What I Do & Why It's Different
A week with me is built on four things, in this order:
Cucina povera kitchens
Two hands-on cooking sessions per retreat with farmhouse nonnas in Val d'Orcia.
Olive harvest immersion
Guests pick, press, and bottle their own oil during the October–November frantoio season.
Slow-flow yoga
Mornings under the loggia with Sofia's long-time teacher Marta from Pienza.
Cellar visits, never tours
Sit-down tastings with three small Brunello producers Sofia has known since 2017.
One villa per group
Casa Iannone hosts a single retreat at a time — never shared with another group.
Eight guests, hard cap
So Sofia can cook with you, drive you, and remember your name on day one.
No phones at table
A house rule since the first retreat in 2019. Guests ask to keep it after they leave.
What Actually Happens
Sunrise on the loggia, summer week.
Cooking session two — pici al ragù bianco.
Marta's morning flow under the fig tree.
Olive press in San Quirico, November.
Long lunch on the terrace, day five.
Walk back from Pienza, golden hour.
"I have been to four retreats over the years. This was the first one I came home from rested instead of recovering. The cap of eight guests is the entire reason."
"Sofia drove me to the train station on the last morning. We stopped twice — once for coffee, once for olive oil. That sums up the whole week."
"It is the only retreat I have signed up for twice. The yoga is good. The food is the reason."
What It's Like to Be Here
Mornings are slow. Yoga at 8, breakfast at 9, then the day opens up. Two cooking sessions and one excursion per week — never more. You will not be handed a printed schedule. You will be told what is happening at dinner the night before.
Who Comes to My Retreats
People in their late thirties to early sixties, mostly. Solo travelers and pairs. A lot of women in transition — between jobs, between relationships, between life stages. Nobody is here to "find themselves" in a dramatic way. They are here to eat well and stop checking email.
Not for groups larger than eight, not for anyone who needs a packed itinerary, and not for guests expecting a spa hotel. There is no spa. There is a kitchen.
Upcoming Retreats
I run a few retreats a year. Leave your email and I'll let you know when the next one opens.
Tuscan Harvest Week
Slow Spring in Pienza
If you have a question, want to discuss a private group, or just want to say hi — I read every message.