UMBRIA CONTEMPORARY ARTS
Umbria Contemporary Arts is an exciting art center and school located in the beautiful medieval hilltop village of Monte Castello di Vibio. Inspired by Italian art and culture, its mission is to build a creative and supportive international community of artists, scholars, enthusiasts and students in pursuit of dialogue and self-expression through their varied creative practices.
We bring distinguished international art world professionals together to lead classes, workshops, and mentoring programs in the relaxed setting of this historic village, overlooking the Tiber River Valley. One to three week sessions are comprised of classes in Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Ceramics, Sculpture and Art History. Lectures, critiques and day trips to major cultural sites in Umbria and Tuscany augment each program. Extended one to four week long artist residencies in spacious studios are also available.Chef prepared meals are served nightly on our beautiful terrace, where conversations and insights from the days activities continues.
Monte Castello di Vibio is a perfectly preserved fifteenth century Italian Hill Town, and home to some 300 year-round residents. The surrounding fertile landscape features vineyards, olive groves, sunflower fields, and spectacular views of the Tiber river valley. It is a place where the daily rituals of Italian life are on full display, and where it’s residents take great pride in hosting artists from all over the world for generations.
Our location in Italy’s central region of Umbria allows for day trips and research to some of the most important Renaissance art centers including Perugia, Todi, Orvieto, Asissi, Arezzo and Siena. Here you will find masterworks by Piero della Francesca, Giotto, Fra Angelico, Duccio, Perugino, Signorelli, and many more. Contemporary and Modern artists have found inspiration here also, and works by Alberto Burri, Gerardo Dottori and Beverly Pepper can be experienced nearby. We are equidistant from the art capitals of Rome and Florence, both of which can be easily reached by car or train in a little over two hours.
The school is housed in a fourteenth century stone convent with spectacular views of the Tiber Valley, and Palazzo Persiani, in the center of Monte Castello di Vibio. These buildings comprise private room accommodations, the dining room and terrace, a media/library room, exhibition space, as well as spacious studios for painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking and ceramics. The charming nineteenth century Teatro della Concordia offers a venue for performances and lectures. And of course the beautiful vista from the main piazza, winding stone streets, friendly locals, and the surrounding rolling landscape of olive groves, sunflowers and vineyards all become an extension of the school experience.
Beginning in Spring 2027 Umbria Contemporary Arts will be expanding our class offerings to include programming in the Burgundy Region of France.
Programs and student accommodations are located in the stunning Château of Mailly, in the commune of Mailly-le-Château, a two hour train ride from Paris. The important medieval towns of Vézelay and Autun are within easy reach
The Château of Mailly, originally a fortified stronghold and still encircled by its medieval walls, sits high above the Burgundian countryside overlooking the waterways of the Yonne River and the Nivernais Canal. Perched on a cliff edge, the château benefits from unobstructed views stretching for miles around.
Within the fortified walls are five buildings encircling a central courtyard. The oldest structures dating from the Middle Ages are the vaulted caves now converted into spacious suites with monumental fireplaces and filled with period furnishings. Built on top of the medieval caves is an early 19th century residence with terraces on both sides, overlooking the countryside and the village below.
On the other side of the courtyard are two adjoining 17thcentury buildings, known as the commons. The ground floor originally housed the stables with the servants’ quarters above. Flanking the back edge of the courtyard on either side are two pavilions recently converted into light-filled living spaces.
The grounds, landscaped with beautiful gardens on several levels, offer a wide variety of magnificent terraces and outdoor spaces, most with expansive views of the lower-lying surroundings. The 18-meter heated swimming pool is strategically located on a jutting promontory benefiting from one of the most panoramic views in the region.
CONTACT US
P.O. Box 58
New York, NY 10012
Email: info@umbriacontemporaryarts.com
Phone: 917 545-3206
Umbria Contemporary Arts Programming is located at
06057 Monte Castello di Vibio, Province of Perugia, Italy and
Château de Mailly, 5 rue Château, 89660 Mailly-le-Château, France
Directions:
