The Way of Da Vinci: A Creative Restoration Retreat in Florence

A 7-day immersion in Florence and the Tuscan countryside dedicated to restoring creativity
through attention, presence, and relationship with the living world.

7 Days/6 Nights

Florence, Italy and Tuscan Countryside

8-12 Participants

Creative Restoration & The Art of Seeing

Begin the Journey

Creativity is a memory, not a task.

Creativity isn’t a goal to achieve or a task to check off. It’s a living capacity that happens when we remember how to be present, curious, and attentive. This retreat is about slowing down enough to notice what is already here: the play of light and shadow, the curve of a leaf, the rhythm of the city, the subtle textures of the landscape.

Throughout the week, you will practice observing with intention and openness, noticing not just the objects around you, but the relationships between them (how nature, art, and human ingenuity intersect). The exercises, walks, and reflections invite you to approach the world as Leonardo did: with fascination, generosity, and an appreciation for the extraordinary in the ordinary.

By grounding attention in curiosity rather than judgment, the retreat helps participants remember how to create from joy instead of force: not by producing more, but by reconnecting with a felt sense of wonder. What emerges is less about results and more about attunement, receptivity, and the art of noticing, which are the seeds of sustainable, inspired creativity.

A Living Laboratory of Presence

Florence and the surrounding Tuscan hills serve as both studio and teacher. The week is designed to support discovery through observation, reflection, and gentle practice, with rhythm and spaciousness embedded in the structure:

  • Nature Immersion & Observation Practice: Walks in gardens, countryside, and hidden corners of Florence provide unstructured time to attend to your surroundings without pressure. These moments encourage noticing relationships (between light and shadow, form and function, motion and stillness) and cultivating appreciation for what is often overlooked.
  • Studio Time & Reflection Circles: Studio sessions offer a container for curiosity and experimentation. Writing, photography, sketching, or simply observing quietly allows you to trace your attention and notice patterns in perception, thought, and feeling. Reflection circles invite conversation, but sharing is optional; presence comes first.
  • Legacy Sites: Leonardo’s Work and Birthplace: Visits to Leonardo’s birthplace, museums, and lesser-known locations are approached not as tourists, but as students of his methodology. Here, observation, patience, and curiosity guide the experience, offering insight into how he integrated art, science, and life into a seamless practice of noticing.
Get Early Access for 2026

Meet Your Guide

I’m Heather. I help people come home to themselves.

I’m Heather, and my work is about helping people come home to themselves: not by teaching a method, but by offering a container for curiosity, attention, and reflection. My background is in strategic communication, but my heart is in the Italian Renaissance, where art, science, and spirit were never separate.


In this retreat, I hold the space so that your own attention and perception become the guide. I help participants notice subtleties, create gentle structure without rigidity, and invite curiosity and play to lead the way. My approach is rooted in presence, observation, and appreciation: helping you to cultivate a way of seeing that reconnects you to the world and to your own creative impulses.


I will guide exercises, conversations, and reflections, but the real teacher is the environment itself (Florence, the Tuscan landscape, Leonardo’s works, and the attention you bring). My role is to help participants slow down, notice deeply, and find their own rhythm of engagement with both the extraordinary and the everyday.

The Logistics

What’s Included: 7 days / 6 nights shared accommodation in a curated villa, all meals, site visits (Vinci & Florence), studio materials, and guidance through the week.

What’s Not: Flights, personal expenses, and travel insurance.

The Process: Because this is an intimate, high-proximity experience, participants complete a brief application and call to ensure the group’s chemistry supports the week.

Get Early Access for 2026

FAQ

Absolutely not. This isn’t a technical art class — it’s an apprenticeship with curiosity. We use Da Vinci’s principles of observation and attention to help you see your life and work through a new lens. Whether you’re a writer, a founder, an educator, or a seeker in transition, the goal is creative restoration, not producing a masterpiece. This retreat is for anyone longing for creative renewal in Florence.

Traditional tours are often extractive: you consume facts and move quickly. This retreat is designed to be regenerative. We slow down dramatically, spending hours in spaces where others spend minutes. We combine exclusive site visits with guided facilitation, quiet observation, and contemplative writing (creating a container where you can find your own rhythm). This is not tourism: it is a creative retreat designed for reflection and a deeper way of seeing. Florence doesn’t just impress you; it provides the foundation for you to reconnect with your own work.

Most of us are used to consuming nature, art and history at a breakneck pace. On this retreat, we do the opposite. We use intentional walking, quiet observation, and contemplative writing to find a different rhythm. It’s about creating the internal spaciousness needed for genuine creative insight: finding your feet so you can finally hear your own thoughts.

High Proximity means you’re not one of 40 people following a guide with a flag. With a limit of 8–12 participants, you have direct access to me as your facilitator and the intimacy of a small, thoughtful group. The proximity refers both to the community we build and to the closeness with Florentine culture — the kind of access that’s impossible in large groups.

We’ll walk the cobblestone streets of Florence and some gentle paths in the surrounding hills, but this is not a trek. You should be comfortable being on your feet for a few hours at a time, but the pace is contemplative, unhurried, and designed to support creative restoration rather than exhaustion.

Yes. Participants can come during seasons of transition — career shifts, creative blocks, life crossroads, or periods of quiet becoming. The Way of Da Vinci is designed to help you reconnect with your inner compass and see your next chapter with clarity, curiosity, and courage.

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Reclaim Your Creative Source

This isn’t a tour of Florence. It is a week of apprenticeship with your own attention and curiosity. Join the waitlist to receive the 2026 Prospectus and learn how the city’s Renaissance energy becomes a living canvas for restoring your creativity. Note: There is no commitment by joining the waitlist.

  • The Immersion: 7 days of observation, reflection, and gentle practice.
  • The Access: Visits to sites and corners of Florence that hold insight through attention rather than display.
  • The Outcome: Learn to notice again. Listen. Observe. Let curiosity guide your movement through the world.