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CREATIVE & INSPIRING RETREATS FOR WOMEN IN SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES ON EARTH
You're a giver.
To your family. To your work. To your friends. To your community.
To continue to give, you must also receive.
This experience is designed to allow you to do just that. Enjoy the company of fellow women on their own personal journeys, all while soaking in the beauty Italy has to offer. If you're longing for inspiration, self-care time, adventure, or a mental break - One thing is for sure. You will leave this trip changed. We believe that sharing meals together leads to sharing our hearts. That sharing a bottle of red leads to sharing our fears. Illuminare provides a space attendees to look within ourselves & encourage our new friends, too. There is simply no better place on earth for a conversation like this one. Italy has a beautiful way of getting down deep into your soul & stirring alive passions you forgot were there. Of reigniting ideas & bringing a new perspective to our lives.
If you've been longing for clarity & inspiration in your life, this is for you.
It's time for you.
Looking for the domestic retreat?
Take Me There
This retreat truly was one of the best weeks of my whole life. Amanda really rolled out the red carpet for us attendees. Everything from the accommodations to the experiences to the personalized notes and gifts were all done with such attention to detail. I have never felt more pampered! I left the retreat with so much more clarity about how I want to live life and make others feel. I would 1000% recommend these retreats for any woman who needs a little blood pumped back into her veins. You will be astounded at how someone pouring into you will change your mind and heart.
-Kate
"We travel initially to lose ourselves...and we travel next to find ourselves."
what to expect
There's something about all 5 senses being engaged. Taking in the smells, the sights. Feeling the ancient roads under your feet, hearing the clank of the cup meeting the saucer as locals savor their morning espresso in cafes. The tastes... Oh, the tastes. Nothing feeds the soul quite like fresh Italian pasta & vino made from the vineyard down the road.
There's something about Italy.
Val d'Orcia is a picturesque UNESO World Heritage Site & a region of Tuscany. On this retreat, we will be traveling by private transfer with our personal driving team through the Val d’Orcia to experience the postcard-worthy scenery found within it's cypress tree lined hills. Multiple days of our retreat will include trips out from our villa to different hillside villages. Steeped in culture, the charming villages are instagram worthy at every turn and filled with some of the best food (& wine) of your life.
We will meet small, family run wineries who have been churning away at their craft for years. We will taste wine while looking at the very field it came from, while hearing the passion & history behind the wine maker themself. We will explore the beauty of Siena, both from the heart of the city - and from perched on the hill where our villa resides. Peaceful, roomy, beautifully appointed & longing for conversations under the Tuscan sun to be had within its olive groves by you & your new friends.
who is this retreat for?
Women from all walks of life who need a little time away, reconnecting with themselves while being in a picturesque setting. Retreat members are eager to make new connections/friends, understand that Europe means a decent amount of walking, and are flexible/happy travelers! For this particular trip, attendees should enjoy wine! This trip wouldn't be the right trip for a gal that doesn't enjoy wine because we will be visiting so many vineyards. Stay tuned for the next one if that's you!
What is the group size & when we will know who is joining us?
The group will include up to 10 participants, plus the host Amanda
Prior to the trip, a Facebook group will be created for our retreat members to get to know each other, ask questions & share more about themselves.
I have a special diet, can you accommodate?
On the application, you'll see a spot to let us know any diet needs you have & we will absolutely do our best to meet those at all meals. If you have specific concerns, please feel free to email with questions.
What are the accommodations like?
Our home for the retreat sits just above the town of Siena, looking through the countryside to see it perched on the hill next to us. Seemingly our own little village (within a cute village itself), our villa is diffused into multiple buildings, connected by a stunning courtyard and outdoor spaces you’ll want to stay in. With multiple living spaces, kitchens, and a bathroom for every 2 guests, there is ample room for privacy & relaxation. You will be sharing a room with another attendee so either come with a friend or be ready to make a new one! We believe that sharing builds our community & is part of this intimate retreat style experience!
Will we have wifi?
We will have wifi available for you within the apartment so you can stay connected to your family & friends at home. If you'd like to have wifi on the go throughout the day as well and your cell provider doesn't offer this, please reach out and we'd be happy to help you arrange a personal hotspot.
how do i get there?
