A Taste of Village Life: Custom Food, Art & Outdoor Adventures
Escape with your small group to Vallo di Nera, a medieval village tucked into the hills of Umbria.
Just two hours north of Rome, this stone village is surrounded by forests and quiet countryside. Life moves slowly here. Artisans, cafés, and everyday moments shape village life—experiences your Italian-American host, Jessica Vecchione, shares as she guides you.
Guests stay in Jessica’s private home in the heart of the village. From there, each group creates its own path through Umbria. These custom retreats are built around slow travel, with days shaped by what matters most—at a pace that feels natural and unhurried.
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Start Planning Your Custom Journey with a 30 Minute Chat
Select a date and time to book - Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Zoom Call with Jessica Vecchione
VirtualJoin me for a brief Zoom call to talk about Umbria and see if a scheduled retreat or a custom trip for your small group is the right fit. We’ll go over dates, pricing, travel, lodging, meals, and what a typical week looks like at Casa Della Zia in the Valnerina. I’ll also explain how custom trips work for groups of up to 10 and how we shape each experience around your interests. Whether you're drawn to food, art, workshops, or time exploring the countryside, we’ll talk through what matters most to you and find the right balance of structure and free time. No pressure, just a friendly conversation to answer your questions and help you decide what feels right.
Select date and timeEvent time zone:America/New York GMT-04:00
Zoom Call with Jessica & Candace (Sky & Stone September 15 - 20)
VirtualJoin me for a brief Zoom call with Candace Rudd to talk about Umbria and the Sky & Stone small-group yoga retreat, September 14–20, 2026, exhibit at Casa Della Zia in Vallo di Nera. The full itinerary is available to review in advance. This is a friendly, no-pressure conversation where we’ll walk through dates, pricing, travel and transfers, lodging, meals, and what a typical week feels like. Candace will also answer questions about the yoga practice, daily flow, and how the retreat balances movement, rest, and connection to place. We’ll talk about the rhythm of the week, including daily yoga, gentle hikes, time outdoors, visits to nearby Umbrian towns, shared meals, and unstructured time to relax and enjoy village life. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions about physical requirements, pace, and whether this retreat is a good fit for you. Book a Zoom time below and bring your questions. This call is simply an opportunity to get clarity and decide whether this retreat aligns with what you’re looking for.Select date and timeEvent time zone:America/New York GMT-04:00
Grove to Table: Umbrian Cuisine Retreat
VirtualCurious about From Grove to Table: A 7-Day Umbrian Food & Culture Retreat? A brief Zoom call is the best way to explore whether this experience is the right fit for you. Join Jessica Vecchione, host of Casa Della Zia, for a relaxed, no-pressure conversation about what the week truly feels like — not just the itinerary, but the pace, the food experiences, and what it’s like to live in a small stone village in the Valnerina. We’ll cover retreat dates (September 29–October 6), pricing, travel logistics and transfers, accommodations (Casa Della Zia and Locanda Cacio Re), meals, group size, and what a typical day looks like — including cooking sessions, winery and olive oil visits, town exploration, and downtime back in Vallo. If you’re considering joining with friends or want to shape a custom small-group culinary week, we can also talk through interests, dietary needs, preferred pace, and possible add-ons. This call is purely informational — an opportunity to get clarity, meet your host, and decide whether this retreat aligns with what you’re looking for. Schedule your Zoom call below.Select date and timeEvent time zone:America/New York GMT-04:00
Zoom Call with Jessica & George (Without Words Theatre Retreat, August 31 - September 7)
VirtualJoin me for a brief Zoom call with George Feaster to talk about Umbria and the Beyond Words cross cultural theatre immersion, August 31 - September 7, 2026, based at Casa Della Zia in Vallo di Nera. The full itinerary is available to review in advance. This is a friendly, no pressure conversation where we will walk through dates, pricing, travel and transfers, lodging, meals, and what the week feels like day to day. George will also answer questions about the workshop process, the daily structure, and how we build the final theatrical postcard performance together. We will talk about the rhythm of the week, including daily training sessions, movement and voice work, writing and improvisation, time in the village, shared meals, and evenings in nearby Umbrian towns. You will also have the opportunity to ask about experience level, physical requirements, pace, and whether this immersion is the right fit for you. Book a Zoom time below and bring your questions. This call is simply an opportunity to get clarity and decide whether this experience aligns with what you are looking for.Select date and timeEvent time zone:America/New York GMT-04:00Buon Giorno
A glimpse into what awaits you...
