Hi Rino,
Again, I want to thank you for the wonderful experience in Assisi with Neva. My art practice improved dramatically and the setting was wonderful. It was delightful to meet both you and your son. I still look forward to seeing you in your tights.😆
Thank you so much again. And thank you for the beautiful certificate and the Saint Francis drawings. That was very touching.
With affection
Ciao, Rino!
I want to express my deepest thanks and affection for this great gift. My heart is full and I think of the experience daily. The Villa is magnificent! The food was exceptional! Thank you for taking such great care to ensure a wonderful experience. I hope that Jenny and Bill appreciated everyone’s efforts on their behalf.
I hope the feedback is equally positive from Lavinia, Alessandro, and their staff. I also hope the current watercolor workshop is going well.
We are in Agerola until the 16th, then on to Rome. The Amalfi coast is beautiful, but the roads— narrow, winding and scary drivers. We are only a few kilometers from Amalfi, yet it tales 40 minutes to get there. Or anywhere. Yesterday we drove to Pompeii. It was a much better experience on our own and without a guide. However, I still prefer Umbria!
I am working on the photos. I think I have the paintings ready and will send. Then I’ll work on the food, and others.
Warm hugs, and take care.
Your’s and Bruce’s adventures to Greece looked amazing. So happy for you to celebrate your anniversary there. A larger seat on the way home had to make that part of the trip better!!
It was a really great week of travel, culture, art, food and camaraderie!
For an absolute beginner with no pastel skills at all, Joycelyn was able to masterfully guide me through successfully creating five different pieces of art! The combination of an in-depth introduction to pastel art and practical exercises (with demonstrations) gave me the confidence to create nice art that I can be proud of having done.
The location itself was beautiful and provided so much inspiration, it was a pleasure to try and capture those images in pastel. The headmaster of Schola Artis Pro Vobis was very personable and a fabulous host. He checked in on the class often and was genuinely interested in making sure we had everything we needed to have an excellent learning opportunity. Additionally, he was able to enlighten us on local history and culture.
If we can swing it, we would love love love to attend the spring class. It was so much fun and it was wonderful to get to spend some time with you.
I really had such a wonderful time and I know my students did as well. You made everything easy for us and so enjoyable! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
I plan on starting promotion of workshops for 2024 once I know more details from you!!
I was a novice in a class of experienced artists and I felt like Laura was teaching just me. The “experienced” students felt the same way. She somehow is able to teach on multi-levels at the same time, encouraging and with the kindest constructive approach.
The location and accommodations were ideal. The convenience of sleeping, eating and painting all under one very nice roof was a plus. Being disconnected allowed me to focus on the art and consequently self-awareness. I loved going to class in the morning and letting it marinate in the afternoon — no distractions like what am I am going to fix for dinner.
The workshop was wonderful, inspiring, nourishing and very gratifying. And FUN!
Working with Rino at Schola Artis Pro Vobis was a tremendous and positive experience - and I hope to return soon to teach another workshop in beautiful Umbria.
He was responsive to student questions ahead of time, making travel planning easy. He went above and beyond on ordering supplies and working with the hotel to provide an ideal setting for teaching. We had everything we needed plus some.
The program structure of having class in the morning and free time in the afternoon worked well and gave people plenty of time to make art as well as time to relax by the pool or explore the area.
Finally, the Valle di Assisi Resort is beautiful, comfortable and accommodating - and serves fabulous meals - which we still can't stop talking about! Thank you, Rino, for everything you did to make the workshop smooth and successful.
Two criteria about the respected Schola Artis Pro Vobis program helped me decide to teach there: the fact they provide all the art materials making it super easy for travel and the rave reviews about the food!
This is the BEST art and cultural immersion program:
I had the very fortunate opportunity to take a week long (independent study) watercolor workshop with Arnhild Kart in Assisi, Umbria this past october. it was a uniquely special experience that I will always remember and treasure. I really hope to continue studying with her, and to take more courses with Pro Vobis!
