Thank you for making it possible to dance again in your small paradise "La Rogaia "

Hello Annette, Wolfgang and all the La Rogaia family,

after many years we returned to dance and take a holiday in La Rogaia. (September 2021) It was just as we remembered, only the trees had grown much taller.  I loved our  apartement  "La Nostalgia ", it was spacious and delightfully painted in warm yellow and pink. All together with Ornella's delicious cooking, her kindness and her friendly helpers, the dancing and meeting of warm and friendly people made it a wonderful holiday. 

Thank you for making it possible to dance again in your small paradise "La Rogaia ". We have been many times and we always feel the kindness and warmth.     

Helen&Thijs from the Netherlands about the Tango week with Filippo & Monica September 2021

We could really see the improvement in our dancing

After the Tango holiday at La Rogaia we had our first tango class yesterday, and we could really see the improvement in our dancing - I am not afraid anymore that my partner will step on my toes and it takes us much less time to learn a new figure.

Our teachers noticed our progress - indeed, we have encapsulated half a year of weekly courses in one condensed week and our bodies are much more attuned to each other and we have a better grasp on the rhythm.

We are looking forward to coming back next year to further improve our dancing :)

Crista  from Luxembourg about the Tango week for beginners and improvers with Wolfgang & Annette June 2021

Enjoyable Tango Holiday

Thanking you both for an enjoyable tango holiday, and for your generousity during our stay. We are, at the moment, busy practising what we were taught during the stay at La Rogaia, and we look back with pleasant feelings to the hills scattered with olive trees and vines.
We will be back next year!

Anne Kristin and Aage from Norway about the Tango week "Save on the dance floor" with Wolfgang Sandt October 2018

We have hardly ever felt better

Sixteen people meet on an Umbrian hill overlooking the distant Lago di Trasimeno.

There is a spacious farm with two larger and four small apartments in the main house and various former stables and outbuildings. In the last 20 years everything has been lovingly restored by a Bavarian couple, she a psychiatrist, he a stonemason and a sculptor...

Then there's a cook in the sixties and three helpers for garden and service.

Guests come from six nations from Palestine to Norway. The common dancing, eating and discussing quickly creates a familiarity that makes you laugh and quip a lot.

Everyone brings their own world with them: the mining engineer who closes pits that mustn´t be flooded because otherwise the Ruhr area would become a lake. Teachers from Switzerland and Norway, and a raspberry farmer.

Everything is bilingual.

The dancing takes place 90 minutes after breakfast and in the evening.

The teaching concept is sophisticated. Memorable cribs and images and everything with a lot of wit.

Wolfgang and Annette are more concerned to impart a sense of the respective music and its interpretation than with teaching as many dance figures as possible.

The dinners are really incredible.

A long table in the classroom. Then comes Ornella, the secret boss...

With the attitude of a self-confident woman whose culinary art is trumped only by her eloquent vanity, she introduces the evening's meal.

She does not cook the well-known dishes of the noble Italian restaurants at home. Served is for example turkey with a laurel marinade or cauliflower with olives,

The wine of the house and its own spring water are part of the rural Tuscan cuisine.

Dessert, Grappa, Limoncello and Café are oblige.

In addition to the dance and food remains amazingly much time. The garden is extensive, the pool unfortunately is already closed in October.

But the surrounding towns are known and are all worth a visit. And October is much less touristy. We have hardly ever felt better. A perfect mix.

Ingrid and Alf on the dance course "Save on the dance floor" with Wolfgang Sandt October 2018

Take a somewhat adventurous gravel road...

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang,

take a somewhat adventurous gravel road, a fulminant Italian cook, a wonderful, international group, a long, long table, several huge cats being carried out before dancing, two foxes sneaking around waiting for biscuits, and our Tango hosts  a warm and charming couple, that carries you off with love and passion into the inside of tango - Step by step, until you start to move on by yourself.

A Bavarian thank you and best regards

Elisabeth & Hans about the tango week for beginners and improvers with Wolfgang & Annette October 2018

Tango week with Brigitta was most excellent!

Tango week with Brigitta was most excellent!  But as I am getting to know all the people involved better, how could it not be ... 

Thank you to everyone at La Rogaia during Tango week with Brigitta.  Everything was outstanding.

The “relaxing exercises,” the practices, the dancing, the music, the food, the hospitality, surroundings, and especially all the people, including the dancers and everyone else at La Rogaia.

It takes the collective efforts of everyone to make a retreat magical.  I take away great memories.

Warmest regards,
Harvey

Harvey from Bethesda, USA, about the tango week with Brigitta Winkler October 2018

Thank you for all the beautiful and original things we were allowed to experience with you…

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang!

