Villa Palagione Centro Interculturale - Volterra, Tuscany countryside

Villa Palagione: an ideal location for Groups, seminars, conferences...

			At Villa Palagione you will find quitness, concentration and the appropriate atmosphere to guarantee the success of your seminar, as well as numerous opportunities for regional activities. Our seminar and conference rooms offer multimedia equipment, and – if needed – we can arrange for translators, organisation and programme managers, as well as expert speakers to assist you. On request, we can devise a tailored- made cultural programme comprising sightseeing trips, excursions, meetings, and contact with local groups and institutions.

Our beautiful, fragrant gardens and pool
invite you to relax, sun bathe and get new energy. You can take walks to the
surrounding landscape, climb our local
Monte Voltraio, hire Mountain bikes.

Our in-house Tuscan cuisine varies
according to the seasons and includes a breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner
(Italian 4-course menu, drinks not included) featuring regional specialities.

During breaks or in the evenings you can
take a glass of wine or a cappuccino at our house bar.

For further details and prices please ask for our group brochure.

Accommodation

The whole Villa Palagione (Villa, Arcades, Casa Centauro) offers accommodation for up to 65 guests.

The Villa features 11 double rooms and on single room, all with its own shower, toilet and heating. Almost all of the rooms here feature murals, vaultings and terracotta floors.

The Arcades Building features 8 double rooms,
1 single room, and 3 apartments, again with their own toilet, shower and heating.
The rooms here are less opulent than those at the Villa, however almost all again feature vaultings and terracotta floors and offer beautiful views on the surrounding landscape.

Between 2011 and 2012 we have renovated the "Casa Centauro" situated on the right side of the Villa. There we have now two large rooms on the first floor, one of them equipped with a small kitchen, and three double rooms and one single room on the ground floor.

Seminar and Conference Rooms


Arcate: Bright rooms with terracotta vaulting and arched glass doors leading directly to the porch. Small room: 4.70m² x 7,50m² = 35,25 m² Big room: 4.50m² x 10.60m² = 47.70	Sala Degli Specchi: Our biggest, most representative conference room situated on the "master floor" of the villa, decorated with beautiful frescoes and murals. 6.9m² x 10.60m² = 73.14 m²	Sala Gotica: Also located in the villa, this conference room built in neogothical style again features beautiful frescoes and murals. 4.85m² x 8.70m² = 42.20m²

Chapel: The simple but beautiful chapel attached to the villa offers marble floors and a calm, meditative atmosphere. The altar can be divided from the rest of the room, as it is not available for seminary purposes: 4.60m² x 5.83m² = 26.81m² Total space: 6.76m² x 5.83m² = 39.41m²		Orangery: Closed, roofed-over rooms with big glass doors and a porch, specially suited for painting, pottery or sculpturing courses. No heating available. Serra I: 2.60m² x 8.20m² = 21.32 m² Serra II: 2.60m² x 8.60m² = 22.36 m²

An Example of the Programmes on Offer for Your Study Trip

Tuscany is suitable for seminaries and study trips throughout the year.
Villa Palagione is at close distance of many historically and culturally interesting cities.
We are happy to advise on your specific choice of programme.
Here below you will find an example for a week of cultural events:

Saturday		Arrival
	7.00 pm	Small reception at the Villa
	7.30 pm*	Dinner (4 course Tuscan meal)
Sunday	8.00-10.00 am*	Breakfast Buffet
	10.00 am	Guided tour of Villa Palagione and its 400 years of history
	12.30 pm	Lunch
	2.45 pm	Departure for Volterra
	3.30 pm	Guided tour of Volterra and its Etruscan, Roman and Mediaeval history including a visit of the famous Etruscan museum
	6.30 pm	Return to Villa Palagione
Monday	8.15 am	Departure for Siena
	10.45 am	Guided tour through the historical centre of Siena, including a visit to its beautiful shell-shaped "Campo" (square) and information about the famous Sienean horse race, the Palio. Afterwards there will be spare time for you to take a stroll to the city, do some shopping etc.
	4.00 pm	Return to Villa Palagione
Tuesday	8.30 am	Departure for Populonia beautifully situated over the bay of Baratti. Guided tour of the village with its private Etruscan museum as well as the Etruscan cemetery. Afterwards we offer you the possibility to go swimming in the Tyrrhenian sea or take a stroll along the seashore. We will finish the day with a drive through the famous cypress alley of Bolgheri.
Wednesday	11.00 am	Departure for Volterra's famous precipice, the "Balze" which 350 years ago swallowed major parts of the town, combined with a visit to a local farm beautifully situated in the surrounding hills. You will be invited to watch the production of the local cheese, and taste the hand-made Pecorino, honey, olive-oil and wine during a "Merenda" (snack).
Thursday	9.00 am	Departure for Florence, the birth place of Renaissance. After a short stay on Piazzale Michelangelo situated above the city and offering a beautiful view on this historical town, you will have time to go shopping, take a stroll or have lunch at your convenience.
Thursday	1.30 pm	Guided tour through the historical centre of Florence, visiting - among others - the Dome, the Battistero, Piazza della Signoria, and the Ponte Vecchio, as well as introducing you to important facts of history and culture
Friday	10.00 am	Departure for San Gimignano, the "Manhattan" of medieval times.
	11.00 am	Guided tour of the historical centre
	2.30 pm	Departure for the wine growing estate "La Torre" situated in the vicinity of San Giminiano, where the red Chianti and the yellow Vernaccia is grown. You will be given a tour of the estate as well as having the opportunity of tasting some of their excellent wines.
Saturday		Departure

Other cultural alternatives

Trip to Lucca, the town of the "99" churches. Guided tour of the city.
Trip to Pisa and it's "Square of Wonders" (Piazza dei miracoli), featuring the Leaning Tower, the Dome and the "Campo Santo"
Guided tour to the villas and Renaissance gardens of the Medici around Florence.
Trip to Pistoia. Guided tour of the city.
Excursion to the birth house of Leonardo da Vinci and the attached museum, showing many of his inventions
Trip to the Isle of Elba, visit to the summer residence of Napoleon as well as the small fishing villages Procchio, Porto Azzurro and Marina di Campo
Trip through the Crete of Siena. Visit to the abbey Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore and guided tour of Pienza, the city designed by pope Pius II.
Trip to the geothermic power station Larderello, situated in the "Valley of the Devil". Visit to the museum,on-site demonstration of the forces of geothermic power. Further visit to Sasso Pisano and Monterotondo where you can watch the bubbling "lagoni" and warm sulphuric steams coming up from the chasms.

Special Courses for your Participants

As an additional treat we can offer tailored-made courses for your participants, such as Italian language courses,
painting and alabaster sculpting courses, an introduction to Tuscan cooking and cuisine, courses on local culture,
as well as guided hiking trips

General Terms and Conditions for groups

We offer special prices for groups from 10 persons onwards with a minimum lenght of stay of 5 nights and booking half board.
There will be no further reductions for bus drivers and guides.
To secure your reservation you will receive a contract along with your definite booking.
The last 3 km approaching Villa Palagione lead over a curvy gravel road only suitable for buses with a maximal
length of 10 meters.

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