New Moon Art + Yoga Retreat in Italy
Experience Tuscany with Sarah Brokke & Mary Bue
May 13-20th 2026
Join us for an unforgettable experience in the Tuscan hillside exploring art history, embodiment, creativity, and Italian culture.
Earlybird friend special! Save $100 (each!) if you bring a friend ~ register before October 15th 2025
Nestled in the Chianti region of Tuscany in our villa overlooking the Valdarno and the Chianti hills, experience Italy through art history, creativity, movement, music, food, friends, explorations of the sacred feminine with Sarah Brokke and Mary Bue. Grounding ourselves in the Tuscan countryside, we will spend the first few days of our time together through lectures and experiential learning, which will include creative journaling and drawing prompts drawing from sensory experiences.
We will spend time soaking in the inspiration of Florence, visiting museums like the Uffizi, where we will see work from the Baroque artist Artemisia Gentilischi, to cathedrals like Santa Croce where we will see a monument by artist Fèlicie de Fauveau.
Yoga’s many limbs will be offered as options to explore, guided lovingly by musician & yoga instructor Mary Bue’s in her warm, down-to-earth teaching style. Daily practices of yoga with visualizations, music, meditations, poetry, and new moon ceremony. Yoga is loosely translated to “yoke” or “unite”) and will practice aspects including asana (postures & flowing sequences), pranayama (conscious breath practice), meditation, self-reflection (svadhyaya), mantra & sacred sound (manas loosely means “mind” & tra means “tool / technique” or “protection”).
Start where you are; no previous art yoga experience required.
Everything is optional! We celebrate your safety, comfort, and agency … and cannot wait to experience Italy with you!
Itinerary includes the following and more …
All of This …
plus plenty of time soaking in the sun and vistas of the Tuscan Countryside
Welcome Ceremony
Creating Sacred Space - gentle movement, meditation, intention setting & introductions
Yoga ~ all levels, breath-centered practices
Creating space in your body for creativity
Engaging the creative impulse
Responding to nature through your senses with drawing
Historical grounding in Italy
introduction of sensory response
Travel journaling and experiential drawing
Sacred rest/reflection
Lecture/conversation Florentine artists, art and architecture
New Moon Ceremony/Yoga Nidra
Performance by Mary Bue
Day Trips to Florence include:
Duomo
Santa Croce
Santa Maria Novella
Uffizi and surrounding area
Ponte Vecchio
Piazza Michelangelo + San Miniato al Monte
Choose your own adventure:
Morning sketching for an hour or two at the Accademie?
Visit the David and/or go shopping, Florence is your oyster.
The Villa
Nestled on the Pratomagno slope, overlooking the Valdarno, we will stay at a beautiful restored Tuscan 1700 farmhouse in dominant position with a stunning view over the Valdarno valley featuring private gardens, swimming pool with a view, multiple luxurious common spaces.
Located midway between Florence and Arezzo, on the cliff of the Pratomagno mountain, with a stunning sight on the whole Valdarno valley and the Chianti hills, immersed in nature and surrounded by olive trees (featuring the villa’s own olive oil)!
Imagine yourself dining al fresco on the "il Fienile" terrace with 13 of your new best friends.
We are happy to offer an option for round-trip airport transfer from Florence.
Meals at our Tuscan Villa will be privately catered and proudly Italian, offering nourishing vegetarian fare with vegan and gluten free options available. There will also be a few meals off site in Florence for you to choose your own adventure.
A taste of what we will visit in Florence
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The “Duomo”, as the Cathedral is called, is the most important religious building in Florence since 1296 when its construction started. The beautiful green, white and pink exterior draw visitors into the beautiful mosaics of the interior floors. Upon its completion, the cathedral was the largest Christian church in the world before the building of St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. Known specifically for its dome, designed by the Architect Filippo Brunelleschi in 1420 is the greatest masterpiece of Renaissance architecture and still the biggest masonry dome in the world. We will spend some of our time at the Duomo with the sculpture on the facade of Santa Reparata.
