Join MUSE RETREATS ITALY this summer for our
2026 Calling in the Muse Creative Writing Retreats
Calling in the Muse invites you to two new venues along the siren coasts of Italy. Historic family owned Tenuta Seliano, Paestum Italy & 1960s cliffside gem Hotel Piccolo Mondo, Puglia Italy.
The six day retreat will feature a curated and integrated creative writing program with writer and memoir author Angela Paolantonio, THE GHOSTS OF ITALY (2016) and STILL LIFE WITH SAINTS (2020), plus select guest writers announced for each retreat. Daily workshop explorations will create a space where participants can connect to their own inner worlds to deepen their sense of presence and self-expression. We’ll be Calling in the Muse as we immerse ourselves in the area’s ancient energies, focusing on individual creativity and writing from a place where mind, body, and the enchanting Southern Italian landscape all converge.
Invoking the muse practice is grounded in ancient history. It refers to the act of seeking inspiration and blessing from a specific goddess or deity. It became an essential part of writing a narrative or work of literature in ancient Greece and has been passed down for millenia. Building relationships with the spirit world and the invisible and immortal aspects of our own nature is the root of all creativity.
There’ll be daily meals of authentic Campanian or Apulian recipes prepared by local women, experiences such as olive oil and wine tastings, plus relaxing beach or pool time, aperitivi and local exploration. A deposit of $750 holds your spot.
Join us in SEPTEMBER from 20 - 26, 2026 at Hotel Piccolo Mondo, Puglia, Italy. Located on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean sea, Hotel Piccolo Mondo is 1 km away from the historic center of the town of Castro. The restaurant, almost every room, and the open air sea-water pool have breathtaking sea views. This 1960s architectural gem, a ‘small world’ surrounded by nature, integrated into the sea-cliff's edge, was a family dream that is now in its third generation. The hotel has a tennis and bocce court, an outdoor cinema and private chapel and also organizes open air yoga classes by the sea. A luxury seaside spa Terme Santa Cesarea and the Grotta Azzura are just a boat ride away.
CALLING IN THE MUSE, Creative Writing Retreat will use these beautiful venues to inform, to inspire, and to tap lines of power, creativity and connection. Join us this summer as we engage daily in the natural surroundings of the siren shores of both the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas setting the stage for something truly transformative.
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| Hotel Piccolo Mondo |
a ceremony, a prayer, a song, a dance
to bring you to center
to call in the muse
Reach out to us to learn more ghostsofitaly@gmail.com