Thank you for all the beautiful and original things we were allowed to experience with you…

The time in which we danced Argentine Tango with you was very fruitful for us.
Your friendly tips, for example, the attitude of a "landlord", and the relaxed dancing has brought us a lot.
Also: Enjoy the breaks ... now we really give more attention to these improvements.

We like to think back to the time with you, the place, the art, the
great troupe …yes and not to forget your cook and the great food.
I enjoyed being spoiled this way!!!

I still could list a whole row. We were also very satisfied with our apartment!

God willing, We would like to come back.

Thank you from my heart for this experience and for your friendship

Jürgen and Anna from Ingolstadt / Eichstätt about the intermediate Tango course with Wolfgang and Annette, June 2018

Your house is really a dream!

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang!

We felt very comfortable with you.
Our apartment was wonderful: light, very well equipped and cozy. The small balcony was just right to retreat and for lunch.

Your house is really a dream! So beautifully prepared, natural and yet beautifully maintained.

I particularly liked the garden, the many flowerbeds, Wolfgang´s sun-drenched sculptures and the beautiful sitting areas.

The tango course with Gabi and Gustavo was also a very nice thing.

We were introduced to a way of tango dancing quite different than the usual and that appealed to us and brought us a little further. The lessons were intense, but not overloaded (which often happens), - very good.

I wish you that your project continues to run so well and that you will have many nice guests.

In any case, we will gladly recommend your agriturism.

Michaela Trinczek about the tango class with Gabi and Gustavo Gomez, June 2018

Hardly at home we already miss the wonderful time with you.

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang!

Hardly at home we already miss the wonderful time with you.

Everything was just right: the location of La Rogaia, away from all the hustle and bustle, the lovingly designed rooms and apartments, the delicious food of Ornella, the mixture of tranquility and group activities, all in combination with your excellent tango classes which are really something special.

We have experienced thing we thought we knew in a new way and brought a lot of new things with us. Certainly we were not at La Rogaia for the last time.

Heike and Carlo about the intermediate Tango course with Wolfgang & Annette June 2017

...we felt very well and very nicely cared for

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang!

 Late but hopefully not too late (Everyday life caught up with us at breakneck speed ...) I want to thank you.

The week with you was a very interesting time, we felt very well and very nicely cared for.

We still think with a smile at Ornella's (theater) performances and how she trained us with gentle force to punctuality!

The group was great and I hope we see one or the other again!

Debbie and Steve gave us so much input. We are still working on it and have already visited a lecture by an Argentine tango teacher in Vienna on exactly this topic.

It's unbelievable, what new opportunities are opening in tango !! Thanks for this exciting week!

Warm greetings

O&R from Vienna about the Tango class with Steve & Debbie Morrall, May 2017

It has been a long time since the departure from a holiday destination was as hard as from La Rogaia.

Dear Annette and dear Wolfgang!

It has been a long time since the departure from a holiday destination was as hard as from La Rogaia.

The tango course with Filippo Avignonesi and Anna Yegorova was fantastic.

Ornella the cook, a simpathetic force of nature with her scrumptious authentic Italian dinners, the beautiful surroundings, the tastefully furnished apartment, the singing of the nightingale, the milongas in Perugia and Passignano - both of you dancing - all of this has pleased us three very well!

Deep from my heart I wish you all the best

Angela P, from the Westerwald about the tango course with Filippo Avignonesi & Anna Yegorova April 2017

Marvelous Memories

Thank you very much for  your and Wolfgang’s organization of a wonderful harmonious opportunity to enjoy La Rogaia with Brigitta’s tango classes. I will return home in a few days with marvelous memories of La Rogaia.

Harvey from Bethesda, USA, about the tango week with Brigitta Winkler October 2017

Get to know the "Magic Moments" of Tango

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang,

Your tango classes really are something very special: clearly structured, methodically-didactically super class – we learned a lot.

Sentences like "Dancing tango is not work." / "The music is your friend, not your enemy." / "Ladies don´t think!” (Only valid for dancing tango : -) / "Give the ladies chocolate and roses", made us smile and dissolved many of our tensions

We also have to mention your enthusiasm for tango – which did never stop. Not even after 11pm!

An unforgettable experience, our visit of a milonga in Perugia on the very first night of the class. We had a queasy feeling, but your introduction on Sunday was sufficient, so we got along well and had lots of fun.

Our conclusion after one week of tango workshop with you: Everybody who really wants to learn tango should come to you to La Rogaia, to get to know the "Magic Moments" of tango.

Anne and Raimund about the tango class for beginners with Wolfgang and Annette October 2016

The calm and the silence

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang,

It is the third time I have been able to be with you in La Rogaia. Yet it is the first time that I send you a guestbook entry.

