary to prepare their own food, the villa has three full kitchens, and grocery stores are within driving distance.

We will keep the villa stocked with bottled water, toilet paper, paper towels, and for basic breakfast needs (e.g., coffee, milk, bread, jams).

On arrival, departure, and each of the three writing days (no class held), students will be responsible for their own meals. There will likely be some group dinner outings on these days.

STUDENT HOUSING

Housing at Villia Michelangelo will be assigned, and most students will have roommates. Students will be placed in one of the rooms described below. Students may express a housing preference, which we will attempt to honor, but we cannot make guarantees.

Main Apartment, Master Bedroom

Reserved for professor.

Main Apartment, Hearth Bedroom

Large room with fireplace, king-size bed, and a single bed (under the window in the photo). Roommates can rotate beds, each taking the king size bed for a week and the single bed for a week. This room shares a terrace with the Panorama Bedroom and has a door to the Blue Apartment. Occupancy: 2 students

Main Apartment, Panorama Bedroom

Medium sized room with a queen-size bed. This rooms shares a terrace with the Hearth Bedroom and has breathtaking views of the valley beneath the villa. Occupancy: 1-2 students

Tentatively Reserved.

Yellow Apartment, Bedroom

On the ground floor with two single beds. The Yellow Apartment (so named because of the tile color) has its own bathroom and kitchen, which connects to the kitchen of the main apartment. The bedroom also has an exit to the grounds. Occupancy: 2 students

Yellow Apartment, Living Room

On the ground floor with a queen-size sofabed. This room is private, with a door and its own exit to the outside. The Yellow Apartment has its own bathroom and kitchen, which connects to the kitchen of the main apartment. As this is the only fully private lodging, the registration rate is slightly higher for this room. (See REGISTRATION.) Occupancy: 1 student

Blue Apartment, Bedroom

On the upper floor with two single beds. The Blue Apartment (so named because of the tile color) has its own terrace, bathroom, and kitchen, which connects to the Hearth Bedroom of the main apartment. Access to the terrace and the outdoors is through the living room. Occupancy: 2 students

Blue Apartment, Living Room

On the upper floor with a queen-size sofabed. The Blue Apartment has its own terrace, bathroom, and kitchen, which connects to the Hearth Bedroom of the main partment. Although this room is private (it has a door), it controls access to the terrace and the outdoors for the rest of the apartment, which can present an occasional inconvenience. Occupancy: 1 student

Tentatively Reserved.

More information:  write.michelangelo@yahoo.com