CAPTURING THE ESSENCE OF ITALY WITH PASTELS

10 rooms left 

This is a boutique luxury painting retreat, only 12 rooms available. Register early for best room selection. Pricing starts at €3399 for shared room, includes all gourmet meals. 

Wherever you are in your artistic journey, this culture-filled week in Italy’s stunning Le Marche region is sure to inspire!

We will explore the regions charming landscapes, taking trips out on location. The unique light, and colors of the Le Marche region are sure excite our senses. As we explore and immerse ourselves into the architecture and landscapes, we will use the camera lens with a “painter’s eyes”. Gathering expressions of light, or interesting architectural details or distant mountains and rolling hills, We will do some quick sketches, make color notes, or recall the emotions stimulated but our time in each place. Capturing the essence of the villages and landscapes that we can distill into a successful compositions once we return peaceful sun drenched studio at Hotel Leone.  In every village we explore we will have a special lunch prepared for us by a local trattoria.

The Hotel Leone website explains in detail everything you might want to know about this unforgettable artistic experience.

https://hotelleonemarche.com/en/retreats/art-retreat-italy/capturing-the-essence-of-italy-with-pastels-tobi-clement/

History of the Hotel Leone in Montelparo, Le Marche

The earliest records held by the Commune of Montelparo date the building to 1501, when it is referred to as Palazzo Pellei, named after a prominent local noble family of the period.

Originally, the palazzo comprised two floors. The lower level features a remarkable vaulted ceiling that remains authentic to the building’s early history and still defines the heart of the house today.

In the early 20th century, an additional upper floor was added when the palazzo was converted into a hotel and restaurant known as Taverna del Leone. At that time, it offered nineteen guest bedrooms served by just two bathrooms — a reminder of a very different era of hospitality. The hotel ceased trading in 1986 following the retirement of its owner, although the restaurant continued for a few more years.

When the doors finally closed, the building was left largely untouched — almost suspended in time. Furniture, fixtures and everyday objects remained exactly where they had been left, some even carefully wrapped to protect them from the passage of years. A number of these original pieces have since been restored by local artisans and are now once again in use throughout the hotel.

Madeline and Tim discovered the building in 2008 and immediately recognized its potential. What they found was an extraordinary layering of centuries: 1500s architecture alongside mid-20th-century additions, medieval vaulted ceilings paired with a 1950s spiral staircase, original terracotta (cotto) tiles in the sitting room, and antique furnishings still in situ.

The palazzo required a complete and sensitive renovation to bring it into the 21st century. Since then, they have devoted their time, resources and care to restoring the building with respect for its past, while discreetly introducing the comforts and facilities expected by the modern traveller. Environmental responsibility has been an integral part of the restoration process. Wherever possible, the building has been upgraded using solar energy, locally sourced materials, and rainwater collection, ensuring that the fabric of the palazzo is preserved not only for today’s guests, but for generations to come.

Today, Hotel Leone stands as a living continuation of Montelparo’s history — a place where centuries of craftsmanship, daily life and hospitality quietly coexist.

Wherever you are in your artistic journey, this culture-filled week in Italy’s stunning Le Marche region is sure to inspire!