The calm and the silence between the lessons have something very pleasant and let all options open – be it comfortably chilling somewhere around the house, in the pool or one of the countless possibilities for excursions in the surroundings.

There is almost nothing that hasn´t been mentioned in one of the many guestbook entries – the adventurous access road, the next generation of foxes, the unmistakable Ornella and of course the excellent tango teachers. This time Joseba Pagola and Bakartxo Arabaolaza.

A big thank you and I´ll gladly come back again.

Lorenzo L. about the tango class for advanced dancers with Joseba & Bakartxo September 2016

A place of rest and contemplation

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang.

Time flies and we are back to everyday life. Often we think about the tango week with you. It was an impressive experience. A place of rest and contemplation.

Rogaia - embedded in a sea of flowers, bushes and trees. Given an artistic touch by Wolfgang´s sculptures. Our holiday apartment - simply gorgeous.

The tango course with you - simply gorgeous.  We have learned many little things from you.

Thank you for the tango music and the notes of the class you gave us. Our Yorkshire(terrier)girl “Fräulein Lisa” loved the stay. Only the fox made her feel a little uneasy…

Thank you for the beautiful week. Maybe we´ll see you again…

Reinhard and Veronika & "Fräulein Lisa" about the intermediate tango course with Wolfgang and Annette June 2016

"The feeling to have really arrived in a different, more peaceful world"

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang,
Back in Berlin with its very different tango scene we remember La Rogaia time and again.

Diether could record your tango lessons on some videos, but the atmosphere of your house can´t be easily captured “on plate” as one used to say in former times.
In Wolfgang´s book that we discovered fortunately before we had to leave, we found some pictures and poems that capture this special atmosphere.
We enjoyed the stay we you a lot and admire your ability to create and maintain such a place, and to let others participate in this incredible and at the same time discreet beauty.
I felt hardly ever so comfortable in a holiday destination like in La Rogaia. Thoughtfully furnished in a very special way, fabulous half board, and the feeling to have really arrived in a different, more peaceful world.
Sincere thanks for your hospitality, for being able to stay with you, for the food and drinks, for the garden and the dancing!

Diether Hopf and Juliane Jacobi, Berlin, about the intermediate tango course with Wolfgang & Annette, June 2016

Happy about our decision, to join the class

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang,

The tango week with you was very nice. We learned a lot, and we are very happy about our decision, to join the class with Wolfgang.

Thank you very much for sending us the notes about the course. They will help us to remember what we learned.

For us La Rogaia was very relaxing and impressive. We can imagine well to repeat this experience. We´ll stay in touch and thank you once again for the nice week.

Erhard and Helga from Weimar about the intermediate tango course with Wolfgang & Annette June 2016

Getting closer to the Music

Hi Annette and Wolfgang,

thank you so much for another lovely week of Tango at La Rogaia. It was a real pleasure to focus on getting closer to the music with Steve and Debbie, and Ornella’s wonderful cooking was better than ever.

We hope that you have a very happy and successful summer,

Adrain and Helen Malbon, U.K. about the Tango week with Steve & Debbie Morrall, May 2016

What started out as a fun trip changed our lives forever!

We went to Rogaia for a cooking course with Ornella and wanted to learn Salsa, but the salsa teacher was on Holiday being November (2006) and Wolfgang offered to teach us tango during the morning when we were not cooking! The cooking lessons with Ornella were amazing of course… but  9 short long years later, we will never stop to thank Wolfgang & Annette for changing our lives. 3 days into tango we went for our first Milonga, afraid as hell and Wolfgang’s friends made it so easy for us that all our fears disappeared.
Not a day goes by when we don’t breathe tango, it´s the anthem of our lives, a way of life itself. Workshops, maestros, festivals, marathons, milongas are just a part of life today, we wonder what we did before and what we would be doing if we did not dance tango!

Remember there are just 2 types of people on this planet, those who tango and those who don’t!!

Thank you Wolfgang & Annette

Svetlana & Ajit from Dubai (now Limassol) about Tango lessons with Wolfgang Sandt

Beautiful Rogaia

Thank you so much for the lovely week. Everything was wonderful, including the shoe and toilet-paper-stealing foxes! I have photos of the confrontation between the black cat and those foxes!  Ornella's cooking was sublime, and Brigitta's instruction on the art of the tango unique and exciting. I also enjoyed my wonderful room--even though Brigitta claimed I took it from her!   

Thank you both for your warm and caring hospitality. I had everything I needed once I arrived at the beautiful Rogaia. To tango in the mountains is very special!