Arnhild Kart is an inspired teacher and very talented artist. she is patient, dedicated to arts and education and an expert in her field. I am a certified new york arts educator and trained artist, and I learned so much from her. This one week will enrich my classes and personal work for years to come. The director of Pro Vobis, Rino, is an excellent organizer who cares deeply for the arts, his students and teachers and this region of italy. I worked on art for half the day and then explored the area's art and culture as to his suggestions and through arranged studio visits of master artists in the traditional arts and crafts of Umbria and italy. Although the class was (thankfully) in english, I did learn a little italian and immensely enjoyed the handmade cuisine, stunning grounds, Vista view and very friendly staff at my all-inclusive accommodations of le mandrie, a well-known, classy, historic working agricultural center.
I highly recommend Pro vobis and know that Rino can tailor it to the specific interests of any group, artistic ability or age level. I also highly recommend Arhild Kart as a teacher for all types of art and ability levels.
Students from all over the world come here to study Italian art because they want to experience breathing it in with the scent of the woods and fields. They want to enjoy it with the flavors and smells of traditional cuisine and excellent local wines. They want to live, move and sleep in harmonious spaces that tell centuries-old stories.
The courses of the Pro Vobis School allow this total immersion in nature and Italian culture because they take place in the Giomici Castle on a hill overlooking a still intact valley, full of greenery and silence.
Art courses must be focused on techniques. But an art course in Italy cannot ignore many other things. The beauty of the venue in the first place. Always to be immersed in an environment full of history and harmony surrounded by enchanting landscapes and exuberant nature. Secondly, the goodness and the aromas of Italian cuisine with its healthy and genuine ingredients in traditional local recipes accompanied by wonderful wines. Thirdly, the opportunity to see amazing works of art of which the Umbrian region is very rich. Finally, the quality of the teachers who must know how to transmit the techniques at the highest level of competence but also the ways these techniques can bend to the deepest expression of the artist's soul.
This is exactly what Schola Artis Pro Vobis achieves.
Dear Rino,
One of the joys of travelling is the people your meet on the way - I had a good feeling about you and Tiziana from the beginning of my mosaic adventure!
Thank you for taking the time to come to Narni yesterday - it was such a pleasure to meet you! What a marvellous platform you have created for artisans like Tiziana - it must give you so much pleasure to see those with passion sharing their knowledge with the likes of us!
Many thanks for lunch and my lovely mementoes , they will remind me of this happy time here in Narni Stay well Rino - until we meet again
Hugs for now , Sally
An absolutely wonderful and memorable experience!! Workshops were educational and enjoyable. Instructors Arnhild Kart (sculpture & watercolor) and Tiziana Mondini (mosaic) were marvelous. Rino, the founder, is very caring and accommodating. His planned workshops were delightful and afternoon excursions were informative and scenic. Lodging and delicious food at the Castelle Di Giomici were exceptional from Andrea, our host/chef. All arrangements went smoothly. Communication worked well between all participants, Rino, Arnhild, Tiziana, Andrea, and his cheerful staff, Carmen and Mary. Highly recommend any of the workshops provided by Schola Artis Pro Vobis. Know you will have a memorable and gorgeous visit to the Umbria region. Felt like we were in a dream. Look forward to returning for other workshops. A truly inspiring journey!!
Have known Rino, the founder, since 2012 and have stayed at his Country House Pro Vobis several times. He is a wonderful soul, and so very helpful.
I'm here for ten days with a group of Artists from America.
Pro Vobis is the perfect get away place from a busy life with schedules and what not.
We are treated like royalty by Rino .
Rino serves a light breakfast and a scrumptious dinner of pasta and a main dish of meats, salad/vegetables, wine, fruit and water. Rino is a great Chef!
Rino is the most pleasant host I have ever met. The rooms are beautifully quaint as an Italian villa should be, and they are cleaned daily. The surroundings are gorgeous, the perfect scenery to get inspired to paint, draw, read or just relax and breath in the beautiful nature of the gardens. Assisi is a short distance where one can drive and admire the beautiful town, or drive to other close by towns.