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A 10 minute walk through the winding streets of Florence, will lead us to the Basilica of Santa Croce. This Franciscan church with Gothic architecture was built at the end of the 1200’s and it is known as the “Temple of Italian Glories”, where very important Italians are buried such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Rossini and many others. Paintings, frescoes and stained glass windows adorn the interior, and we will focus, in particular, on a monument by sculptor Fèlicie de Fauveau. Also of note, within the ancient convent, the oldest leather workshop of Florence where items are still handmade by skilled artisans.
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On our way to this Basilica, we will stop for lunch at the Mercato Centrale. Built on the western side of Florence by the Dominican monks at the end of the 13th century, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella has a stunning Renaissance facade in white and green marble designed by Leon Battista Alberti. Important art masterpieces by Masaccio, Giotto, Ghirlandaio, Brunelleschi are housed within, and we will plan to spend time with a painting by Paultilla Nelli, considered to be Florence’s first female artist. In addition, in the ancient convent you will find the Pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella, a perfumery and herbalist shop which since 1612 makes lotions, soaps, body and home fragrances as well as natural medicines following the ancient recipes of the monks.
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We will arrive early to the Uffizi, with the plan of starting the day with some incredible art! The Gallery entirely occupies the first and second floors of the large building constructed between 1560 and 1580 and designed by Giorgio Vasari with the building’s original intent to be a legal and administrative office building for the city of Florence (uffizi means offices!). The collections of paintings from the 14th-century and Renaissance period include incredible masterpieces, and the inspiration can be a bit overwhelming. We can plan to see the work of Artemisia Gentileschi, Sophonisba Anguisciola, and Lavinia Fontana, as well as works by Sandro Boticelli, Caravaggio and Raphael.
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After our time at the Uffizi, we will stroll across the Ponte Vecchio towards lunch. Built very close to the Roman crossing, the Ponte Vecchio, (meaning ‘Old Bridge’), was the only bridge across the Arno in Florence until 1218. The current bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1345. During World War II it was the only bridge across the Arno that the fleeing Germans did not destroy. Instead they blocked access by demolishing the medieval buildings on each side. On November 4, 1966, the bridge miraculously withstood the tremendous weight of water and silt when the Arno once again burst its banks. You will see many artisans selling their jewelry as we cross the Arno.
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Following lunch (and maybe some gelato!), we’ll walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo for an incredible view of Florence. Built on the hills in 1869, located south Florence’s historic center following the design of the architect Giuseppe Poggi.
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Further up, we will take our time walking to San Miniato al Monte, also called San Miniato, completed in 1062, and the facade was finished in the 12th century. It is considered one of the finest examples of the Tuscan Romanesque style of architecture. It is located above Piazza Michelangelo, and hosts a beautiful cemetery on its grounds, and has stunning views. We will spend some time taking in the exquisite details in this final Basilica of our time together, and enjoy the view!
Much of the above information can be found and expanded upon at visitflorence.com and Time Out Florence
Join art professor Sarah Brokke in exploring the work of Artemisia Gentileschi
Art history, technique, and viewing in person at the Uffizi
The Artist Artemisia Gentileschi most likely arrived in the Tuscan city of Florence at the beginning of 1613. She was 19 years old, newly married, and was putting the traumatic events of assault (and trial of her teacher) behind her. She was determined to become a successful painter.
Artemisia’s unquestionable skills as an artist, her unique status as a female painter of grand religious subjects and her considerable charm, all aroused interest among contemporaries. Soon the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo II de' Medici, his wife Maria Maddalena of Austria, his sister Caterina de’ Medici and other members of the court, all appear to have become patrons.
Artemisia’s Judith Beheading Holofernes, seems to have been made for the Medici and will be on view when we visit the Uffizi, where a large proportion of the Medicis' astonishing collection ended up. Artemisia achieved a significant mark of approval when, in 1616, she became the first woman ever to be admitted to the prestigious Accademia delle Arti del Disegno (the Academy of the Arts of Drawing).
