No. Your roundtrip travel from your “home” airport or station, to Rome, plus ground transportation from Rome to the castle is covered by us. Our Coordinator of Programs & Operations in New York, Michaela, will contact you well before your session start date to gather your travel details, and she will purchase your flight. Email michaela@civitella.org with any travel-related questions.

You can take a train or bus. There are Trenitalia trains leaving from Roma Termini to Perugia Ponte San Giovanni (often times with a connection at Foligno). The other option is to take a bus from the Rome Tiburtina Bus Depot, which is connected to Roma Termini by Rome’s metro system. In either case a Civitella staff member will pick you up in Perugia and drive you to the castle.

A train from Firenze Santa Maria Novella can take you to Perugia Ponte San Giovanni. Again, a staff member will pick you up in Perugia.

If you wish us to change your flight, we require a minimum of two weeks notice. You will be responsible for any flight change fees or difference in cost fees from the airline. Please inform Michaela (michaela@civitella.org) if you plan to make flight changes. 

Yes. There are two cars that Fellows can sign out to use, but only if you have a European driver’s license (EU) or International Diver’s License (USA). In the US, this can be obtained easily from your local AAA center. Keep in mind that one car is automatic and one is manual.

Most Fellows are housed in the Castle, but several outer buildings are also well-loved studios and apartments. Each Fellow receives a private room and bathroom and has access to a study or studio twenty-four hours a day. Studios are often connected to the sleeping quarters. Because most of the studios are housed within the Castle, the typical ‘white box’ studio does not exist, but is rather replaced with wonderfully unique spaces based on the medieval structure of the Castle itself. Should your work require a specific type of space, be sure to communicate this on the pre-session form you will be asked to fill out online.

There is no prescribed schedule that Fellows need to follow, yet there is a backbone of a routine, with events and outings that are offered on an optional basis. Most time is for your work or to use at your discretion.

Weekly excursions are vital to our time together. Fellows and staff propose destinations, and groups are accompanied by the Director, the Residency Director, and/or visiting scholars who come as Director’s Guests. Frequent destinations include Arezzo, Sansepolcro, Monterchi, Urbino, Perugia, Assisi, Rome, or Florence. Piero della Francesca’s work is often the focus of our explorations. We have organized excursions to the opera, contemporary music festivals, special exhibitions, literary events, and traditional local festivals, such as ‘Ceri’ in Gubbio.

You can leave your laundry with us once a week to be laundered for a nominal charge in downtown Umbertide. Hand-washing is another option as there are drying racks in each bathroom. We provide sheets, towels, blankets, and duvets which are laundered weekly.

No. You will want to pack comfortable clothing for working in your studio or at your desk or piano, as well as sturdy shoes for excursions. We often have guests for dinner so you may want to dress less informally for those occasions. In addition, we may have one or two “festive dress” evenings each session.

Lunch and dinner are provided Monday-Saturday by our kitchen. Breakfast as well as Sunday meals are prepared on your own. There is an outdoor market as well as supermarket in Umbertide, though each apartment is stocked with milk, sugar, coffee, and tea. Each Fellow has access to a kitchen with a refrigerator and a stove.

Lunch may be taken to your studio or apartment, or shared with a group that might gather on the ‘Russian Terrace’ or under the gazebo. Everyone does come together for the evening meal at 7:30pm.

Our chefs are dedicated to the pleasure of good, clean, well-prepared food that is largely drawn from local, traditional Umbrian and Tuscan recipes. It is difficult to support all dietary preferences, but we will work with you to find a reasonable solution for serious food allergies/health needs. Please notify the staff in advance should you have a special dietary need/request. We essentially offer two menus: typical Umbrian or vegetarian.

In addition to a fleet of bikes, Fellows have twenty-four hour access to a well-equipped gym in the Castle. Several nearby agriturismi offer pool usage for a daily spa fee, and the local area abounds with recreational facilities, from gyms to tennis courts. Civitella also provides immediate access to wooded pathways for walks or runs.

No. We believe that Fellows have worked hard to get to Civitella, and will use their time here responsibly. Our only requirement is to give a short 5-minute presentation at the beginning of the session.