A place of learning in the Tuscan hills

«Ciao, benvenuti a Santa Maria!» We had set off on foot from the village of Diacceto half an hour ago, stopped for an ice cream at Locanda Tinti and have now arrived in a good mood. The view of the Tuscan countryside is breathtaking.

Thomas and Paola open the gate with the colourful ribbons woven into it and the spiked wine corks and we enter the extensive grounds. The path leads to a church, lined with gnarled sycamore trees that stand there like sculptures or old, idiosyncratic natural creatures, with colourful hammocks strung between them. On the left there is a small meadow with oak, maple and scattered fruit trees. In between are piles of marble stones and homemade sculptors' trestles: the sculptor area. To the right is a large meadow that serves as a camping site for school classes when the house gets too full.

As you approach the medieval farmhouse and the Romanesque church, the natural landscape changes: natural stone walls, terraces, herb beds, a place for a fire, and in between small artefacts from the many guests who have been coming to this special place for 40 years. Some have taken part in art or meditation courses, others have spent the year twelve art trip here, still others have taken part in the two-week construction time in the summer or taken a breather during their hike along the St Francis Way.

Rooting yourself in the earth again

The old structure of the main house – formerly a residential and outbuilding – has been lovingly renovated over the years. It can accommodate around 35 people.

Eight years ago, I came to the «eremo di lavoro» (work retreat) for the first time to work for a fortnight, meditate and get involved with new people I didn't know beforehand. Since then, over the years, I have whitewashed walls, furnished rooms, cleared the threshing floor, laid out flowerbeds and tended trees, helped build the materials store, maintained the landscape and hacked countless brambles out of the ground. Why do I spend my summer holiday here every year despite the physical work in the morning heat and the rather strict daily rhythm à la «ora et labora»? That's exactly why!

Santa Maria is a place of inner contemplation, of encountering myself. By working quietly and constantly in nature, through rhythm and stillness, I can perceive and hear myself again. It is like a metabolic process. Thoughts and feelings that have built up over the year flow into the world through the body in the form of work. One entry in the guest book puts it like this: «I depart feeling more balanced, centreed and full of gratitude. The world belongs to those of us willing to get our hands dirty!»

Santa Maria is a place of connection with the earth, a place of selflessness and encounter. Not just through meditation or art, but through useful activity around the house, in the garden, in the woods. I devote my physical, mental and spiritual strength to this simple and special place. Reunions with people I know, encounters with people I don't know. We are united by our work, which is how we slowly and spontaneously get to know each other. Non-judgemental acceptance. Everyone finds their place in this archaic temporary community.

Spreading branches, connection with the world

Since 1983, courses in sculpture, painting and art history have been offered in Santa Maria, most of them bilingual. Florence is 40 minutes away by bus and train. Waldorf schools with their focus on artistic and craft activities soon found their way here. During the art trip, the pupils practise stone sculpting and painting and use the Romanesque church as a body for their morning singing. They draw and study Renaissance art on excursions into nature and to Florence.

Since 2008, the property has been owned by an Italian association under the management of Paola Canu and Thomas Müller. Paola, from a Sardinian family, and Thomas, with American-German roots, have revitalised the place with a lot of energy and love. The guiding principle of «deep roots and spreading branches» is a commitment to the place with openness to the world. Spirituality should be cultivated and lived, without a missionary character. The church was reconsecrated in 2018 and cultural events are held here.

The association is currently looking for a new management and administration for the property and activities. In order to enable a good handover by 2025, people are needed now who want to make a long-term and responsible commitment to this valuable place. Until then, Paola and Thomas look forward to welcoming everyone who enriches Santa Maria with their presence and energy.