Creative & Relaxing Getaways in Tuscany

Welcome!

Welcome to the website of Casale di Clio (literally, ‘the farmhouse of Clio’), where we offer rooms and facilities for Writers, Artists, Creative Folk – and for those seeking a little ‘time out’ from the hurly-burly of modern life for relaxation, reflection, regeneration and to re-charge the batteries. Situated in the Apennine Hills of Northern Tuscany, Italy, we also welcome Hikers and Lovers of Nature! Casale di Clio is our house in the hills above Bagni di Lucca, on the sunny south-facing side of Lima Valley. The house is named after the Muse Clio – see below – and is set within a small and picturesque hamlet with wonderful views of hill-top villages. We think it’s the perfect place to stay in Italy for those wanting some time for study, reflection relaxation – or just to ‘getaway’ for a while; the Casale is cosy, characterful and quirky rather than sleek and modern, as some ‘high-end’ (and much more expensive!) retreats and residencies may be. PLEASE NOTE that there are steps both outside the entrance to the house and inside the house (up one level to the bedrooms), meaning that Casale di Clio is not suitable for those with reduced mobility.

We offer short-term accommodation (study rooms in a characterful old house) for those wanting to be creative and/or to have time and space to reflect – particularly for those wanting to focus on literary, artistic, musical, historical, cultural or land-based endeavours. ‘Sustainable Land Use’ might appear at first to be a little incongruous, but we have an interest in the land and Permaculture, which is quite useful since in addition to the garden we have parcels of woodland that have been neglected for a little while, and a wonderfully-located parcel of partially-terraced land that we are developing as an ‘orto‘, or growing area – it is worth remembering that land and landscapes have provided inspiration in many creative disciplines!

Come to write, draw, paint, compose your ‘musical offering’, or to study; come with a specific project to work on, or come to play with new ideas and to seek inspiration; come for respite from the stresses of modern city life – and maybe to reflect on a change in direction; come and stay in a cosy and quiet base for a hiking holiday – maybe come with no other aim than to ‘kick-back’, read, and enjoy some ‘time-out’ in a lovely environment. We hope that your stay here will, paradoxically, be both stimulating and relaxing!

La Musa Clio

Our residence is named after the Muse Clio; she appealed to us because when the Muses were assigned specific literary and artistic spheres she was named Muse of History (and hence story-telling), with the specific role of ‘making famous’ and celebrating success! We hope that our residents will be inspired by Clio – and by the achievements of the various polymaths and creative icons that our accommodation rooms are named after: Leonardo (da Vinci), Dante (Alighieri), Hildegard (of Bingen) and Galileo (Galilei)!

Your Hosts

We are husband and wife partnership Adrian (British) and Tiziana (Italian), and we moved from the UK to Italy in late 2022. We have a breadth of experience that includes writing, organising village Art Shows, permaculture, sustainable land use and smallholding. We welcome folk to stay throughout the year – not just in Summer/High Season. Between us we speak English and Italian, and welcome those of all nationalities.

Retreat, Residence or Holiday?

We recognise the subtle differences between what might be termed ‘Retreats’, ‘Residences’ or ‘Holidays’ – all of which you will find available online for writers, artists and those with particular areas of interest or study (including local history, hiking and appreciation of the natural world and wildlife). At Casale di Clio we embrace a blurring of the lines between ‘retreats’ and ‘holidays’, offering rooms to rent while allowing guests to strike their own balance between any projects or interests that they bring, local exploration – and relaxation and reflection of course! We aim to enable you to enjoy a unique ‘getaway’ experience.

Staying Here

We offer comfortable ensuite rooms (each with a desk) and what we hope is an environment that will encourage and inspire your literary, artistic, cultural or other endeavours. As well as your comfortable study-bedroom you will have access to the living room, dining room, kitchen, library, garden, and various other spots suitable for work or relaxation, including our ‘Art Barn’ – with amazing views that are likely to inspire you to take up pencil, paintbrush, pen, camera – or keyboard (computer or musical!).

Food

We offer a complimentary welcome drink and dinner on the day of arrival – after that our basic offering is a self-catering retreat; we have a well-equipped guest kitchen with allocated fridge/freezer and cupboard space, and there are friendly, well-stocked food stores and trattorias/restaurants in walking distance (see our Food Page for details). A stop at a local supermarket is included in the free pick-up from the local train station. We can fire up the BBQ in Summer, and often enjoy pizza collected from a local restaurant. Tizi is happy to demonstrate pasta making using a traditional hand-operated machine.

