Fire Up Your Creativity with Italiana Tours
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Thirteen people gather under the Italian sun for a week of drawing, painting, and soaking up the beauty of Le Marche—a drop-dead gorgeous and under-touristed region that invites exploration and jump-starts the imagination.
I’ve been invited to sit in for a day at the Italian Sketchbook Retreat, run by Italiana Tours.
Under the direction of Australian artist Rod Moore, I hope to flex my drawing muscles—and maybe even conquer my fear of the blank page.
I can’t wait!
Arrival at Il Parco Ducale
I arrive a few hours before the rest of the group and settle in at Il Parco Ducale, the retreat’s base. This beautiful old palazzo boasts brick arches, foot-thick walls, and heavy wooden beams. There’s also a swimming pool, and the town of Urbania, with its charming medieval center, is just a short walk away.
The palazzo is next door to the summer residence of the Duke of Urbino, built in the late 15th century. The magnificent Renaissance palace provides a dramatic backdrop for the art classes, while the surrounding landscape looks as though it’s been lifted straight out of a Renaissance painting. Add a few robed figures in the foreground, and you’d swear that time has stood still.
What is Italiana Tours?
Italiana Tours was founded about ten years ago by Piero and Katie Pagliardini to offer custom art tours and retreats, primarily in Le Marche and Puglia. Piero, a local expert, grew up in Le Marche, where he developed a passion for nature, hospitality and art workshops in Italy. Together with the travel coordinator, Alex, they have been crafting tours all over Italy.
Each retreat is led by a renowned artist. The retreat I’m sitting in on is led by Rod Moore, the star of two Australian TV programs—Plein Air Painting TV and Yes, You Can Paint—and founder of the online Learn To Paint Academy.
Our First Evening
By six o’clock, the group has arrived. Together, we ride into Urbania for a wine tasting and pizza dinner.
At a cozy trattoria, we gather at one long table. The noise level quickly rises as people swap “Where are you froms?”
We’re a truly international mix, with participants from Australia, Belgium, the U.S., India, and me from Canada.
We sample three local wines—a sparkling, a white, and a red—all from Le Marche region. Afterward, we stroll through the quiet town, past arcaded buildings, to a pizzeria.
My All’Amatriciana pizza is spicy and delicious, paired with another red wine. Dessert brings four digestifs, including the ever-popular limoncello, served ice-cold.
My Day at the Italian Sketchbook Retreat
After breakfast the next morning, we assemble in the large breakfast room where tables are arranged in a U-shape. Rod leads us through warm-up exercises to prepare us for sketching en plein air later in the day.
I lose myself in drawing lines, experimenting with cross-hatching and stippling (new to me!), and studying values from dark to light.
Rod introduces us to the Rule of 6—breaking any scene into six basic shapes to capture the “big picture” before layering in details.
So we can practice breaking scenes into six parts, Rod has provided us with hundreds of reference photos on Dropbox. He also encourages us to use our own photos if we wish.
I flip through my photos and choose a quiet canal scene that I took on a recent trip to Venice to break into six shapes. It’s surprisingly challenging, and I quickly realize why the exercise is a valuable one for developing drawing skills.
The atmosphere is both relaxed and productive. Rod circulates, offering encouragement and practical suggestions. His teaching style is warm and approachable.
Afternoon Excursion
After lunch, we hop on the bus into Urbania for a visit to the Chiesa dei Morti. Excursions are part of the daily rhythm here. During the week, participants will visit the market in Urbania and Raphael’s childhood home in Urbino, and take a cooking class at a 12th-century mill.
I won’t spoil the surprise of what we found in the crypt of the Chiesa dei Morti—but trust me, it’s unforgettable.
While in Urbania, we stop to admire a view of the palace where the Duke of Urbino stayed when he was in town. Later in the week, the group will go to this location to do some plein air painting.
The Retreat Participants
Our group is a mix of retirees and mid-career professionals, some returning for their fifth retreat with Italiana Tours. That loyalty says a lot about the value of these retreats.
Some participants are Rod’s students, both in-person or online, while others are newcomers eager to learn. The retreat welcomes both painters and non-painters, with special outings for those not attending the classes. Here are some of the participants I got to know:
- Tim and Carol, from North Carolina, are seasoned travelers. While Tim paints, Carol joins the non-painting excursions.
- Rohit, from New Delhi, is one of Rod’s online students and has come for his first in-person workshop.
- Marie is on her fifth Italiana Tours retreat, having attended in both Le Marche and Puglia.
- Charles, a fellow novelist, is attending his fifth retreat as well, though it’s his first time painting.
- Beeb from Australia is attending the retreat after spending five months in Europe, during which she walked the 900-kilometer Camino di Santiago.
- Hans from Belgium is attending for the first time, hoping to develop his painting skills as he moves into retirement.
Several more of the participants tell me they’ve come because they know Rod’s work The group bonds quickly over shared meals, travel stories, and artistic discoveries.
Plein Air Sketching
In the afternoon, I attempt my first plein air sketch. Nervous at first, I watch as Rod demonstrates, sketching the six “big shapes” of a building at Il Parco Ducale with confident pen strokes, and then filling details.
When it’s my turn, my first drawing of the ducal palace flops. But with Rod’s good-humored encouragement, I try again, this time choosing a simpler subject.
To my surprise—I love it. The act of sketching outdoors, surrounded by such a timeless landscape, rekindles my long-lost interest in drawing. After just one day, I feel inspired to keep sketching (and maybe even start painting again).
Looking Ahead: Upcoming Italiana Tours
Piero and his team host around ten workshops a year, divided between Le Marche, Puglia, and Sicily. The retreats fill quickly, so if you’re looking for an artsy traveler’s dream week of creativity, food, and exploration, check out the Italiana Tours website.
Four of our thirteen participants came as non-artists, happily joining Piero’s curated outings—proof that these tours truly offer something for everyone.
✨ Takeaway: One day at the Italian Sketchbook Retreat was enough to fire up my creativity, reconnect me with my love of drawing, and remind me that sometimes the best artsy traveler souvenirs are the ones you sketch yourself.
Here are some more posts about artsy activities you can explore while traveling:
- Take a Photography Tour in Rome and Learn with an Expert
- A Visit with Tuscan Artist Silvia Salvadori in Arezzo, Tuscany
- Experiential Travel: How to Connect With Local Artists
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What a delightful time we had together while we explored and ate shared gelato .. so happy we met. I will be reading your novels. I must show you my 4 paintings I will be releasing when I get home…
Yes, it was great meeting you and getting to spend time in lovely Urbania. I was very impressed with Italiana Tours!