She remained in Florence until 1620, achieving widespread creative success under the patronage of Grand Duke Cosimo II de’ Medici and the Grand Duchess, Cristina di Lorena, wife of Ferdinando I de’ Medici. While women artists at that time were generally limited to portraiture and still-life painting, Artemisia became famous for her grand-scale works depicting biblical and mythological heroines-no frail female ever graced her canvases. Judith and her Maidservant (1614), housed in Palazzo Pitti’s Palatine Gallery, is a stunning example of Artemisia’s famed realism. It is one of six variations she painted on that subject. Her style was strongly influenced by Caravaggio and the use of chiaroscuro, which represented a strong contrast between light and dark. Many of her works posthumously were attributed to her father, but scholars continue to discover her work and brilliance, and one is hard pressed to deny her place in the previously determined all-male canon. The work she was able to do, despite many cultural restraints makes a clear case that if more women (and other marginalized folks) were given access and opportunity, we would be looking at a more expansive and developed world.
Retreat Package includes:
7 nights lodging at our Tuscan villa
All meals while at Villa
Admission fees to Uffizi, Sante Croce, Santa Maria Novella, Duomo
Art supplies
Painting & drawing workshops
Daily Yoga Sessions (including asana, breathwork, meditation, yoga nidra, nada yoga)
Transportation while at retreat
Private Concert
What is not included in the retreat package:
Flights/transportation
Travel Insurance
Spa treatments
Alcoholic beverages other than local wine (limited supply provided)
Meals during our day trips to Florence
Supplemental dietary needs beyond vegetarian/vegan/gluten free
About Your Hosts
SARAH BROKKE
I’ve been a practicing and exhibiting visual artist for over 25 years, 21 of which have been devoted to teaching at a collegiate level. Few experiences are more powerful and enriching than combining travel and education, which I’ve had the great fortune to do with my students of all ages over the years, including in Italy, Ireland, England and at Georgia O'Keeffe's Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. I could not be more thrilled to share a place so deeply inspiring and instrumental in the path of my work, having attended graduate school in Florence for the first year of my MFA. We’ll explore and stretch our creativity together through the incredible light and the art history created in Tuscany. You don’t need any formal training or experience in visual art to be fully immersed in this retreat; just curiosity and an open, inquisitive mind. Any questions? Happy to answer any you might have at sarahbrokkeart@gmail.com.
You can also check out my most recent work on Instagram @sarahbrokke Learn more about Sarah Brokke
MARY BUE
I am a full blown wander-luster, following music, yoga, beauty and bliss around the world since being a German exchange student at 16. I’m a performing songwriter of 25+ years and just released my 9th album The Wildness of Living & Dying. 2025 found me finishing the year as an Artist in Residence at The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico in Taos, writing songs, painting, and working on a book. Been teaching yoga for 16 years, and just co-launched a registered yoga teacher training school Yojita Yoga. Since closing my yoga studio in 2019, hosted and co-hosted over 20 retreats around the world. I’ll be offering music, explorations into creative writing, musical entertainment, and sonic blessings. Italy is soooo dreamy - Sarah and I co-hosted two retreats in Tuscany in 2022 and cannot wait to be back! Learn more about Mary Bue
Retreat Details
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Once you are ready to join us, your deposit for a single or shared room saves your place. This experience is limited to 12 guests. Kindly check the investment tab above for more info about what is included as well as our cancellation policy.
Bring a friend and save $100 each if both registered by October 15th 2025!
SINGLE ~ $3300
SHARED (per person) ~ $2800
DEPOSIT (included in total price, non-refundable)
$600
Please note that preferred payment options after the deposit are check, Apple Pay, or Zelle. A fee of 3% will be added to process credit card payments (invoices with remaining balances will be sent).
Half payment due by January 15th 2026 // Full payment is due by March 15th 2026. Please take care to note a $10 daily late fee.
ONCE REGISTERED
As the retreat approaches, you will receive an informational email with additional information, getting there, what to pack, and more about our time together. You’ll also receive a waiver of liability to sign, knowing that you choosing to participate in this experience at your own risk.
REFUND POLICY
Full refund (minus deposit) before January 15th 2026
50% refund (minus deposit) between January 15 March 15th 2026.
No refunds after March 15th 2026*
*If the retreat is canceled by the host, you will receive a refund in full.
* In case of extreme personal circumstances, we will consider full refunds less small administration fee on a case-by-case basis if your spot can be filled.
*If you cannot attend, you are welcome to sell your retreat package to another guest with the approval of the host IF the retreat does not have a waiting list. Please note that it is not the responsibility of the host to fill your place.
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SARAH BROKKE
A practicing and award-winning visual artist for over 20 years, Sarah is primarily a painter, who has also worked as an illustrator, author, photographer and muralist. She has extensive teaching experience in art and art history and is an Associate Professor and Director of the Art Program at the College of St. Scholastica, in Duluth, MN. Believing experiential learning to be heightened through travel, Sarah’s instructed abroad, as well, most recently co-hosting retreats with Mary in Italy and Ireland. Her studio is nestled on the incredible North Shore of Lake Superior between Two Harbors and Duluth.
Sarah works intuitively both through observation and imagination, and states, “My work originates in dreams and echoes of distant once-lived memories. Navigating the space between the external world and our internal lives, I seek to transcribe water as it transforms into roots, which, in turn become veins; a mirror of nature and the cosmos found within our physical bodies. Through painting contemporary mythologies on canvas, I am testing the boundaries of unearthing the sacred in the secular; visioning towards a future where we hold each other and the world around us in equal and elevated esteem. While exploring far flung possibilities visually may seem futile and impractical, I am driven to develop a path through and beyond. I intend to make the liminal tangible.”
Sarah has three exhibitions scheduled in 2024, and a forth-coming book and oracle card publication with Poet Kyle Leia titled ‘Irrevocable Wholeness: Poems and Meditations to Hold it All’.
MARY BUE
Mary Bue is an indie musician, registered yoga teacher (e-RYT 500), co-founder of Yojita Yoga Teacher Training (230 yoga teacher training program), and a teacher in the Viniyoga tradition, a breath-centered, flowing practice that believes in adapting postures to fit the whole person (not forcing a person to fit into a posture!). Mary received her certification at Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, WA by Tracy Weber, (student of Gary Kraftsow, student of T.K.V. Desikachar) and her 300-hour from Yoga Center Retreat (formerly Yoga Center of Minneapolis). In 2020, Mary received an additional 200-hour certificate in Nada Yoga (the Yoga of Sound) from Nada Yoga School in Rishikesh India.
Mary has pursued continuing yoga education in prenatal yoga, yoga for anxiety & depression, pranayama, and 30 hour-certification in Trauma-informed Yoga with Firefly Yoga International. Mary was a teaching assistant for Whole Life Yoga’s ten month long, 200-hour teacher training in 2010 and has also assisted in WLY’s “Yoga for Healthy Backs” Series. She has her bachelor’s degree in psychology, with an emphasis on Transpersonal Psychology from the University of Minnesota – Duluth. Mary has also received volunteer training in sexual assault victim advocacy from PAVSA and domestic violence victim support from DAIP. She founded and ran Imbue Yoga Studio in S. Mpls for nearly 3 years (closing Jan. 2019).
As a wanderer-luster and experience junkie, she has worked in many types of jobs: as a clinical research assistant in a prison & hospital, an AIDS prevention outreach worker on the streets and harm reduction work in needle exchanges, as well as many hundreds of hours as a server, bartender and barista.
In her life as a musician Mary has toured in 40+ states, released 7 albums, been awarded four artist grants, enjoyed three Artist in Residence awards, and has served on the board and steering committee of the Duluth Homegrown Music Festival.
All of these experiences culminate in the guiding of Creativity and Yoga Retreats. Mary has led and co-led retreats in Bali, Malta, Ireland, and Italy, Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New Mexico.
Mary is an avid runner (10 half marathons and two full marathons), nature lover and vegan. In her spare time, she enjoys playing music, cooking, writing blogs, poetry and in journals, painting cow portraits, reading non-fiction and traveling.
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We recommend flying into Florence as we will be coordinating round trip transportation to our villa from the Florence airport, or fly into Rome or Pisa and take the train to Florence for our courtesy pick up. We will do our best to help with purchasing flights to best accommodate our pick up times.
Tentative pick up time:
May 13th ~ 3pm ~ Florence Airport
Tentative drop off time:
10:30/11am ~ May 20th
Airports: Each link has an option to view in English, and contains a map of each airport as well as additional helpful information.
