Lucignano d’Asso is a jewel of the Tuscan countryside, an enchanting old village set in landscape seemingly extrapolated from the paintings of the old masters of the school of Siena. Areas of dense woodland inhabited by roe deer, hares and pheasants, hills covered with olive groves and patchwork fields that evolve with the changing seasons. In a document dating back to 1458 it is said that Lucignano was the property of "the heirs of Agnolo di Niccolò di Piccolomo Piccolomini", one of the families whose name is associated with numerous episodes in the social and religious history of Italy. All the houses have been sympathetically restored, furnished with family heirlooms and equipped with efficient, modern amenities.
Here, body and soul heal and batteries recharge naturally, thanks to its magic atmosphere and beautiful location.
Here, all your senses awake: the view from the hill is breathtaking, the quietness soothes your mind; the hedges of rosemary and lavender and the flowery gardens spread scents all around; the typical food and the renowned wines of this region are a treat you can’ t fight. The surrounding area, rich in artistic and historical beauties, is there to be explored: centres of excellence such as Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Siena, to name but the most famous, are just a few minutes drive away.
These are only some of the reasons why, here, life is good.
Put together all these things, add yoga sessions, massages, photographic workshops and cooking classes, and you will have the recipe for a vacation you won’t easily forget.
Available weeks
I work with variety of themes, ideas and sequencing. Every lesson is structured and adapted at the moment to your experience and body type and aims to make you feel good and in balance. The lessons are structured for beginners, first and second level. I like to implement some Ayurveda themes in my teaching.
I enjoy being creative and experimental and I interweaved the meditation, Ayurveda and yoga teaching in my artistic work:
Certified sommelier and cheese and olive oil taster, I started GustoEvoluto in 2015, with the aim to deliver professional but friendly service and knowledge of the traditional food of the area.
We organise private dinners, cooking classes, educational tastings and anything related to food and wine of the area. I have 25 years experience working in luxury hotels and restaurants in Tuscany and around the world.
I began to be interested in the world of massage in Rome, where I was born. I have travelled around the world in search of inspiration and techniques, with the aim of using massage to attain wellbeing for the body, the mind and the spirit.
I arrived in Val d’Orcia, where I fell in love with the landscape, the people, their way of life. Since then, this valley is my home. Yet I always bring with me all I have seen and learned during my travels, from India to Australia, Bali and Thailand: the secrets of these ancient civilizations and their massage techniques.
I was born in Chianciano Terme and when I was in my teens I used to ride my bike around Orcia Valley every day. When I grew up I started travelling and discovered my love for photography so I moved to New York and studied at the International Center of Photography. While there I also did a three-month internship at Magnum Photos, in the archive department.
Then I moved back to Italy and started collaborating with Contrasto photo agency. I have always been attracted by different cultures and photography has given me the chance to develop this curiosity, allowing me to travel around the world and know incredible people. I have worked with UNICEF Italy and travelled with them to Africa, working on projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Benin.
My stories have been published in The Australian Photojournalist, Vanity Fair, El Pays Semanal, Sport Week and many other magazines and have been included in photography festivals such as ‘Fotonoviembre’ Biennial of Photography, Tenerife, and ‘Visa pour l’Image’, Perpignan, France. In 2006 my first book, Lost Angels, won the first prize in the book category at the International Photography Award.
Now I am back in Tuscany and in addition to working on assignment with Contrasto I run photography workshops. They are great fun and a chance to meet more people while taking pictures of this wonderful land.
Copyright© 2019 Azienda Agricola Lucignanello Bandini di Angelica Piccolomini Naldi Bandini. P.I. 00169080520
Sito realizzato da Studio Morriconi