Pisa & Florence are both about 2 hours by train to Siena. Transportation within the country is wonderful thanks to Italy's train systems. Even Rome is just 4 hrs by train away. Once at the train station, you can take a taxi for the 10 minute drive to our villa. Renting a car is always an option, but not required. As the trip gets closer, you'll receive a comprehensive travel email with tips on finding the best flight deals, and how to navigate transport to our villa once in Italy. We are happy to help you arrange transport. Some guests extend their trip with extra time in the location of their choosing either before or after the retreat to explore another city as well.
Once-in-a-lifetime experience
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Go home refreshed & empowered
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Food lovers paradise of Italian food & wine
Once-in-a-lifetime experience
-
Go home refreshed & empowered
-
Food lovers paradise of Italian food & wine
While this retreat is experience focused, it is also designed to allow you to reconnect with yourself.
Titled after the Italian word for Illuminate, we hope you leave this retreat not just with an incredible experience, but feeling a new sense of purpose, peace, or clarity in your own life. Whatever it is you're coming to look for - there is a good chance that once you clear out the noise of your day to day life & immerse yourself in the experience designed for you, you'll find it was within you the whole time.
Come experience the tastes, sights, smells & wonders of Italy - and flip your own light back on in the process.
illuminare
/ il:umi'nare/ verb:
to illuminate, to light up
What is the group size & when we will know who is joining us?
The group will include 8 participants, plus the host Amanda
Prior to the trip, a Facebook group will be created for our retreat members to get to know each other, ask questions & share more about themselves.
I have a special diet, can you accommodate?
On the application, you'll see a spot to let us know any diet needs you have & we will absolutely do our best to meet those at all meals. If you have specific concerns, please feel free to email with questions.
What are the accommodations like?
We will be staying in a stunning apartment in the heart of Florence! You will be sharing a room with another attendee so either come with a friend or be ready to make a new one! We believe that sharing builds our community & is part of this intimate retreat style experience!
Will we have wifi?
We will have wifi available for you within the apartment so you can stay connected to your family & friends at home. If you'd like to have wifi on the go throughout the day as well, please reach out and we'd be happy to help you arrange a personal hotspot.
how do i get there?
We recommend flying into either Florence, Rome, or Bologna. Transportation within the country is wonderful thanks to Italy's train systems. As the trip gets closer, you'll receive a comprehensive travel email with tips on finding the best flight deals, and how to navigate transport to our apartment once in Italy.
can i pay in installments?
Yes - We've provided a few options for you:
-You may pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your spot, with the remaining balance due on December 1, 2021.
-You may pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your spot, breaking up the balance into 3 payments due by December 1, 2021.
-You may pay in its entirety in one lump sum at the time of booking
RETREAT VILLA
-7 days & 6 nights in a beautiful multi-building villa overlooking the beautiful city of Siena
-Visits to multiple breathtaking towns of the Val d'Orcia such as Montepulciano, Pienza & Montalcino
-Intimate wine tastings & meals at family run wineries, where we will connect with the history and land behind each pour
-Private transfer with our personal driving team during the retreat activities
-Wine education throughout the retreat from experts
-Dinner every evening as well as 3 lunches (all wine included during meals)
-Light breakfast daily in the villa
-Guided tour through Siena by an expert to explain the incredible history of this stunning city, (especially what I believe is one of the most beautiful churches in all of Italy - the Siena Duomo, where we will admire work by Michelangelo, Donatello, Bernini, and more)
-Conversations with other women on their own journeys. A once-in-a-lifetime style girls trip to grow & be inspired
-Your custom journal to help spur on ideas & meditation
-A digital travel guide to aid you in planning your adventure
-Free time for you to venture into Siena to do sightseeing & shopping
-....and plenty of amazing surprises!
Details:
We ask that all guests arrive to the apartment by 2:00 on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
The retreat will conclude at 10:00am on Monday morning, April 24, 2023.
What is included:
join us.
investment
RETREAT IS SOLD OUT
Note: Airfare & travel to/from villa before & after retreat is not included. However, we are happy to help set that up for you - just email.
Our group will remain intimate in size, therefore spots are very limited. If you are not coming with a friend/roomate, you will be paired up with another solo attendee and may share a room and/or king size bed.
A note:
If you’re considering going on a retreat, do it. Don’t try to convince yourself you don’t deserve to go, or that you’ll do the next one, or that you can’t afford it. Pull the trigger. You won’t regret it if you go. I promise.
-Karen, 4 time retreat attendee
illuminare retreats © 2020
| Site design by Kaleigh Turner Creative
Site design by Kaleigh Turner Creative