Mela Rosa Retreat Tuscany

 
 

A place of creative refuge, 45 minutes from Florence. Week long immersive retreats, intensive writing weekends to get you started , topic specific writing workshops. 

  • Mela Rosa Retreat offers a place where both time and space are protected to allow ideas to flourish as I believe that from a place of ease and safety comes powerful work.

  • Mela Rosa short courses, workshops and retreats offer the tools and experiences to fully embody and build your creative practice. 

  • Mela Rosa believes that a surrender to slow, generous refuge and working from the inside out is the key to creative breakthrough.

  • An understanding of seasonal, even agricultural, time offers a powerful nourishment for this work. 

  • At MelaRosa Retreats you are encouraged to think of your creative practice not as work or something to be chased and achieved. Rather, each moment you chose to spend in that creative space is an opportunity to contribute to the person you were always meant to be.

Mela Rosa

The name of the retreat is a little tongue in cheek. Obviously it is an Italianisation of my own name, but speaks to the farm too as its direct translation is Pink Apple and the orchard and food farm is central to the philosophy and identity of what I am hoping to achieve as well as the source of food for all who visit. All trees are heritage varieties. Serendipitous then when I received the catalogue from the Tuscan heritage fruit tree growers and discovered that the Mela Rosa apple tree exists. The fruit are dappled pink and green. Ten bare root Mela Rosa saplings were immediately added to my order.

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The property

Torre Roti sits in the hills of Tuscany, 45 mins North of Florence. The tower and annex were built in 1225 and we celebrate their 800th birthday in 2025. Tumbled down and neglected, the house/tower was restored around 40 years ago. The surrounding land and the home of the our retreat a few hectares acres of garden, native woodland, arable farmland and a cool mountain stream - much needed respite in a hot Tuscan summers. 

As far as is possible retreat group sessions take place outdoors under ancient trees or even in a greenhouse if it is cooler. The dining room/ library is our inside space with a lovely fire for cooler days and all over the property there are places to work in solitude or take time for creative thought. 

Retreat Accommodation

About 200 meters from the tower, writers will be accommodated in the magnificent Villa that takes the name of our little paesina (hamlet). Villa Campestri offers everything you would expect from a Tuscan Villa; big rooms, delicious breakfasts and a huge swimming pool should you join a summer mini- retreat or course.