Olivia Gates from New York about the Tango class with Brigitta Winkler, October 2015

Wolfgang and Annette's art and nature-filled home

During this, my 5th visit to Villa La Rogaia, I was astounded to be greeted by a family of friendly foxes!  The family cats reluctantly decided to just go ahead and share their meal plates with the little vulpine visitors.  My apartment this year was the sunny yellow "Mimosa" with its rustic kitchen, solarium and huge gilded mirror for a touch of elegance. Thoughtful provisions such as beflowered canisters topped with coffee, sugar, spices and a complementary bottle of wine invited me to relax in my white wicker chair and dream of tango times.  Our teachers were the talented Spanish Basque couple Joseba and Bakartxo, and my partner Lazzaro gently guided me through new tango moves.  A safety detail I appreciated were the movement sensor lights to help us through the crisp evening air to follow the aroma of Ornella's umbrian meals awaiting us.  I'm so glad I found Wolfgang and Annette's art and nature-filled home!  
Gail Stephany from Cleveland, Ohio, about the Tango week with Joseba and Bakartxo, September 2015

A unique experience

Dear Annette and Wolfgang,

I want to thank you both for a wonderful stay, the ambiance and the warmth and learning dancing tango with you. I had a great time, and enjoyed the company of one and all. It was really nice to dance with  Lazzaro as a partner and to go socal dancing was a unique experience.
I want to thank you all for the wonderful evenings with delicious food and wine and music and dance, it was a fabulous vacation cum dancing experience and would love to visit again.

Sarita from Delhi, India, about the Tango week for beginners with Wolfgang and Annette, August 29 to September 5, 2015

A great time!

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang,

after a wonderful week we´re back to everyday life. Peppered with Argentine Tango memories flaring up time and again. - Graceful slow movements under a starry sky with a smile on the lips. We had a great time.

Lots of love

Jörg and Moni from Kenzingen about the Tango class with Wolfgang and Annette, August 29 to September 5, 2015

The moments of silence

Dear Annette and Wolfgang,

a heartfelt thank you for the dreamlike week we could spend at La Rogaia.

This magical place has carried us into a new dimension. The silence, the landscape, the magic of tango, the slow passing of time in harmony with nature…

Only two weeks have gone by and we miss already the light-hearted cheerful days with you. Breakfast under the blue sky of Umbria, the delicious dinners of mamma Ornella, who always created new surprises for us…

It was simply fabulous.

At this moment we´re enjoying a tango song and our thoughts are wandering to you and La Rogaia.

"Gréve, il respiro nell'abbraccio del Tango, passa leggero dall'uno all'altro, fondendolo in un unico anèlito. Pulsar del cuor che chiede, dove sei dolce Amor." A.Cazzato *

Thanks to you Annette and Wolfgang who taught us „the moments of stillness“.

Antonio and Nedi about the tango class with Wolfgang und Annette May 30 to June 6, 2015

*Translation: "Arduous, the breath in the embrace of tango. And yet lightly it flies from one to the other, unites them in a sole heart´s desire. Pulse of the heart asking where are you my sweet love.“

La Rogaia, a unique work of art with a heart in Umbria

Loveable, simply completely loveable is the first word coming to our minds when we think about La Rogaia.

Once you have overcome the short gravel road in the Umbrian hills, you experience your first surprise on arrival at La Rogaia. From now on you are surrounded by cordial hospitality.

As a first salute you find a bouquet of flowers on the table of your artfully furnished apartment. In the fridge you find a bottle of Umbrian white wine. Everything you need is cared for.

But the most important thing, in the house of Annette Greifenhagen and Wolfgang Sandt you feel quickly like a pig in a clover and every encounter be it at the tango lessons at the dinner table or while dancing in the evening is always pure joy.

Their cordiality and their engagement for their guests are simply fantastic and make the days together an unforgettable experience.

Unforgettable as well  are the tango lessons. Focused on the essentials, the classes are not only fun but the tuition has also a long-term effect. At least until next year, when you get your fresh dose of inspiration.

To be spoiled with food by Ornella and her nice co-workers is another pleasurable highlight of La Rogaia. Best local cuisine with fresh ingredients from the surroundings are served on the long table where we eat in the open. Just like paradise!

Yes a little paradise. That´s exactly what La Rogaia is, with its many olive trees, with Wolfgang´s impressive stone sculptures in the grounds and the rooms. With its meadows, flowers, bushes in blossom, with cats, butterflies and other animals.

With tango music and dance and with people you simply have to be fond of.

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang,

heartfelt thanks for a wonderful tango week with you. We´ll be back a third time and are looking already forward to it.

Cornelia and Volker from Filderstadt about the tango class with Wolfgang und Annette, June 2015

Dances with foxes

Dear Annette and Wolfgang,

thank you very much for the wonderful tango week in Umbria!!!

At La Rogaia we could relax really well!

