top of page
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Learning Together in a Special Place: Perspectives on Leadership

Mercatello sul Metauro, Italy
Registration Closed

The charming town of Mercatello sul Metauro, with a population of 1500, is located in the Marche region in east-central Italy.  Learning Together in a Special Place: Perspectives on Leadership is organized through International Study Tours, LLC, which was founded by Angela Ferrario, who works in collaboration with retreat facilitators.

 

Each retreat within the series offers small group professional development complemented by sightseeing excursions and encounters with local artisans and townspeople, taking you inside village life.

Session 1

May 28 - June 2, 2022

Educational Leadership:
Embracing A Strong Image of Children and Adults

Andrea Sisbarro
School Director
Boulder Journey School boulderjourneyschool.com
Biography

Alison Maher
Executive Director
Boulder Journey School 
boulderjourneyschool.com
Biography

Session 2

June 17-22, 2023

Onward!
Reigniting Your Leadership Journey

This retreat is designed to inspire educational leaders to refocus, recharge and reconnect with their professional aspirations.

Learning becomes a travel journey where:

  • Sharing ideas, challenges and experience is encouraged.

  • Educational exchange is balanced with time to pursue moments of solo discovery.

  • A comfortable retreat setting and outdoor environment bring energy to the dialogue.

  • Engaging with other participants and the local community engenders new friendships and relationships.

Educational travel designed for:

  • Emerging to seasoned leaders, who work or have worked in the field of education.

  • Those seeking an authentic and transformative program .

  • Travellers who appreciate the slower rhythm of small Italian towns.

What’s Included

  • Accommodations at Palazzo Donati for 5 nights from check-in on Saturday, June 17, 2023 to check-out on Thursday, June 22, 2023.  

  • All meals beginning with welcome dinner Saturday evening

  • Walking tour and local excursions

Our accommodations overlook Mercatello’s main piazza where we will have exclusive occupancy at Palazzo Donati, a family owned historic residence with modern amenities.

Accommodations

EARLY BIRD RATE:   $2,250 USD per person

After March 1, 2023:  $2,400 USD per person

Based on shared accommodations in double twin-bedded rooms. 

Single room supplement available upon request. 

Register soon to secure your space. We intentionally limit the group size to 15.

Registration closes on May 15, 2023 or when group is filled.

  • Daily meetings will be held in one of the large common areas at Palazzo Donati.

  • We will have access to the entire property, which includes two kitchen areas, one modern near the dining room and the other rustic with a charming open fireplace.

  • The entrance leads to a large walled outdoor area where we can relax or dine in the private garden. As you walk out the front door to the main square, you can enjoy a morning cappuccino or an evening aperitivo at the outdoor tables of the local café.

  • Around the piazza are the former palazzi of the founding families and the town hall and shops under an arcaded walkway.

  • There will be time to enjoy our immediate surroundings and wander around the small medieval streets of the town.

Our setting

Registration Closed

Daily Itinerary

Access to local places, artisans and regional cuisine is possible through a partnership with Nicoletta Amicizia, resident and tour guide along with local expert Luisa Donati, whose family owns Palazzo Donati. They are available to make sure our days run smoothly while introducing us to everyday life of the town and the surrounding area’s hidden treasures.


Itinerary may be subject to slight changes.

Saturday

Sunday

  • 8:00-9:30: Breakfast

  • Guided hike and late afternoon lunch at local agriturismo. Those who do not wish to hike will be driven

  • Evening: Opening session

Mon, Tue, Wed

  • 8:00-9:30: Breakfast

  • Daily group lunch and dinner

  • Blocks of time for professional development sessions and local excursions, including a special pasta making lesson with Anna at Mulino della Ricavata

Thursday

  • Morning: Departure after Breakfast

Ground Transportation

Participants are responsible for booking their own flights. Assistance will be provided.
From the U.S., Italy’s main international airports are Rome (3.5 hours from Mercatello) and Milan Malpensa (5 hours from Mercatello).
From inside Europe, airports with suitable connections to Mercatello are: Ancona (1.5 hours), Bologna (2.5 hours) and Florence (2.5 hours).
All have car rental services. 

Flight Arrangements

Ground transfers between Mercatello and airports or train stations can be arranged. Pricing will be provided according to individual or group requests.


Mercatello does not have a train station. The train stations closest to Mercatello are Arezzo and Pesaro.

Required Documents

All U.S. Citizens require a passport that is valid a minimum of 6 months after their return date to the U.S.. (For example, if you are departing from Italy on November 1, 2022 your passport must be valid through May 1, 2023.) Routine U.S. passport processing times are estimated to be 8-12 weeks. If you are applying for or renewing a passport, plan accordingly and apply well in advance.  Non-U.S. citizens should check entry and visa requirements

I wouldn’t be the educator/administrator/human I am today without the serendipitous life lessons you facilitated during our time together in Mercatello. I am forever grateful and am confident our paths will cross again soon.”

Discover Mercatello sul Metauro

Mercatello sul Metauro is a comune in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region Marche, located about 100 kilometres west of Ancona and about 50 kilometres southwest of Pesaro.

It was the most applicable, life-altering, engaging and beneficial professional development I've ever attended and would highly recommend it to anyone in the field of Early Childhood Leadership!

Registration Closed
Registration Closed

We have reached full capacity for the June 2023 Mercatello Leadership Retreat, Learning Together in a Special Place: Perspectives on Leadership and appreciate the excitement about travelling to Mercatello sul Metauro for the Leadership Retreat.

Click the button below and add your name and email address to be the first to receive information about future Leadership Retreats. 

bottom of page