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PROGRAMS
Belonging and Place
A Seminar on Sense of Place
Spannocchia Foundation October 3 - 9, 2004
Castello di Spannocchia, Chiusdino, ItalyPrice: $1,495 dependent on room preference
Program Coordinator:
Thomas Urquhart
(207) 781-5923
thomasu@maine.rr.comProgram Description: The program’s approach will draw on the following disciplines: Ecology, History, and Arts. Seminar-style discussions will be balanced with field investigation and excursions that:
Explore Spannocchia's history and the features of the Tuscan landscape that gave rise to it; Provide an overview of geological, cultural and ecological trends as context for the historical settlement of Spannocchia; Engage participants in activities and field trips designed to "stretch" their day-to-day skills and thinking (in other words, give them permission to indulge in efforts and activities that they might not consider priorities or allow time for back home); Share sources (texts, pictures, compositions, poems, etc.) that illuminate a sense of place or provide entrée into the subject (participants will be asked to bring one such source and be prepared to discuss it as part of the program); Guide participants as they explore the psychological and spiritual importance of the land; Help participants reflect on ways to bring the experience of land-based values to daily life in their own communities back home.
Ancora Italia: From Apulia to Sicily
with Thomas Urquhart
Maine Audubon World Tours Early fall, after the summer heat and heavy tourist season is over, is a wonderful time to enjoy the Italian landscape. This trip with former Maine Audubon director Thomas Urquhart follows an off-the-beaten track from the “heel to the toe” of the peninsula and then across to Sicily. Apulia and Calabria have some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in Italy, ranging from centuries-old olive orchards to wild mountains. Our guide, Antonio Parisi, knows this land as only a native can, and we are assured of plenty of opportunities to enjoy its beauty. We will begin in Lecce, one of the most beautiful baroque cities in Italy, and then visit Alberobello, famous for the Truilli (cone-roofed houses); Greek temples on the coast at Metapontum; an eleventh-century abbey in the mountains; medieval castles and noble palaces crowned with gargoyles. On the island of Sicily we will spend time in Palermo, a city full of surprises, and take an excursion into the mountains to a magnificent Greek temple dominating a breathtaking landscape. A visit to the Roman mosaics at Piazza Armerina reveals spectacular wildlife scenes nearly 2,000 years old. If you have traveled with Thomas before you know that his trips combine experiencing the landscape with cultural sightseeing and, of course, great food and wine.
