PIETRE e OLIVI
STONE STRUCTURES & ANCIENT OLIVE TREES (and walking with a sketchbook)
A Sketching Retreat in Southern Italy
Seven talented and courageous sketchers came together in October of 2025 to draw, walk, eat, laugh and learn together over 8 days in the Valle d’itria area of Puglia. Why courageous? Because some of them had never sketched before! Amanda led the group on excursions based on two of her favorite passions, passions that define the area'- stone and olive trees. After five days of exploring the area around Ceglie Messapica they set out on foot and walked the ancient pilgramage route called the Via Francigena for three days. With sketchbooks in hand, they drew the millenia-old olive trees under threat from a disease killing them in the region and other interesting and beautiful points along the way. Hosted at Casa Cilona, all were well fed and well rested, held gently in the peaceful countryside of Ceglie Messapica.
26 October - 2 November 2025
THE PROGRAM
Saturday, 25 October - ARRIVAL
Arrival to Casa Cilona in Ceglie Messapica
Sunday, 26 October - INTRODUCTION to the VALLE d’ITRIA
Morning sketchwalk in Pascarosa, afternoon in Ceglie Messapica
Monday, 27 October - FROM SOLID STONE
Grottaglie - Cave dwellings in a ravine, an abandoned quarry, and the ceramic studios of the historic center, and an ancient olive press underground
Tuesday, 28 October - OF MORTARED STONE
Cisternino, a modern olive oil press facility and olive oil tasting
Wednesday, 29 October - OF DRY STONE
UNESCO town of Alberobello, thousand-year old monumental olive trees of Ostuni
Thursday, 30 October
TBD, Departure for those not walking the Via Francigena (VF)
Friday, 31 October - VF PILGRIMAGE DAY 1
walking from Torre Santa Sabina to Montalbano, +/- 23 km (14 miles)
sleep in Montalbano
Saturday, 1 November - VF PILGRIMAGE DAY 2
walking from Montalbano to Savelletri, +/- 17 km (10.5 miles)
sleep in Savelletri
Sunday, 2 November - VF Pilgrimage DAY 3
walking from Savelletri to Monopoli, +/- 20km (12 miles)
sleep at Casa Cilona
Monday, 3 November - DEPARTURE