The Tuscany Story Lab

Curiosity, Craft & Lineage

An Elevate Family History Writing Retreat in Sarteano, Italy

Book Now  Oct 10th-17th 2026

Experiment, Explore and Reimagine your Family Narratives


Join us where writers step out of their routines—and into the rolling light of Tuscany—to explore new ways of telling the stories that shaped them.

Set in a restored Tuscan farmhouse overlooking sun-washed vineyards and olive groves, The Tuscany Story Lab is a seven-day immersion for writers ready to reconnect with their creativity. Whether you arrive with loose pages, a draft-in-progress, scattered fragments, or simply the desire to begin again, this retreat invites you to slow down, look closer, and rediscover the stories that shaped you.

 

Tuscany’s rolling hills, medieval towns, and long, unhurried meals

create the perfect environment to refill your creative well

and invite new ways of seeing your lineage.

It's a creative laboratory

This retreat is your story lab — a place to play, experiment, and discover.

 

Through guided writing sessions, hands-on exercises, and inspiration drawn from Tuscany’s textures and history, you’ll explore:

  • Story shape, voice, and structure

  • Innovative forms that unlock new perspectives

  • The emotional threads that run through generations

  • How to peel back and rearrange your family narratives into compelling creative nonfiction

Each session invites curiosity and experimentation. No perfection. No pressure. Just possibility.

 

A first look at The Story Between Us Anthology.

As part of this exploration, you’ll also get a small taste of an upcoming collaborative anthology project — it will be our first opportunity to experiment with ideas that might one day grow into shared creative work. The focus here is simply to spark inspiration and expand your sense of what your stories can become.

Each session invites curiosity and experimentation—no perfection, no pressure, just possibility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What you'll walk away with

  • New creative writing tools you can use with any story

  • Fresh pages and drafts from each major exercise

  • Clarity on which stories want to be told—and how

  • A deeper connection to your family narrative

  • A sense of creative renewal, sparked by Tuscany itself

  • A community of writers who share your passion for lineage and story
     

What Awaits You In Tuscany

Villa Le Buche Winery & Resort, Sarteano, Italy

Relax

Villa Le Buche Wine Estate in Sarteano is a family-owned retreat nestled among vineyards, olive groves, and rolling Tuscan hills. Built by the Olivi family, whose generations of hospitality are matched by a deep love of wine, the estate invites you to feel at home and soak in the surroundings.

Blending rural elegance with modern comfort, the villa offers spacious rooms, quiet terraces, and sweeping countryside views that welcome you the moment you arrive. Guests can also enjoy the serene indoor whirlpool, outdoor heated pool, Turkish bath, and Finnish sauna.

Whether you’re strolling the grounds, sipping wine on the terrace, or simply pausing to take in the view, the estate offers the perfect setting to refresh and let the Tuscan landscape spark your creativity.

Eat

Meals at Le Buche are a celebration of Tuscan tradition, crafted with care and infused with the flavors of the estate’s vineyards and olive groves.

A private chef prepares breakfast, lunch, and dinner, featuring handmade pasta, breads, pastries, and dishes built from fresh, local ingredients—think homemade jams, warm cakes, Pienza pecorino, hand-cut Tuscan ham, and seasonal produce.

We’ll also roll up our sleeves for a hands-on cooking class, learning regional techniques and creating a meal together—part culinary education, part creative play, all delicious.

Most meals are included throughout the week, with a few lunches left open for you to enjoy at your leisure while exploring the towns of Tuscany.

Write

This retreat is designed as a creative adventure. Through guided exercises, you’ll explore new ways to approach your family history and creative nonfiction work. Each session encourages experimentation, playful discovery, and deep engagement with your stories, helping you return to your writing with fresh perspective and renewed inspiration.

Explore

Tuscany is your classroom. In addition to the estate itself, we’ll explore nearby area of Val d'Orcia and medieval towns such as Siena, Montepulciano and Cortona. We'll visit the Le Buche winery on-site to see how high-quality wines are produced with care, blending classical Tuscan techniques and modern innovation. Wine tastings, local markets, and cultural excursions throughout the region provide endless inspiration for your writing and connect you to the stories of Tuscany itself.