If self-catering does not appeal, it may be possible to have lunch and/or dinners provided at Casale di Clio (eating with the hosts), at an additional cost – please contact us if you wish to discuss this, mentioning any dietary preferences.

We focus on providing rooms for those who have a project to work on or an area of interest to study and reflect on – as well as for those who just want to relax in an atmosphere conducive to the appreciation of art, literature, history, culture and the land. We welcome and encourage autodidacts (self-directed learners) who might wish to make the most of the interesting resources in our library. Having said that, we are scheduling ‘courses weeks’ in 2025, coordinating residence dates with courses provided by various teachers/organisations – see our current ‘course week’ schedule here.

In your downtime there are various options for whiling away the time, from setting up the screen to watch a Shakespeare performance (RSC productions) to a game of Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit – or any of the other games available – with any other guests present and/or the hosts.

When we have writers, artists or other ‘creatives’ resident here – or those bringing studies/research – we encourage ‘quiet hours’ at the Casale on weekday mornings and afternoons (see Terms and Conditions). Accommodation rooms do not have televisions or radios – nor is there a television set up in shared guest spaces (we have even taken down the TV arials!). This is not a monastery, however (aperitivi on the terrace or balcony are not unheard of!); we just ask residents to respect one another’s wish to enjoy a relaxing stay here.

There is wifi internet here – although we are currently also installing (ethernet) internet sockets throughout the house.

Group Bookings

We encourage you to consider coming and residing for a week or more with like-minded folk – people who share an interested in a particular literary, artistic, historical or other creative/cultural topics; maybe you are a member of a writing circle, book club, art or photography group – or even a history group. Contact us if you would like to discuss coordinating your bookings and coming as a group with a shared interest (NB, family/friends group bookings for general holidays are NOT accepted).

• Writing Retreat (maybe with online masterclass)
• Art Retreat (maybe with online masterclass)
• Courses
• Musical Composition Retreat (maybe with online masterclass)
• Photography Retreat (maybe with online masterclass)
• Study Permaculture & Sustainable Land Use
• Write up Dissertation/Thesis
• Sabbatical/Reading Week
• ‘Slow Christmas & New Year’ Festive Retreats

• Local History Study & Appreciation Holiday
• ‘Relax, Reflect & Recharge’ Getaway
• Walking/Nature Retreat Holiday
• Italian Language Self-Study Holiday
• ‘Build-Your-Own’ Retreat (maybe with online masterclasses)
• Plan buying and renovating an Italian property!
• Creative Retreat with added Tennis (coaching and/or a game or two at the local club)
• ‘Digital Nomads’ welcome!

Our Location

Casale di Clio is in the small hill village of Vetteglia, on the sunny South-facing side of the Lima Valley – above the historic spa-town of Bagni di Lucca. Vetteglia is on the signposted Cammino di San Bartolomeo footpath that links Pieve di Controni (just a few KM down the Cammino from Vetteglia) with other local villages – and on to Pistoia, a little further afield (worth a visit in its own right); the Cammino passes directly past our front door! From San Cassiano, just a few KM up the Cammino from Vetteglia, further signposted footpaths and trails head up onto Monte Prato Fiorito (Flowery Meadow Mountain!) for great hiking with wonderful views. On a separate page we set out more reasons why we think this is the perfect location for writers’, artists’ and study retreats.

The House & Facilities

We aim to provide a welcoming and relaxing environment, especially for those engaged in creative endeavours – with ‘study and reflection spaces’, inside and outside, including a small library and ‘Art Barn’.

At Casale di Clio, in addition to your own study-bedroom (with desk), you will have access to the following:

• living room
• dining room
• kitchen (with allocated fridge/freezer space)
• your own WC/shower facilities
• library/study room
• ‘Art Barn’
• balcony with a view
• dining terrace
• garden
• the ‘orto’: south-facing growing area with a view!
• woodland and mountain walks

The Casale, with its nooks and crannies – many with spectacular views – has been described as ‘like something out of The Game of Thrones’ – not familiar with the series, we hope that is a good thing! (We think it’s probably due to the ‘tunnels’/covered passageways and internal courtyard.)