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Course Description - Fundamentals Murlo will take place in the medieval borgo of Campriano near the Etruscan town of Murlo. 

 

 

Campriano is presently an agricultural estate but has an ancient history.  While there is conjecture concerning Etruscan origins, not unlikely given the proximity of Murlo, there is architectural evidence dating Benedictine activity at the site in the year 1000 A.D. Through the centuries the estate was owned by some of the most famous families of the Sienese aristocracy, in particular the Ardengheschi and Tolomei.  It has been in the family of the present owner Ranuccio Neri since 1914 when his grandfather Dario Neri, a famous landscape painter, bought it to live and work in.  Neri was best known for his paintings of the eroded hills of Siena, the “Crete Senese”. His work was critically reviewed and appreciated by his friend, the great art historian Bernard Berenson.

 

There are several buildings on the spectacular 600 acre estate hidden in the countryside not far from Siena.  The most important of which are the family villa and perfectly restored Romanesque church.  The villa was built as a private country residence, not as a tourist hotel and as such has the design of a large family house.  Bathrooms are near but not necessarily in bedrooms for example and each room is different.