A Culinary and Photography Week in the Heart of Tuscany; Cook, Savor, and Snap – SOLD OUT
Linda Mironti
May 30 - June 6
$3395We will contact you in the event of a cancellation.
Where Every Dish Tells a Story and Every Snapshot Captures a Memory
This will be a week of adventure that combines creativity and authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of Tuscany, hosted by our very own Linda Mironti!
Imagine waking up in a historic nobleman’s villa in the heart of the Val d’Orcia, one of the most breathtaking landscapes in Italy. Just an hour south of Siena, this villa is the perfect backdrop for a week of culinary exploration and photography in the charming San Giovanni d’Asso, one of the truffle capitals of Italy.
The villa, separated from a historic castle by a service road (as it housed some of the noble families), is a short walk to the heart of this small hamlet of San Giovanni. The town has a café, restaurant, post office, barber, and grocery store, and a weekly market, so you’ll have the chance to be immersed in authentic Italian village life. Enjoy a buffet breakfast in the morning on the terrace or in the garden, wherever you’re inspired to start the day. In the evening, our chef prepares a delicious dinner using fresh seasonal and local ingredients. Each dinner is a celebration of Tuscan cuisine, paired with regional wines and great company. A private pool and beautiful Italian garden await you and are perfect for relaxing after a day of exploring the treasures of the Italian countryside.
While savoring the local cuisine will be a highlight of the trip, you’ll also have the opportunity to be creative and be guided in capturing your experiences through photography on an iPhone or camera. Whether capturing the golden hour of sunlight over a vineyard or snapping your fellow travelers making pizza, you’ll find Tuscany a joy to photograph. A local photography instructor will be with you on some of the excursions to assist you to learn how to capture the light and beauty of this place.
You won’t want to miss it!
Meals and our “Home” Dinners are prepared by our personal chef using local and seasonal ingredients to make every meal a feast! We’ll eat together in the dining room each evening.
Breakfast is served buffet-style. You are free to eat indoors, out on the terrace, in the garden, or go to town to enjoy a cappuccino with the locals! There is a lovely private pool at the end of the garden, which makes for the perfect end to a long day of painting. The villa is across the street from a historic castle and within easy walking distance of the town, where there is a grocery store, cafe, restaurant, and even a weekly outdoor green market. You can easily be independent to meet and interact with the locals!
What’s Included – Excursions and Experiences:
- Day trip to the Renaissance village of Pienza: Pienza is a village of cobbled lanes, flower-draped balconies, and sweeping views of the Val d’Orcia. Famous for its pecorino cheese, you will have a pecorino tasting at one of the town’s most locally produced purveyors, and at the end of the day, taste gelato at Il Chiostro’s favorite gelateria, where they still follow an ancient recipe using only whole ingredients, not powders or extracts. Also known for its architecture, it’s the ideal setting to practice street photography.
- Montalcino: Explore this stunning medieval town and sample the world-famous Brunello wine.
- Pizza-making with Andrea: Enjoy an evening with a good friend and slow food expert, who will guide you in crafting pizza using ancient grains and local farm fresh ingredients, all this in the comfort of the villa in an ancient wood-fired oven.
- Winery tour and tasting at Sasso di Sole: Visit this family-run winery for an inside look at the winemaking process.
- Special dinner at a local trattoria: Savor a multi-course meal highlighting local seasonal ingredients as well as truffles—earthy, aromatic, and unforgettable.
- Truffle Tasting in the Villa’s original Cantina: A neighbor and top truffle hunter, Paolo, will guide you through tasting truffles he has just found.
- Walk through Il Bosco della Ragnaia: This enchanting botanical garden was created by an artist who transformed his talents from canvas to landscape. It’s a reflective and inspiring place to slow down, sketch, or photograph living art.
- Day trip to Siena: Marvel at the medieval majesty of Siena—with its Gothic cathedral and grand Piazza del Campo, home to the iconic Palio horse race.
- Discussions on Tuscan cuisine with our chef: Learn the philosophy behind Tuscan cooking—simple, seasonal, and rooted in tradition. You’ll come away with practical tips and a deeper appreciation for the region’s food culture.
Join us for a celebration of Tuscany’s culinary traditions and timeless beauty.
Price: $3,395 p/p
Optional supplement:
- $485 for a single room, limited availability
$500 deposit due upon registration. Balance due by April 15, 2026.
Includes:
- Shared double room with private bathroom in villa (single room available for a supplement)
- Daily traditional breakfast and dinner (including wine) prepared by our chef
- Daily photography classes
- Pizza-making with Andrea
- Day trips to, Pienza, Montalcino, and Siena
- Winery tour at Sasso di Sole
- Truffly tasting
- Walk through Il Bosco della Ragnaia
- Discussions on Tuscan cuisine with our chef.