We enjoyed very much the wonderful landscape, our excellently equipped holiday apartment, the silence, the beauty und slow pace of live at La Rogaia. The evenings on the terrace when our group met for the yummy dinners cooked by mamma Ornella were without comparison!

Thank you for your patience with us tango beginners! Thanks to your kindness and your enthusiasm for dancing we learned a lot and really could get a feeling for the „magic of tango“.

Between tango lessons we went for hikes through olive orchards and vinyards, met flock of sheep accompanied only by Maremma dogs, refreshed ourselves in the pool (even practiced tango there…) discovered another sculpture in the garden or just relaxed for hours on end in the shadow of a tree.

Often in the evenings after the last tango we stayed sitting outside watched the fireflies and listened to the nightingales.

We hope we´ll be able to return to you for another week soon!

PS: And the icing on the cake was the almost tame fox mama...

Angela and Bernd about the tango class with Wolfgang and Annette, May 30 to June 6, 2015

A poetic place

After our week at La Rogaia we arrived back in our hometown Innsbruck and are now sitting on our terrace - here in Innsbruck and still there in La Rogaia where once again one week with lots of Tangomusic, Tangolessons, incredible fun and respect have passed by. The experience of having met wonderful people, of wonderful dances, of the positive energy in lessons which at the same time gave entertainment and information to us and last not least the evening milongas after Umbrian dinners let this week pass by in a good and happy atmosphere.

La Rogaia is a poetic place under the Italian sun, with Cyprus trees, lots of flowers and herbal plants, Tango dancers among cats and a curious fox lady. We say thank you to Annette and Wolfgang for making such things happen, to Ornella for excellent Umbrian food and - of course - to Debbie and Steve for their excellent teaching in the poetry of music. We will be there again, for sure.

Barbara and Dieter Schwaninger, Innsbruck, Austria, about the Tango week with Steve and Debbie Morrall, May 2 to 9, 2015

Dear Annette and Wolfgang,

the week at your place was a great experience. Everything fitted in perfectly.

We were the oldest couple in the class with 73 and 75 years, but we didn´t feel old at all. On the contrary!

We had learned our very first tango steps only in April. So at the start of the class we felt more than a few insecurities and inhibitions. Yet thanks to your special teaching method, we could get quickly over all our constraints and looked forward to every new lesson.

Our unanimous opinion: You can learn Argentine Tango even if you are in your seventies and you certainly can enjoy dancing it. The class with you was an important milestone to reach this aim.
Our very best wishes to you and your team.

Viva Rogaia!

Our second visit to Villa Rogaia has proved every bit as delightful as the first. Good teaching, good food, good company, beautiful and tranquil surroundings, great hospitality. We are recommending this to all our friends and if we keep coming back we’ll be in danger of staying - forever! Viva Rogaia!

John and Petra, Oving, West Sussex, UK, about the Tango week with Filippo Avignonesi and Candela Ramos, April 2015

A little paradise

Dear Annette,

I want to thank you once again with all my heart for the dreamlike beautiful days in your little paradise. Such a loving atmosphere you created… The beautiful velvet paws prowling around convey a flair of serenity and peace. - I´ll be very happy to come back…

My love to mamma Ornella who cooked for us masterly and with passion.

Wolfgang´s sculptures gave me a lot of inspiration at my little morning walks…wonderful works of art.

My favorite vacation spots

Umbria and its cultural-rich capital of Perugia continue to be my favorite vacation spots.  What could be better than spending this past September studying the beautiful Italian language at the "University for Foreigners" and then my icing-on-the-cake follow-up with a Tango Week at La Rogaia!  My fourth year to visit proved better than ever.  With Marcelo and Selva's expertise (they teach in FIVE languages) and Lazzaro's smooth, strong partnering I felt a real sense of accomplishment.  We were an avid group of learners with a joy for moving to this sumptuous music.  Did I forget "Bella Ornella's" exquisite Umbrian dinners?   i.e. homemade lasagne,  risotto ai funghi, lemon sorbet  and Tirami Su to-die-for!  Grazie again this year to Wolfgang and Annette for their hospitality and love of the arts.    Sinceramente, 
Gail Stephany of Cleveland, Ohio, about the tango week with Marcelo Ramer and Selva Mastroti Oct 2014

A very special place: La Rogaia

Embedded in a pittoresque landscape far from the busy life of the little towns and villages around Lake Trasimeno, far from everything, „in the middle of nowhere“.

Wolfgang´s sculptures feathery, sometimes translucent despite of being made from marble, steel and wood. They cross-link paths, houses, terraces and bestow a spiritual atmosphere upon the property.

Here we could concentrate intensively on our tango steps for an entire week. We were accompanied competently and humourosly by Wolfgang and Annette and felt well accepted into the lively group.

