THE VENUE
This wonderful villa is located in the beautiful village of San Casciano Val di Pesa, just minutes away from the historic district of the city of Florence. The villa traces back its origins to the early XVI century and is considered one of the finest examples of classical Renaissance architecture, attributed to the school of Michelangiolo. Previous residence of several important noble families, the villa sits on a hillside overlooking the striking Tuscan landscape, full of olive trees, vineyards, cypresses and pine trees. The villa is classified as a Historic Monument by the city’s “Fine Arts” administration because of its magnificent interior and exterior features. Its symmetrical plans and facades, as well as the fantastic layout of the interiors, reflect the Renaissance tradition at its very best. The villa spreads over more than 19,000 square feet of inner living space surrounded by 11 Acres of land (of which 2 acres decorate the garden surrounding the villa). An excellent extra virgin olive oil is produced every year from the 800 perfectly kept olive trees. This villa is beautiful inside and out and we not only get to photograph in it, but we get to stay there for the duration of the workshop! The village also offers many delicious restaurants, trattoria and pizzeria where all of the best traditional Florentine and Tuscan food can be tasted. There are several shops that sell local products such as; groceries, butchers, pastry shops, bakeries and a big supermarket called Coop. Services such as banks with ATMs, a post office, and pharmacies can also be found here.