There are thousands of photos of Tuscany.

Most of them show the typical "Cypress on a Hill", in all shades of colour, on calendar sheets, or on advertisments for pasta, olive oil or hand creams.

So far for the cliché of Tuscany.

But there is another possibility: You can tell the real story of a landscape and its culture and lifestyle, beyond all clichés.

Join us for the next photography workshop with René van Bakel from May 6 to 13, 2017.

Every year in July jazz lovers from around the world come to the Umbrian capital, to celebrate one of the most important jazz festivals in the world, set in the magnificent scenery of the historical town centre of Perugia. This year's programme features a number of giants of jazz and pop.

For more than a year a family of foxes is living on our property. First we noticed a shy vixen who came close to the house in the search for something edible. Soon she discovered some leftovers of the cat food, and after a while she even came to terms with our cats. Last spring she was getting bigger and rounder, and as we should find out soon it was not only because of the good meals ...

We are often asked what it is like at La Rogaia in winter, and how Christmas is celebrated here.

During a summer vacation with 35° Celsius in the shadow understandably it is difficult to imagine what the joys of winter and Christmas in Umbria look like.

So here's a glimpse at our Umbrian Christmas ...