- Transportation and guide for all local excursions
- Pick up from Florence train station at 3:30 pm on Saturday
- Transfer to the train station in Buonconvento on the final day (not Florence) for connections to Rome, Florence, or beyond
Does Not Include:
- Airfare
- Gratuities
- Independent meals and sightseeing
To Register: Click on the Sign Up Now button. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to secure your spot in the workshop. Payment can be made online with a credit card, or you can follow the instructions to send in your registration and payment by mail. Once we receive your deposit, we will send you a formal Registration Confirmation with further information about the program. You will receive 2-3 other correspondences by email before the workshop with information about Italy, a supplies list, and an electronic invoice for the balance. Final Balance is due by April 15th. Any time before your arrival, if you have questions about anything regarding the trip or the program, you can contact us by email or phone, and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Cancellation policy:
$500 deposit is non-refundable. For cancellation:
- 60 days prior to workshop, full refund due less non-refundable deposit.
- 30-60 days prior to workshop, 50% refund of balance paid allowed, less non-refundable deposit.
Less than 30 days prior to the workshop, no refund due.
Il Chiostro recommends personal travel insurance to cover the possibility of unexpected or last-minute cancellation.
Contact us for more information: info@ilchiostro.com or speak to us live at 800-990-3506.
San Giovanni d'Asso
Where We'll Stay: This is part of our new Il Chiostro Nobile series. We will be hosted for a week in an authentic, elegantly appointed villa that was at one time home to a noble Italian family. The palazzo includes a formal garden and, private swimming pool with inspiring vistas. Inside, there are 8 twin, double, or single bedrooms in the villa, each with a private bathroom. The rooms are decorated in authentic, elegant family antiques.
Common spaces include 2 elegant living rooms, a terrace overlooking the garden, a large fireplace, a kitchen, and a formal dining room.
The villa is across the street from a castle and within easy walking distance of the small town. You can easily be independent to meet and interact with the locals.
The Villa: a 13th-century manor house situated on a hillside in a small town with views of the Val d'Orcia. Owned by the current family for 102 years, it was gracefully restored in the 19th century with comfortable period furnishings. The rooms are bright and airy with high ceilings and beautiful views out to the gardens and the valley beyond. Bedrooms are elegantly appointed, each with a private, modern bathroom. Because we will be the exclusive residents at the villa during the program, the experience will be intimate, like living in our own Italian mansion. Our meals will be shared in the formal dining room, on the terrace, or in the garden. All living quarters of the villa are on the second floor, accessible only via a staircase.
The Grounds: the setting is extraordinary, overlooking the valley towards the Brunello wine country. There is a formal garden with a pool, lounge chairs, a shade arbor, and plenty of seating for outdoor meals. The Villa is an easy walk through the facing castle (now the museum of truffles) to the quiet village of San Giovanni d’Asso.
The villa and grounds consist of:
- 8 twin or double bedrooms, each with a bathroom, either ensuite or next door.
- A dining room and breakfast area
- Large terrace with tables
- 2 sitting rooms
- Wi-fi internet access
- Heat or air conditioning as necessary
- A large private formal garden area with fountains and, seating area
- A private pool at the garden edge with a valley view
- There is a changing room near the pool with a WC
- Air conditioning or ceiling fans in bedrooms
- Very quiet setting in a small village
Additional Photos of San Giovanni d'Asso:
Double bedroom and bathroom
Twin bedroom
Dining Room and Living Room in the Villa
The Town: San Giovanni d’Asso is in the Siena section of Tuscany. It is famous throughout Italy for its production of truffles. Small and quiet with fewer than 1,000 residents, the town has a café, grocery store, 2 restaurants, several historic churches, and a weekly outdoor market. A very special addition is the beautiful botanical gardens “Il Bosco della Ragnaia” (laragnaia.com/EN/) created by an artist who chose to turn his talents from painting and sculpture to designing and maintaining this beautiful space that is open free to the public.
The Area: San Giovanni d’Asso is 30 km southeast of Siena in the area known as the Crete Senese (see photo below). Pienza and Montalcino, and the famous Brunello wine country, are easy day trips.
Florence will be our meeting point on the first day of the workshop. A van will pick up the group at the train station at about 3:30 pm on the first day of the program.
We recommend that you fly into either Florence, Pisa, or Rome (Milan is a bit too far away). Florence is closer, but it doesn`t have an intercontinental airport, so there are no direct flights from the US. You would have to change planes in a larger European city. From the Florence airport, you can take either the shuttle bus (Volainbus) to the center (20 minutes) or the new tram, right outside the airport entrance (€1.50).
There are more scheduled flights from the US to Rome, many of them direct. From Rome, you will need to take a train to Florence (about 2 1/2 hours).
Important! In making your return flight arrangements, if you are flying home on the last day of the workshop, try not to book a flight too early. From our location, allow 1½ hours to get to the Florence airport or 3 ½ hours to get to the Rome airport.
For suggestions about getting to Rome or Florence, accommodations, or other logistics, please consult our Traveling to Italy link in the main menu bar above. Renting a car from all the major rental agencies is possible if you prefer to be more independent during the week.