Pro Vobis is amazing, a home away from home, and the weather at this time of the year is exquisite. I highly recommend Pro Vobis if you are looking for a paradise away from the city noise.
Hoping to return many times.
I carried out my internship, a compulsory element of the academic plan of study, in the summer of 2019 at the "Affiliati" Quarry in Assisi.
The months I spent at the workshop were some of the most stimulating, intense and instructive along my entire artistic path of study. In sixty days I believe I learnt more hard stone sculpting techniques and concepts that in three years at the Carrara Academy of Fine Arts. Impeccable organisation coupled with an extensive pool of skills and knowledge of the work group made up of Affiliati workshop team members generates a prestigious artistic environment, unique in Italy. For the entire duration of my experience at the workshop I found the environment was entirely focused on the production of top level works in creative and craftsmanship terms, where even a beginner like me found all the help and tools necessary to improve and contribute towards sculptural production.
Without a doubt what I found most surprising was the remarkable speed at which I was able to learn things. Everyone was so generous in sharing advice and above all in physically showing me the best types of techniques to use, something you don't see too often in the world of sculpture, where masters and artisans almost always tend to conceal their art.
I strongly recommend anyone interested in growing as an artist and artisan to undertake a similar experience and to entrust themselves to their invaluable teachings.
Dear Rino, How are you? Here I am In England thinking back on what a lovely time I had at your place..how special it was and how much I learned too. I just wanted to thank you again for being so accommodating to me and putting so much effort into making my stay so wonderful. I loved working in the Studio everyday and visiting Assisi with you and haviing dinner with Massimo and Armando and spending só much time with and learning from Bruno. I am already thinking about what possible things to work on for next years exhibition in Umbria. If the dates work out for you the best opening night time for me would be July 29 2017 but I know that you have many demands on your time and of course I will try and work in with what works for you and all the other artists. Please keep in touch and let me know how things are going. I miss you all..I felt so comfortable and happy there. All the best and take care Barbara.
Da Copains d'avant Hélène Douel - Résidence Internationale PRO VOBIS d'Assise. De retour d'Assise: départ impromptu, expérience d'une richesse intellectuelle à nulle autre pareille. Peinture, dessin photo, lecture. Que du bonheur !
J'ai eu l'occasion impromptue d'accompagner ma fille Hélène Douel, enseignante peintre, dans ce magnifique lieu, à environ 5 kilomètres d'Assise. C'est un petit coin de paradis dans la verdure à l'odeur de fenouil, lavande, rose. L'hôte, Rino, est à l'écoute de tous et participe aux débats de fin de soirée. J'ai eu l'honneur avec ma file de contempler des ouvrages textiles fabriqués par sa Mère au PUNTO ASSISI (point d'Assise). Je ne connaissais cette broderie uniquement par son nom. Cela est magnifique. Des cours peuvent être pris à certaines dates dans la résidence. Merci à Rino, à son fils et aux organisateurs de ce séjour. Grand moment de bonheur pur où pendant que ma fille peignait dans l'atelier, je faisais de la dentelle au fuseau et me promenait pour photographier.
J'ai eu la chance de séjourner comme artiste en résidence, en juillet 2014. Cet endroit magique, en pleine nature, d'un calme absolu, est à seulement 4,5 km de la merveilleuse ville d'Assise. Un tout grand atelier est a la disposition des artistes et, pour se relaxer, en journée ou le soir, une très belle piscine et un jacuzzi. De cet endroit formidable, se dégage un calme et une paix propice à la création... Je ne pourrais terminer sans mentionner Rino, Le maitre des lieux... D'une nature discrète et d'une gentillesse extraordinaire, Rino mets tout en oeuvre pour le bien de ses résidents! Il est âme de cet endroit! J'espère vraiment pouvoir revenir rapidement dans ce havre de paix !
