Villa Spannocchia in Tuscany, Italy
Sunday, October 14 - Wednesday,
October 24, 2007

This is Nightwriters' tenth year at "Spannocchia". We keep returning for one reason - Spannocchia is an ideal place for a writer to be. Situated on l,200 acres of vineyards, olive groves and wildlife preserve, it has plenty of walking trails and quiet places to sit with a book or journal. The villa, itself is spacious, quiet and comfortable, with delicious food and comfortably furnished rooms. Writers can find solitude, companionship, and the beauty of a Florentine villa filled with flowers, books and the clear Tuscan light which is different from any other light in the world.

On Sunday afternoon, you will be picked up at the Florence airport and after a scenic ride through the Tuscan countryside we will turn onto a two mile stretch of road south of Siena that climbs slowly up a hill and ends at the wrought iron gates of Villa Spannocchia's front entrance. There will be time for a glass of wine before the living room fire before supper. That night, you can open your wooden window shutters and let the cool Tuscan air refresh your room before you drop off to sleep.

Monday morning, a wood fire and the smell of fresh coffee will greet you in the dining room for breakfast, followed by an optional Tai Chi exercise on the villa front lawn conducted by Jennifer Storey, who lives in the nearby hilltown of Orgia. Then, at 9:30, we will adjourn to the upper dining room for the first of five morning seminars, conducted by Phyllis Theroux.