Come Write With Us in Italy

There are times when your book needs more than another hour squeezed into an already full week. It needs your attention. It needs time away from the everyday things that keep calling your name.

For one week, you’ll stay in Umbria at Locanda della Quercia Calante, where you will wake up surrounded by rolling hills, gather with other writers, and spend real time working on the book you want to bring into the world.

And because we believe some of the best ideas come when you leave the desk for a while, this retreat also gives you the chance to experience Italy. You’ll enjoy planned excursions, wonderful meals, and time to simply enjoy where you are.

Whether your book is still an idea or you already have pages written, you can begin right where you are.

See What’s Included

Your Home in Umbria

For the week, we’ll make our home at Locanda della Quercia Calante, a restored 14th-century farmhouse tucked into the Umbrian countryside near Castel Giorgio, about 18 kilometers from Orvieto. Surrounded by wooded hills, gardens, and open countryside, it gives us a place where we will settle in, write, gather, and enjoy Italy without feeling rushed.

Outside, you’ll find gardens, old trees, and the property’s spring-water pool, which is made up of three connected pools surrounded by volcanic rock.

There are also indoor and outdoor gathering areas that give us plenty of places to read, write, talk, or simply enjoy the view.

And then there’s the food.

Meals at the Locanda feature Umbrian and Tuscan cooking with fresh ingredients, including products grown on the property. Meals can be enjoyed indoors or outside beneath the farmhouse arbour.

This is where we’ll write, eat, gather, rest, and call home for the week.

A beautiful destination can change the way you see your story.

From Pen to Paper retreats bring writers together in places that invite them to slow down, step away from everyday responsibilities, and spend time with the book they want to write.

Whether your story is still an idea or your manuscript is already underway, you are welcome here.

We Understand Writers

We know that some stories need more than a few quiet minutes squeezed into an ordinary day.

Sometimes, the words begin to come when you step away from your usual routine and give yourself permission to listen to the story that has been waiting inside you.

After decades of working with writers, we have seen what can happen when someone is given time, encouragement, and a place that invites creativity.

Our retreats welcome writers at every stage. You may be carrying the first idea for a book, or you may already have pages written. Wherever you are, you will have the opportunity to spend time with your story and see where it leads.

Our Itinerary

A Week to Write, Explore & Remember
We’ve planned the week with a nice mix of writing time, time together, and some really special experiences around Umbria. Some days will keep us close to the Locanda, and others will take us out to explore. Here’s a look at what we have planned.

Come Spend the Week With Us in Italy

We’ve planned this retreat the way we would want to experience Italy ourselves. There will be time for your book, beautiful places to explore, long meals around the table, and time to simply enjoy being there.

If you’ve read this far and can picture yourself with us, we’d love to have you.

Come as a Participant and bring the book you want to work on, or join us as a Guest and enjoy the week without the writing sessions. Either way, you’ll be part of everything we’re planning in Umbria.

A $1,000 non-refundable deposit reserves your place and is applied toward your retreat total.

Come spend a week with us. We think it’s going to be pretty special.