Ornella and her team spoiled us with excellent food and after getting used to the challenges of the gravel road we enjoyed also excursions to Siena and Cortona.

The milonga in Perugia on the evening of our first day of the class came a little early for our dancing experience. Only very tentatively we moved along the rim of the dance floor. Still it was an impressive experience to watch the sophisticated dancers.

A big, big thank you for making this time something so special for us.

Susanne and John, Norfolk, England, about the tango course  "Safely on the dance floor" with Wolfgang and Annette, September 2014

Focusing on the essentials

In my eyes the teaching concept focusing on the essentials (energy, walking, posture, keeping calm and relaxed on a busy dance floor…) was super, something you can stick to. Also the stile and the organisation of our hosts was excellent, from the nice little inaugural adress at the first dinner to the recommendations for tango music in the last email.

For this many thanks Annette and Wolfgang

Siegfried B. from Kaltental about the tango class "Magic Moments" with Wolfgang and Annette, June 2014

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang,

many thanks for the relaxing week during the beginner´s class. In the midst of a sea of blossom we felt great and hope to come back soon. You gave us a considerably better understanding of tango.

Jutta und Hermann from Eggensteinabout the tango beginners' class with Wolfgang and Annette, June 2014

Dear Annette, dear Wolfgang,

heartfelt thanks again for the beautiful week with you. We are recovered and totally relaxed now. We enjoyed very much the music, dancing, the garden and the yummy food.

Grit and Torsten from Leipzig about the tango beginner´s class with Wolfgang and Annette, June 2014

Away from the dancing, we liked Umbertide and Panicale but particularly loved Siena in the bright sunshine; the way that the light caressed the buildings and the people was sensational. We had not been there before, but we shall be going there again.

We also really appreciated a week of healthy eating and Umbrian cuisine, courtesy of Ornella, who is a real star.

We are happy to recommend La Rogaia to anyone, whether they are seeking the space to focus on their dancing for a week or so, or just looking for somewhere tranquil and close to nature to stay within easy reach of all that Umbria and Tuscany have to offer.

Adrain and Helen Malbon, U.K. about the Tango week with Beatrix Satzinger and Michael Young, May 2014

I am already missing the sun, food, people, dancing and swimming! Thank you again for a lovely stay - I have very good memories and looking forward to spreading the word in London.

Clare, London, about the Tango week with Beatrix Satzinger and Michael Young, May 2014

Once again the tango week at your place was a wonderful experience. Beatrix and Michael are unique teachers. We are glad we choose them.

Annemarie and Wolfhard from Meinerzhagen about the tango class with Beatrix Satzinger & Michael Young, May 2014

I just finished my THIRD visit to La Rogaia for Tango study and relaxation.  As usual, I felt pampered as a Guest with delicious, authentic meals prepared by "Bella Ornella." My massotherapy session was just what I needed to soothe my arthritic bones.  Tango is such great exercise to keep one in shape!  A special Thanks as well to Anna, who helped me through her extensive dance background.  It was great getting a chance to "praticare la bella lingua italiana" with the attentive staff of this wonderful Agriturismo." 

Gail Stephany of Cleveland, Ohio U.S.A. about the Tango week with Kathrin & Jens; Oct 5 to 12, 2013     

Hi Annette and Wolfgang,

It was very good to meet you recently during our stay at your lovely home. Many thanks for helping us to have a wonderful holiday experience at La Rogaia.
In the first instance we came to La Rogaia because we had met Michael and Siobhan before and were confident that the Tango instruction offered would be of high quality and directed individually to the participants. We were not disappointed, they are excellent and very observant teachers.
But what also made the holiday special for us was the welcome and experience at La Rogaia. The accommodation was spacious and charming and the setting, in the gardens with Wolfgang’s sculptures and the wonderfully quiet natural landscape that surrounds La Rogaia, is so inspiring and relaxing. We had not visited Umbria before, but we had time to explore some of the more notable towns, like Assisi, and to get to know this beautiful region a little bit. The cuisine certainly lives up to its reputation, and the meals based on local produce and recipes served in the evenings at La Rogaia were another highlight of our stay. And of course, we had good company and made friends within the multi-national group of Tango enthusiasts who had also enrolled for the week. 
By the end of the week we were feeling very relaxed and very much at home. We’ve already recommended you to our Tango friends here in England.
We hope that this summer will be a good one for you,
Best wishes, Adrian and Helen Malbon from Malvern, UK, about the Tango week with Michael Lavocah & Siobhan Richards May 2013

