Landscape Architecture

Amici di ENV

Due to COVID-19, this program is temporarily paused pending guidance from public health officials.

Department of Landscape Architecture is partnering with the College of Environmental Design to sponsor an incredible week in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy. Castiglion Fiorentino has been home to students of landscape architecture for 25 years, and is the location of the longest running international program in the college. This spectacular trip will provide an opportunity to go slow, connecting with the community and a landscape that has been fundamental to education of generations of landscape architecture students. While this tour is based in the relationships Cal Poly Pomona Landscape Architecture has nurtured in Castiglion Fiorentino across the past 25 years, it is a tour that will take a deep dive into place and community with some occasional discussion around design. The program's planned events are wide ranging but very local in context. This trip is an opportunity to explore Italy well off the beaten path, and to reconnect and be inspired again, or for the first time!

The Amici di ENV is limited to 20 participants. The tour will begin and end in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy, during a season of the best food, drink and weather Italy has to offer. This trip will call Castiglion Fiorentino home for nine days and eight nights of creative exploration, hyper-local food and- of course- local wine! Accommodations will be provided at a local agriturismo where we will stay for the duration: no packing and no moving. We will have many local excursions, meet many local artisans and makers of all types, and take a couple day trips to some truly extraordinary nearby sites and cities.

The tour will highlight the landscape and community of Castiglion Fiorentino. Our trip will take its time and go deep into the experience of place- no hustle and bustle of tours here, just a slow week-long sojourn into the landscape of rural Italy. Some days participants will have the opportunity to choose between activities offered, and there will also be time to explore the settings individually or take a rest day. Planned events include workshops in print-making, cooking and truffle hunting. We will sometimes wander and linger. We will always appreciate the time we have.

Our trip will include an in-depth introduction to the Santa Chiara Study Center. Santa Chiara and its dedicated team are the reason our study abroad program has been able to introduce more that 600 Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC Davis students to the culture and history of Italy across the past 25 years. Our program's presence in Castiglion Fiorentino is not by chance; this relationship is tied to the history of the center, the program, and the mission of the founder Paolo Barucchieri. Over the past 30 years, Barucchieri and his team have built and devoted immeasurable energy to the creation and continuation of this center. In this way, our landscape architecture program and other institutions continue to enjoy an Italian experience in a nurturing and efficient environment as true members of the Castiglion Fiorentino community.   

The founder of our Italy program, Phil Pregill will join with the Department Chair, Andy Wilcox to lead the tour. Along the way a series of local experts, artisans and friends of the program will join the tour and deepen our shared experience.

We look forward to your time with us in Castiglion Fiorentinio.

A presto,

The Department of Landscape Architecture