Slow Living Tuscan Retreat
April 23-29, 2026
Experience the Retreat
Step into the rhythm of slow living, where time expands and presence becomes your daily ritual.
This is the Slow Living Tuscan Retreat, a six-night immersion in simplicity, stillness, and soul-deep reconnection. Created for those who are ready to slow down, let go of pressure, and return to what truly matters—with intention and beauty guiding every step.
In the heart of Tuscany’s golden hills, you’ll rise with the sun and rest with the stars. Expect long-table feasts made from local produce, yoga sessions that open more than your body, slow afternoons with a journal or glass of wine, and conversations that feel like coming home.
Each moment invites you to breathe deeper, move slower, and savour the richness of doing less.
This isn’t a typical retreat. It’s a return to rhythm. To clarity. To the life you’ve been craving beneath the noise.
A Nourish Travel Tuscan Retreat
Antico Macchione - Tuscany, Italy
Thursday 23 – Wednesday 29 April 2026
Spend six nourishing nights in the heart of Tuscany, where slow living becomes second nature and each moment invites you to breathe a little deeper. This retreat is a chance to reset in a place where long lunches, quiet beauty, and the rhythm of nature bring you back to what matters.
Each morning begins with yoga in a peaceful hilltop studio surrounded by olive trees and open sky. Your days are gently structured with practices that restore like guided meditation, seasonal cooking, vineyard strolls, and journaling under the shade of an olive grove. As the sun sets, you’ll gather with others at the long table to share wine, conversation, and deeply satisfying meals prepared with local, organic ingredients.
You’ll be hosted by Cally Albrecht, a yoga and meditation teacher known for her calm and intentional approach, and Chef Riccardo Petraru, who shares his love for Tuscan cuisine through rich flavors and heartwarming tradition. Together, they create an experience where every detail is considered, every guest is welcomed fully, and every moment is offered as a chance to slow down and reconnect.
Whether you join every session or choose to rest and simply be, this is your space to reset. You’ll leave feeling nourished, grounded, and gently realigned with yourself.
Expect to experience:
Honey like you’ve never tasted before - acacia, chestnut, wildflower. Taste, compare, and learn how to pair with cheese, meat, and dessert.
Hands-on pasta workshops - discover Tuscany’s pasta heritage and roll your own pici by hand, alongside other regional shapes. Dinner, naturally, will be your creation.
Wine immersion - By the end of the week you’ll know your Sangiovese from your Chianti (and how to swirl like a pro).
Rustic baking & artisan visits - from crusty breads and biscotti, this is Tuscany’s food culture at its heart.
Slow Tuscan living - market strolls, countryside walks, time to nap in the sun, write in your journal, or sip an espresso in the piazza.
Daily yoga sessions - gently awaken your body and calm your mind, held in serene surroundings that make each deep breath feel like a fresh start. Optional, of course.
A farewell feast to remember - a celebration of all the flavours, skills, and friendships gathered during the week, with storytelling and music under the Tuscan stars.
This isn’t just a retreat. It’s a delicious exhale. A cheeky reset. A week that fills your cup — and your soul — with everything you didn’t know you needed.
This is your permission slip to step away from the noise, soak in the beauty, and reconnect with your brain, your body, and a whole bunch of brilliant people.
Daily Routine:
08:00 Yoga, Breath, Meditation
09:30 Breakfast
11:00 Daily workshop
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Free time or an outing
17:00 Restorative Practice (Yin, Restorative, Yoga Nidra, Meditation)
18:30 Aperitif
19:30 Dinner
All activities are optional—guests can do as much or as little as they like. Plenty of downtime for reading, relaxing, and soaking in the atmosphere.
Location:
Nestled among Tuscany’s vineyards and olive groves, Podere Macchione will be your home for the week. A rustic-meets-luxury villa that feels instantly welcoming. Think stone walls, shady terraces, lavender fields, and long tables set for stories and slow feasts.
Located in the province of Siena on the historic San Fabiano estate, Podere Macchione sits just outside the charming town of Monteroni d’Arbia, along the ancient Via Francigena, once one of the great roads to Rome. This region is the heart of Tuscany: rolling cultivated hills dotted with cypress trees, fields of sunflowers and poppies, and a landscape scattered with castles, villas, and farmhouses.
From here, you’re perfectly placed to explore Tuscany’s most celebrated treasures: Chianti’s world-famous wine region, the hill towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano, the medieval streets of Arezzo and Volterra, and even Florence, just a short drive away.
The estate itself spans 14 hectares of farmland, olive groves, and lavender fields, with pockets of woodland, a small lake, and garden areas perfect for gentle walks. The nearby town of Monteroni d’Arbia (5 km) offers everything you need day-to-day with supermarkets, a bakery, banks, and, of course, a gelateria.
Podere Macchione was lovingly restored by British couple Cally and Nick Albrecht, who purchased the old farmhouse in 2016 and have since created a truly magical retreat space.
Accommodation is in stunning private or shared rooms (twin or triple), each with its own en-suite bathroom. With farmhouse-luxe styling, natural materials, and calming earth tones, every space invites rest and rejuvenation.
Travel made easy: The villa is within reach of several airports. Perugia (1 hr 15 min), Florence (1 hr 30 min), Pisa (1 hr 45 min), and Rome (2 hrs 45 min).
This is for you if:
You want to live like a local. Not just observe, but cook, taste, and fully immerse yourself in Tuscan life.
You’re craving a week where food is the love language, and slow mornings are part of the plan.
You’re curious about handmade pasta, olive oil traditions, and the meaning behind what’s on your plate.
You’re seeking connection, stillness, and the kind of presence that doesn’t come from a packed schedule.
You’d choose aprons and recipe notes over spreadsheets and task lists any day.
You miss real conversation. Not the kind that passes the time, but the kind that fills your cup.
You’re ready to pause, switch off, and hear your own thoughts without distraction.
You’ve been holding everything together and finally need someone to hold space for you.
What awaits you:
Your investment includes:
6 nights luxury accommodation at Podere Macchione, Monteroni D’Arbia, Tuscany from Thursday 23 April - Wednesday 29 April 2026 (share with a friend or relative or book a private suite).
Transfers from Florence or Siena.
All transportation during your Tuscan adventure.
All meals, tastings, and wine, from market picnics to multi-course feasts.
Hands-on classes in pasta, baking, and Tuscan cooking with local chef Riccardo.
Guided tastings of olive oil, honey, and wine with local experts.
Private winery tours and professional wine tasting lessons.
Artisan visits to markets and producers in towns like Siena, San Gimignano, or Pienza.
Yoga, breath work & meditation.
Plenty of downtime for naps, walks, and soaking in Tuscan springtime.
A visit to the captivating city of Siena.
All taxes.
Pre-retreat and post-retreat Zoom meetings.
It does not include:
Travel costs to and from Tuscany
Travel insurance - compulsory that you organise your own
This isn’t just a retreat. It’s a love letter to Tuscany.
A week of slowing down, savouring the seasons, and reconnecting with yourself — one plate, one sip, and one story at a time.
Macchione features 8 sanctuary-style guest bedrooms.
4 double bedrooms are located on the ground floor; one of which is accessible from the living room, and the other 3 have their own independent entrances, accessible from the garden.
A further four well-sized bedrooms (3 double rooms & 1 triple room) open up from the beautiful first-floor sitting room, making it the perfect setting for groups and gatherings. All bedrooms have their own en-suite bathroom.
Earlybird pricing available until 31 December 2025:
Shared room rate AUD$5,995
Private room rate AUD$7,995
Rooms are limited.