Retreat Pricing

What's Included

 

  • 7 nights at Villa Le Buche Wine Estate

  • Private, grand Tuscan-style bedroom with double bed and en-suite bathroom with shower

  • Daily breakfasts, dinners and most lunches included, featuring fresh ingredients prepared by local chef's

  • Daily group morning labs, writing sessions and workshops

  • Afternoon writing blocks and group feedback and discussion sessions

  • 1:1 coaching time with Lynn Palermo

  • Pre-arranged group outings and transportation to explore a minimum of three nearby Tuscan towns

  • Visit, tour and tasting of onsite and nearby local wineries

  • Hands-on Tuscan cooking class with private chef

  • Free time to relax, write and enjoy the peaceful estate and spa amenities, including the pool, whirlpool, sauna and Turkish bath. 

     

     **Airfare and airport transfers not included.
 

Single Writer 

Private 1 Bedroom with ensuite bathroom for a Single Writer 

 
 
 
 
Regular Price

$5700US

Two Writers

Shared Bedroom with 2 Twin Beds and ensuite bathroom for two writers

 
 
 
Regular Price 

$9700US

Writer & Guest

Private 1 Bedroom with king size bed or two twins upon request with ensuite bathroom for 1 writer and 1 guest. 

 
Regular Price

$8200US

Deposit (1st Payment): $1,000 Single Writer / $2000 Shared Writers / $1500 Writer & Guest 


Payment Plan : June 1st, 2026 (2nd Payment): $1500 

                                Sept 1st, 2026 (3rd Payment): Remaining Balance 

 

Terms and Conditions

What's Not Included

  • Airfare. Each tour member books their own flight.

  • Shuttle service to and from 

  • Lunches on Shuttle Days

  • 2 Lunches on Tour Days

  • Travel Insurance is highly recommended. 

  • Tips to coach driver and tour coordinator

Travel & Arrival

Optional Group Arrival from Rome

Civita di Bagnoregio + Orvieto

For participants arriving in Italy via Rome, an optional group arrival transfer will be offered.

Traveling together by private coach, we’ll begin our journey north with a first stop at Civita di Bagnoregio—a breathtaking ancient village perched atop a volcanic tuff hill and often called “The Dying City” due to centuries of erosion. Accessible only by a long pedestrian bridge, Civita offers sweeping views of the surrounding valley, a sense of deep time rooted in Etruscan history, and a quiet medieval charm largely untouched by modern life. You’ll have time to cross the bridge, wander the small piazza, explore the historic church and ancient cellars, and enjoy a pause that feels both contemplative and unforgettable.

From there, we’ll continue on to Orvieto, where you’ll have time to explore the historic center, enjoy lunch, and wander at your own pace before continuing on to Villa Le Buche.

This arrival experience is designed as a gentle threshold—allowing you to transition gradually from city to countryside, and to arrive at the retreat already immersed in place, history, and rhythm.

 

Please note:
This optional group arrival—including private coach transportation and stops in Civita di Bagnoregio and Orvieto—is offered for an additional fee and is not included in the retreat tuition. Participation is entirely optional; guests are welcome to make independent travel arrangements if preferred.

 

Full timing, logistics, and pricing will be shared with registered participants.

Departure & Return Travel

 

Optional Group Departure Transfer

At the conclusion of the retreat, an optional group departure transfer will be available for participants returning to Rome.

This private coach transfer will depart Villa Le Buche on the final morning and travel to Rome, with drop-off at Rome Fiumicino Airport and/or a central Rome location. This option is best suited for guests with evening or next day departures. 

 

Please note:
The group departure transfer is optional and offered for an additional fee. It is not included in the retreat tuition. The transfer is professionally arranged and driver-managed. Guests who prefer to depart independently are welcome to do so.

Departure timing and pricing details will be provided to registered participants in advance.

Past Retreats

Write, Travel, Transform.

From the misty shores of Ireland to the forested calm of Vancouver Island, from the creative hum of Paris, Ontario to the still waters of Loon Lake, BC, our retreats have one purpose — to help writers step away from routine and step fully into their stories. 

 

Each setting offers its own rhythm, reflection, and renewal, a place where community, craft, and courage converge on the page.

"As a beginning writer, I once worried that I was “doing it wrong.” Lynn not only helped me find my voice but also encouraged me to embrace the identity of being a writer."  

Deb H.