What a wonderful surprise, i was given the pink room, with its lovely brocante furniture – hiding a comfortable modern bed. So i stayed right over the heart of my home for a week: the dance floor! On which nine couples got their absorbing tango and milonga lessons from Siobhan & Michael – and their delicious Italian meals (Barbara brava !). Tango and good food, what else does one need?
What touched me most was how one can get to feel at home in a group so quickly, having serious conversations and hilarious laughs alternatively. Thank you, la Rogaia, for offering our group the context for that.
Nelleke from Gouda, the Netherlands about the Tango week with Michael Lavocah & Siobhan Richards, May 2013

I did not regret one instant my intuitive decision of booking! It all started nicely with your kindness to catch us up from the trainstation in Magione: so royal a service! I was really happy to meet you there and felt at once safe and welcome in the beautyful surroundings of the majestuous lake... Climbing up the hills was another great experience which filled me with joy and gratitude! such a stunning environment is a source of never ending happiness I easily imagine... or does one no longer enjoy it as soon as it is considered as a given certitude? Arriving at La Rogaia though, got everything of a fairy tale: splendid views, lovely little terraces all over the place, corners to withdraw to, the music of running water near the house and last but not least the stamp of Wolfgang's sculptures everywhere to discover! What else does one need to feel reconciliated with the world? Meeting with teachers and class companions made me feel young again! gathering with the expectation of learning is always so exciting! thank you so much for realising this opportunity in such a harmonious environment! Another great success story is of course, Ornella! with her warmth and great food - a real expedition through Italian cuisine - everybody was in the seventh heaven! And finally there was tango: the ultimate experience, our common goal! Daniela and Luis were everything we could have wished for: dynamic, funny and o so committed: I loved their way of teaching, thank you so much for inviting them at your place! I feel rich now with all these beautifull experiences: therefore, I wish to express my profound gratitude for the great dedication you show in organising these courses! Please continue to do so, and we will - for sure - continue to enjoy them! Jacquie Dever from Bruges, Belgium about a Tango holiday with Daniela Pucci & Luis Bianchi, September 2012

thank you so much for the wonderful week that we spent with you, and Wolfgang, Findus et al! We had a marvellous time, Luis and Daniela are simply the best teachers we have ever worked with, and we have so much to work on now that we are back. With grateful thanks. Gill and Nigel from the U.K. about a Tango holiday with Daniela Pucci & Luis Bianchi, September 2012

To Wolfgang and Annette. Thanks for a fantastic week. Our Tango has improved considerably thanks to your tuition and the relaxed and friendly atmosphere at Villa La Rogaia. We also take away happy memories of your kind hospitality and the friends we made, with whom we will endeavour to maintain contact. Look forward to seeing you in the not too distant future. Cheers
Lee and Carol from Manchester about a Tango holiday with Wolfgang & Annette, September 2012

I am still bringing up Castel Rigone on Google maps, and zooming down to street level to relive driving to the cut-off for Rogaia and turning around to go back into town, and driving by the Church, the Grocery store, and going down the street to Magione. I had of course done this before the trip to try to familiarize myself with the route, but now every building, every turn of the road, all remind me of people that we met and to whom we became so attached. And of course, we have a bodacious cake ornament, a jalopy with a bride and groom in it, prominently decorating our buffet so that people will ask and we can tell them about our "celebration." - The entire map of Italy is now filled with such fond memories, but nowhere like La Rogaia. It is like a second home to us now. You guys, Ornella, all the other students, Yvonne and Yerpun, the grocer up in the village, Grace, Raphael down in the laundry in Maggione, all seem like family now. So I just had to take a minute and write to you guys to thank you for a heart-warming experience that no amount of money could ever buy. - We look forward to a time when we meet again. (Perhaps I will have learned some German by then...) But even if that doesn't happen soon, you all have already blessed our memories and our hearts for the rest of our lives with an incredible and unforgettable experience. We are grateful and we keep you all in our thoughts and in our prayers. I hope that after we get the pictures off, and some other personal emails sent to some of the students, that we hear from you all frequently, and that we can stay in touch for a long, long time. - Our warmest regards to you, your family, and the folks in Castel Rigone, and the best to your current class at La Rogaia! 
Al and Kathy Dumas, Shreveport, USA about Tango holidays with Wolfgang & Annette and with Yvonne & Yerpun, June 2012

Hazel and I thoroughly enjoyed our time at La Rogaia and look back with fond memories of the house and everyone who was there. 
Hazel and Richard, Scotland about the Tango class for improvers with Wolfgang Sandt, October 2011

We had the most wonderful week at La Rogaia dancing tango with Michael & Siobhan. We were so well looked after by Annette & Wolfgang & their splendid team. The food is both generous & delicious & served in the most beautiful environment. Our accommodation was lovely; the work done on converting the place over the years has clearly been done with great love & good taste -  & Wolfgang's sculptures are a joy. So ... with the inspiring tango classes from Michael and Siobhan, a lovely bunch of fellow tangueros, we had what must be our best holiday ever.
Chris and Angela from London about the Tango class with Siobhan Richards & Michael Lavocah June 2011. 

