The Ultimate European Travel: Your Italy Retreat

Join fellow herb-and-food lovers for the ULTIMATE plant-lover's journey in Italy!

Our week-and-a-half herbal, foodie, art and culture adventure will immerse you in the sights, scents, flavors, and art of the Italian countryside and its most enchanting cities. This is the olive-studded, flower-scented, farm-and-pharmacy, essential oil, organic farm-to-table, aromatherapy, and plant-lover's trip that will leave you feeling inspired and rejuvenated!

This is a wonderful international travel opportunity for solo travelers, couples, and seniors and retirees! Spaces are limited, register early!

Trip dates: May 29 - June 9 (or June 11 with optional Florence add-on)

Registration for Herbal & Wellness Retreat
Herbal Tuscany 2027 is now open!

Experience
The herbal Stewardship of Italy

Our trip includes visits to gorgeous herb and botanical gardens to explore the fragrant, colorful heady aromas and their rich histories. We tour with some of the leading botanical stewards in the country through arboreta, farms, hothouses, and gardens that have thrived for centuries growing ancient trees, medicinal herbs, and aromatic herbs for essential oils.

The regions we will explore are famous for helichrysum, lavender, broom, cedar, iris, and rose to make their healing perfumes, soaps, creams, massage oils, honeys, and balms

Dive into Etruscan Art & Florentine Culture

We will explore ancient grottoes, cisterns and art from the mysterious Etruscan culture, and (in the optional Florence add-on), indulge in the history, art, culture, street vibes, museums, architecture and gardens of this Renaissance city.

Make Healing crafts & remedies with local herbs

Enjoy herb walks with local experts in the fields and valleys around the Villa; hands-on remedy workshops using plants and flowers gathered at the estate as well as local essential oils and hydrosols from nearby essential oil farms; and opportunities to relax in the gardens and terraces.

Explore the tastes and flavors of Italy's food & wine

You'll have ample opportunity to savor the delicious regional cuisine of Tuscany and Umbria. We include many locally-owned restaurants and organic farm-to-table experiences with vegetarian options and a curated selection of their best meats, fish, pastas, vegetables, and regional wines.

From the street markets in Florence to the trattorias in Siena and Assisi, we experience a wide range of cultural favorites. We even have a hands-on tiramisu workshop with the hostess of Villa Certano, and we can schedule wine tastings at local historic estates if the group desires. We seek out the region's fruity olives, specialty cheeses including Pecorino Toscano, and the cantucci--their delicious almond cookies.

Historic Trip of a lifetime

While of course all excursions are optional, you will have the opportunity to wander the alleys, cobblestones, and promenades of some of Italy's most beautiful landmarks.

We will visit iconic places such as Siena, Florence (optional), Chiusi, Perugia, and hamlets and towns up and down the Chianti region.

Your Tuscany Hosts

Dr. Richard Liebmann and Natalie Young

Husband-and-wife team naturopathic physician and former Executive Director of United Plant Savers Richard Liebmann and Natalie Young, certified massage therapist and yoga and pilates instructor, are curating this incredible trip.

Holly Bellebuono and David Vigneault

Herbalist, writing instructor, and herb school director Holly Bellebuono and her husband David Vigneault, retired housing executive and disability professional, will warmly welcome you to Italy. Holly has taught in England, Canada, Italy, Costa Rica, Greece, and all across the United States. David is an avid photographer, gourmet ice cream maker, and canoe paddler.

Our Historic Lodgings

Our home in Tuscany is Villa Certano, a gorgeous, family-owned 16th-century villa near the medieval walled city of Siena. The comfortable villa features 8th-century Etruscan remains, a 700-year-old stone chapel, a rose garden, and a hundred acres of olive groves and vineyards.

Our home in Assisi is the "Domus Laetitiae" of Assisi, a monastic house of hospitality. It is located a few steps from the fourteenth-century walls of the city, minutes from the Basilica of Santa Chiara and the Papal Basilica of San Francesco.

Your trip will include:

Expertly curated and organized by Richard Liebmann. Note: While the itinerary is subject to change, this is the current offering.

Also note: all activities are optional. You are welcome to sit out a tour to relax at our gorgeous 16th-century Villa!:

Delicious breakfasts, luncheons, dinners and feasts make with fresh local Italian foods at our Villa as well as specially selected local restaurants
Home-away-from-home at the 100-acre, 16th century Villa Certano
Guided tour of an essential oil production farm and perfume distillery in the heart of Chianti, growing thyme, rosemary, sage, helichrysum, hyssop, broom, Damascus rose, and of course lavender
Experience the thermal spa and bubbling hot springs at a Tuscan resort (optional massage, beauty and hydrotherapy treatments are encouraged!)
Tours and free-time in the ancient Gothic walled city of Siena and its cobblestone lined piazza
Visit and get a special tour of the Orto Botanico of Siena, the oldest "Horto Medicinale" in the world established in 1545
Guided tour of Siena's Baroque Duomo Cathedral, with its paintings, frescos, and sculptures
Tour the Aboca Herbal Museum with its medicinal herb gardens and botanical library in the ancient walled city of Sansepolcro
Explore Assisi, with free time to see its Basilicas of Santa Chiara and San Francesco, and grottoes
A meditative walk through St. Francis of Assisi's woodland mountain hermitage and its centuries-old Franciscan dormitories
Enjoy a Vineyard tour, wine tasting, and Tuscan supper in a hilltop town of Tuscany,
Tour Etruscan underground tunnels and cisterns
Guided tour of the fragrant lavender farm of Assisi

And for those adding on Florence:

Tour Florence's Simpler's Botanical Gardens, originally a teaching garden for Italian physicians in the 1500s
Tour the Boboli Gardens of the Pitti Palace and view its famed underground grottoes
Explore the streets of historic Florence with free time to visit sights
Lodgings (TBD) will be in the heart of this enchanting city in walking distance to top sites

Meet and share a wonderful 11-night/12-day adventure with fellow plant lovers and people with an expansive and welcoming spirit

Herbal Tuscany 2027

(details are subject to change)

Dates: Saturday May 29 - Wednesday June 9, 2027

Optional Florence Add-On: Wednesday June 9 - Friday June 11

Included:

All transportation once we meet and begin the retreat
All lodging (at a 16th century villa near Siena and a Franciscan monastery in Assisi. Lodging in Florence TBD.)
Most meals (leaving some dinners free for you to explore to your tastes)
All excursions and workshops (such as herb remedy-making, facials, herb walks, morning yoga, lectures, tastings, museums, tours) and corresponding fees

Not included:

flights to and from Florence Airport, where the retreat begins and ends
Items of a personal nature such as tips, laundry, etc.

Participants:

Open to anyone: women, men, herbalists or not! Come solo or with a spouse, friend or group of friends.

Registration per person for Herbal Tuscany 2027

***Historic Botanical Tuscany Itinerary 11-night/12-day (May 29-June 9)

$4,350 double occupancy

Single room upgrade: $650 (limited, please inquire)

***Historic Botanical Florence 3-day/2-night Add-On: (June 9-11)

$800 double occupancy

Single room upgrade: $200 (limited, please inquire)

Payment Plan

When you click Register Now below, you'll be taken to a page with details about payments. We divide the total payment into three, so you'll make the first payment/deposit now and the next two will be due at intervals over the next 6 months.

Payment Options

We accept personal checks and Venmo.

Refunds and Cancellations

All payments are nonrefundable and nontransferable. We strongly encourage you to purchase comprehensive travel insurance (with such companies as Allianz or others).

Testimonials:

Check out our reviews from previous trip attendees here.

Ready to Sign Up?

Holly Bellebuono