Train:
Most folks in Italy travel by train. This link will bring you to the Italian Rail site, which also is in English. You can purchase tickets, if you need them directly from this site or through an app.
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Travel Insurance
Mary recommends AIG travel insurance: https://www.aig.com/travel-guard
Helpful Links:
Airports: It is recommended that you get euros out of the cash machines in the airport for taxi fare (if you are arriving days prior to our retreat), the open air markets, and/or an optional massage at the Villa. Each link has an option to view in English, and contains a map of each airport as well as additional helpful information.
Train:
Most folks in Italy travel by train. This link will bring you to the Italian Rail site, which also is in English. You can purchase tickets, if you need them directly from this site or through an app.
US Consulate in Italy
Up to-date information on traveling as an American in Italy. This site also has some helpful resources
Italian Customs/Info:
While these are suggestions, it is important to know customs of any culture you choose to visit.
General Etiquette
It is common for Italian friends and families to kiss on the cheek when they meet, irrespective of their gender.
Stand up out of respect when an older person enters the room.
It is important to dress neatly and respectfully.
Cover your mouth when yawning or sneezing.
Hats should be removed indoors.
It is impolite to remove one’s shoes in front of others.
Punctuality is not tight in social situations. In Italy, ‘on time’ can mean 20, 30 or even 45 minutes late.
Open doors for the elderly. Men often open doors for women.
Stand to greet any senior person that walks into the room.
When entering a church, you must cover your shoulders and your knees.
Greetings
Italian greetings are usually warm and rather formal.
The common greeting is a handshake with direct eye contact and a smile. If the greeting is between a man and a woman, the woman generally extends her hand first.
People avoid shaking hands over the top of other people’s hands. If someone has dirty or wet hands, they may apologize and simply nod.
It is common to give air kisses on both cheeks (starting with your left) when greeting those you know well. This is called the ‘il bacetto’. However, in Southern Italy, men generally only kiss family members and prefer to give a pat on the back to show affection in a greeting.
The common verbal greeting is “Ciao” (Hello). This is quite casual. People may also say “Buongiorno” (Good day) or “Buonasera” (Good evening) to be more formal.
Address a person by their title and last name, and continue to do so until invited to move to a first-name basis.
Older Italians prefer to be addressed in the polite form, using titles such as “Signore” (Mister) and “Signora” (Missus).
Eating (Helpful for our time in Florence)
Italians generally wait for their host to sit before they do so and wait for them to indicate it is time to eat.
Some Italians may pray and say ‘grace’ before eating a meal.
Guests are invited to start eating when the host or head of the table says “Buon appetito” (Enjoy your meal).
Some meals on special occasions can take hours to finish as conversation continues.
It is improper to put one’s hands on one’s lap, or to stretch one’s arms while at the table.
Resting one’s elbows on the table is also considered to be poor manners.
Do not leave the table until everyone has finished eating.
Drinking beverages other than water or wine with a meal is quite uncommon.
If someone does not want more wine, the typical custom is to leave the wine glass nearly full.
It is generally impolite to eat whilst walking.
Guests are not expected to help the host clean up after a meal.
Breakfast is not a big meal in Italian culture and is sometimes skipped.
Traditionally, Italians eat lunch together as a family. However, this is not always practiced in the fast-paced environment of the modern day.
Outdoor (al fresco) dining is very popular in the summer months.
Information sourced from: https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/italian-culture/italian-culture-core-concepts
Join us! Register here.
Once you are ready to join us, your deposit for a single or shared room saves your place. This experience is limited to 12 guests. Kindly check the investment tab above for more info about what is included as well as our cancellation policy.
Bring a Friend and save $100 each if both registered by October 15th 2025!
SINGLE ~ $3300
SHARED ~ $2800
DEPOSIT (included in total price, non-refundable)
$600
Please note that preferred payment options after the deposit are check, Apple Pay, or Zelle. A fee of 3% will be added to process credit card payments (invoices with remaining balances will be sent).
Half payment due by January 15th 2026 // Full payment is due by March 15th 2026. Please take care to note a $10 daily late fee.
"This was really an astonishing adventure, and it felt seamless, safe, focused, organized, and overall like living in a dream. Pretty close to perfect.”