Dear Wolfgang and Annette, thank you for making our tango holiday with you so successful and memorable. We really enjoyed everything about our week spent with you and could only highly recommend you to our friends and colleagues. Although we are clear beginners, your course structure and teaching style has, in one week, given us sufficient skills to improvise with tango and really connected our dancing to the music. It has also equipped us with a basic milonga survival guide, which we had the chance to try out successfully at the milonga in Perugia.  When we returned to our weekly ballroom class back in Cambridge we were asked to demonstrate what we had learned and we managed to successfully improvise to a randomly selected piece. Your passion for tango has really given us a great start, and we are now planning to continue with lessons and dancing in the UK. 
Federica and Chris from Cambridge about a Tango class for beginners with Wolfgang Sandt June 2011

Thank you for a wonderful, memorable, pleasant and the best vacation I have had in a long time. I appreciate the beautiful, clean, romantic accommodation, excellent workshops, as well as how often you both went out of your way to accommodate and help me and other guests. I miss La Rogaia, and Italy already and planning / dreaming my next visit to La Rogaia. 
Hana from San Francisco, about a Tango class with Brigitta Winkler, May 2011

Thanks so much for this holiday - it really was one of the best holiday's I've been on - a very special and unique experience. 
Antonia, June 8, 2010 about Tango class for beginners with Wolfgang Sandt

We really enjoyed our week with you, Annette & Wolfgang.  The food, surroundings, tango tuition and company were just perfect.  We keep recommending you to everyone. Thank you again for such a lovely time. 
Peter & Maura from Belfast, April 24, 2010, about a Tango class for beginners with Wolfgang Sandt

La Rogaia is a very special place.  The scenery is simply marvellous, with mountain after mountain fading into the distance. It is really peaceful.  My apartment was beautiful with its own patio overlooking the valley.
The tango course with Steve and Debbie was excellent and hugely enjoyable.  Our group all got on very well together and my main impression is that we laughed an awful lot.  We had a wonderful last night when we were joined by Annette, Wolfgang and their delightful girls. Best of all were our hosts who could not have been nicer.  I had all my money stolen on my way and they looked after me like a lost sheep.  Wolfgang was my \"official\" dancing partner - though we did rotate quite a bit.  I was most fortunate as he is a tango teacher and was ever patient and informative.  Thanks so much to you both and to the staff - Ornellas\'s food is not to be missed and Alex is a masseur supreme.  I can\'t wait to go back!  Mary Finn, Wicklow, Ireland, about a Tango class with Steve & Debbie Morrall, September 2009

If Annette and Wolfgang were not such delightful and deserving hosts I would be very reluctant to divulge La Rogaia's  existence to all but my closest friends! It is an idyllic refuge tucked away in a fold of the Umbrian hills, reached from the road via a safe but serpentine farm track. On your way down, the views are spectacular, but most safely appreciated on foot; a bit of lake Trasemeno appears in the rolling landscape to the west, with the Tuscan horizon behind, and equally fine views in front and to the east. You can swim in the pool in the morning (I didn't), sip a prosecco on the terrace at sunset and dine under the stars (plenty of them).   In the day we could dance and learn with the best tango teachers ever,  and practice our skills at night.  You can  enjoy sumptuous breakfasts and dinners from Annette and Wolfgang's kitchen, with fruits and vegetables from their garden, exceptional local olive oil and wines. We also used this wonderful produce to cook meals for ourselves in our beautiful kitchen. Thank you, I didn't want to leave! Mike F. , London, 25.9.2009 about a Tango class with Joseba & Bakartxo

We enjoyed our stay with you very much and the good company.Thanks in particular for taking us out to the dances and the informative guided tour of Assisi. It was also good to see good tango!Michael and Nathalie Barr 16.5.2009 about a Salsa class with Edie the Salsa FREAK

I had a very lovely time at your beautiful place. Thanks once again for all that you did so generously and graciously to make the week especially nice.
Carol, from Colorado

We had a wonderful time at La Rogaia. The setting was just beautiful and breathtaking. The people were friendly and warm and harmonious. The Tango teachers Alberto and Valorie were the best. The memories we took home with us were marvelous.
Walter and Marilynne from New York, 
who celebrated their golden wedding anniversary (!) at La Rogaia

What treasured memories to carry one through the cold days ahead. The sun, the view, the swims, the food, the dance, but most of all the pure enjoyment of life and fellowship with you and the whole group. We had a lovely week of travels always looking forward to the nice evening return to La Rogaia. Thanks.
Leanore

What I can say about La Rogaia: A nice place is a nice place
Barry Smith