a murmuration of creative souls

Join me in italy

may 2027

Sign up to our email list to have first access to booking!

Starling Retreats - Italy 2027

📅 Dates:

WEEK ONE: 9 - 15 May 2027

WEEK TWO: 17-23 May 2027

🕐 Duration: 7 Days, 6 Nights (Contact us if you wish to book for both weeks!)

👥 Group size: Max. 12 people

💲 Payment plans available

✈️ Recommended airport: Florence Airport (FLR)

Dear traveler,

we (Danica & Rachel) hereby want to invite you to a magical week-long retreat designed to nourish imagination and artistic expression. Imagine mornings beginning with slow breakfasts and days shaped by painting sessions in the open air, poetry evenings under the stars, and explorations of the Italian countryside.

Throughout the week, we’ll wander through nearby medieval villages, find our creativity in the Umbrian landscape, learn the art of handmade pasta, and gather around beautifully prepared meals by a private chef using local seasonal ingredients.

There will be time to read, reflect, create, or simply enjoy the stillness and sunshine by our private pool. Reconnect with nature, with others, and with yourself. We want this retreat to be an invitation to step away from routine and into your creativity: a week of beauty, art, conversation, and inspiration in the heart of Italy.

The group is intentionally kept very small, with never more than 10 participants, allowing space for genuine connection and new friendships.

We hope to meet you there!

With love,

Danica & Rachel

Activites

  • Pasta making class

  • Outside Painting Workshop

  • Poetry Workshop

  • Gold Leaf Gilding Workshop

  • Visit to local Art Gallery

  • Ceramics Workshop

What's included

Double Room Occupancy

A beautiful room is waiting for you in our Italian Villa. It's possible to book a private room + bathroom for an additional fee or to book a room with a friend.

Airport Transfer FLR Airport

We will pick you up from Florence Airport between designated times!

Private Chef

Meet our Private Chef who will be taking care of you this week

All Breakfasts

Every morning breakfast will be laid out for with multiple options like cut fruits, yogurts, granola, breads, cheeses, meats and a select option of eggs.

5/6 Lunches & Dinners

Basically all your meals are included, brought to you by our private chef! One of the days you will have the opportunity to get your own lunch and dinner.

Wine

For the meals at the villa there will be a limited choice of red or white wine included.

Private Pool

Enjoy the Villa's beautiful, private pool

Goodie bags

You will be welcomed by goodie bags of Danica's art & Rachel's books

Limited Art Supplies

You will be provided with canvas, brushes and acrylic paint

Pasta Making Class

Embrace the Italian food culture in this fun and delicious pasta making class

Ceramics Class

Join us for a ceramics class where you will be able to create and take home your own personal plate

Gold leaf gilding workshop

Join us for a workshop of Gold leaf gilding technique applied to a small fresco + takeaway piece.

Art Gallery Tickets

During our visit to Citti di Castello, we'll have your museum tickets covered

All Activity Transfers

We will make sure to arrange all transfers to the nearby villages/activities that are planned

What's not included

Flights

Travel insurance

Each guest is expected to purchase their own adequate travel insurance in case of cancellation, illness, emergency or injury.

Other Alcohol

We will not provide any other alcohol aside from a limited choice of wine with the included meals.

Tips & Gratuity

Airport Transfers Outside FLR Airport And/Or Scheduled Times

Transfers from FLR Airport are included within scheduled times. Any transfers from other airports or outside of designated times will not be included.

Booking opens Oct 17

About Your Organizers

Danica Gim is a self-taught, Dutch writer and artist spending her time between the Netherlands and Los Angeles. Her style is heavily inspired by the art movements of her continent, such as Art Nouveau and the black-figure style. In 2017 she started sharing her poetry and art on Instagram. In less than a year the account gained tens of thousands of followers worldwide, making her work famous all over the internet. Her work has been reposted by Britney Spears, Doutzen Kroes, Dove Cameron, and many others. Find her work here.

Rachel Clift is a 30-year-old writer, traveler, photographer, graphic designer, and artist based in the mountains of East Tennessee in the United States. She began this journey of writing poetry in 2017 and has published eight books and a guided poetry prompt journal since the summer of 2019. In the writing world, she is known as R. Clift & The Constellation poet. More than anything she longs to inspire people to live life courageously. Read more of her story here.