If you have time, it is a nice treat to stay in Florence before the workshop starts. It gives you a chance to get over jet lag while at the same time allowing you to see this incredible Renaissance City. It is filled with incomparable artwork, architecture, and history - not to mention great shopping. Why not stop in for a few days? (Look at our Travel to Italy tab above for accommodations suggestions.)
Travel Agents & Insurance: Over the last few years, the way we travel has undergone significant changes. For that reason, we now encourage everyone to use a professional travel agent when arranging their trips. Travel agents save you time and stress by handling all the details and tailoring your itinerary to your needs. One of the most important services they offer today is helping you choose and enroll in the right travel insurance program. With COVID and the continued possibility of schedule changes or postponements, travel insurance has become essential, and selecting the right plan on your own can be overwhelming.
If you encounter any issues during your travels, your agent can provide quick support and solutions, taking the pressure off your shoulders. While booking through online sites like Expedia or Hotels.com may seem more convenient or less expensive, they offer little help if you need to modify your plans. A travel professional, on the other hand, is there to assist you every step of the way, ensuring a smooth and worry-free travel experience.
If you choose to Go It Alone, we highly recommend taking out travel insurance for the trip in the event of any unforeseen obstacles to your travel. We recommend Travelex (800) 504-7883 or Travel Guard International (877) 901-7599.
The Food: For us at Il Chiostro, helping our guests experience the food in one of the earth`s richest, most sensual areas is our pleasure. This area is part of Italy's famous wine and olive oil-producing region, but is specifically famous for truffles. Here we want to expose you to the wonders of simple Italian cooking. Each program at our villa in San Giovanni will have a personal chef. They use seasonal, organic products, locally produced by small farms and family shops. Tuscan cuisine is a simple art that has been refined over the centuries to surprise our palates while the wine comforts our souls. Come explore what food can really be all about.
An excerpt from a recent article in the NY Times (February 2013):
The diet that seems so valuable is our old friend the “Mediterranean” diet. It’s as straightforward as it is un-American: low in red meat, low in sugar and hyperprocessed carbs, low in junk. High in just about everything else — healthful fat (especially olive oil), vegetables, fruits, legumes, and what the people who designed the diet determined to be beneficial, or at least less-harmful, animal products; in this case, eggs and low-fat dairy. This is real food, delicious food, mostly easy-to-make food. You can eat this way without guilt and be happy and healthy.
In addition to your workshop, optional activities offered with this program will focus on the cultural, gastronomic, historical, and artistic heritage of Tuscany. This area has been an inspiration to countless people for centuries. What Tuscany offers its visitors is truly astounding:
Art - San Giovanni d`Asso is located near the cities of Medieval Siena and Renaissance Florence, packed with some of the most famous masterpieces in the world.
Wine -You are in the heart of the wine-growing region, synonymous with the most famous wine that Italy produces - Chianti. But the innovative Tuscan vintners are also producing Super Tuscans, red varietals that are quickly ascending the ranks of world-class wine.
History - this area was settled by the Etruscans centuries before the Romans were a civilized society. Their necropoli dot the fields throughout the area. Nearby towns like Radda, Vagliagli, and Castellina date from the early Middle Ages. Florence was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. San Fedele witnessed most of this from its panoramic perch atop the hillside.
Food - cucina povera is the typical Tuscan cuisine that has become popular around the world. The recipes are simple, emphasizing local and seasonal products: porcini mushrooms, salumi, legumes, vegetables, pasta, bread, and game meats. Visiting an outdoor food market, you will understand the wisdom of this very healthy cuisine.
Crafts - perhaps the harmony of the landscape has been the inspiration for many local craftsmen. Exquisite hand-painted ceramics are the prime example, closely followed by mosaics, leather, woodworking, and textiles.
Linda Mironti is a graduate of The Art Institute of New York, formerly The New York Restaurant School. Linda was the chef and co-owner of 2 Divas’ catering company and has been working as a professional chef for various companies and as a private chef for the last 25 years.
Linda's real passion and experience, however, first began in her grandma's kitchen when she was a little girl. Then at age 11, she traveled to Italy for the first time - to her parents' birthplace, Morolo, a small mountain town about 1 hour south of Rome. There she was, like an Italian Heidi. She loved the idea of living off the land. She constantly followed her aunt around, watching and helping her make fresh pasta, gnocchi, and polenta. She foraged for chestnuts and mushrooms with her cousins and picked and prepared treasures from her grandfather's garden. The abundance of fruit and nut trees, some of which she had never seen before, gave her an appreciation for what the Italian soil had to offer, not to mention her first love affair - figs!
Linda learned that taking the time to make food a loving and special experience can bring joy and warmth to people's lives. "Some of the best times in my life have been in a kitchen or around a table sharing good food with friends." As the Executive Chef at Il Chiostro for the last 25 years, she has had the opportunity to be in Italy and take advantage of the finest fresh seasonal ingredients. This, combined with a creative sense of adventure, has made cooking an art form for her, second only to her love of singing.
