Our Story
A HOUSE IN THE TUSCAN HILLS • A LONG TABLE • A DOOR THAT’S ALWAYS OPEN
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Breathe Tuscany didn’t start as a business plan. It started with, a family, a home, and a lot of very good dinners.
For 22 years, we’ve opened our doors to travellers from all over the world, and hosted them as holiday guests, writers, artists and volunteers who came to share our daily life. More than 100 people from 20 countries have stayed with us. Some came for a few nights; others lingered far longer than they planned. All of them were welcome.
Along the way, we found ourselves sharing more than a roof and a table. We brought our own experience in yoga, bodywork, skincare, wellbeing and all things Italian into everyday life here, offering it to guests who arrived tired, stressed or simply in need of care.
Gentle, slow yoga and tai chi sessions together in the mornings. Fresh, seasonal food cooked with love. Facials and massages that helped people to let go fully. And conversation circles, where strangers became friends, and people found space to talk openly about what really mattered to them.
Again and again, we watched the change happen.
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you really ought to be doing retreats
Guests slept more deeply, laughed more easily and lingered at the table long after the plates were cleared. As they packed their bags, they told us the same things: “I didn’t realise how much I needed to slow down,” and “You really ought to be doing retreats.”
So we listened.
a little
about me
I’m Joanna, founder of Breathe Tuscany, a Yorkshire lass who met an Italian lad over 30 years ago and fell in love, with him and with all things Italian. Eventually, I swapped grey skies for olive groves, and I’ve never looked back.
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From Boardrooms
to Olive Groves
For many years I worked internationally in HR and Learning & Development, looking after people and organising events where every detail mattered. I loved discovering what people really needed and making it happen. But along the way I met so many lovely people who were quietly running on empty, and I knew I wanted to help in a deeper way.
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meet your
hosts
Breathe Tuscany is run by our family: me, Joanna, my husband Antonio, and our son Massimiliano.
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Antonio is Italian through and through, and he brings the heart of Tuscan hospitality: the recipes, the traditions and a firm belief that no one should ever leave the table hungry. I’m from Yorkshire, and I bring a love of wellness, a warm welcome and a good cup of tea.
Our son Massimiliano is half Italian and half Yorkshire, and he grew up right here in the hills, from his first days at nursery school.
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And then there’s Kasper, our very Instagram-ready, if somewhat spoilt, wellness cat. He’ll happily greet you, pose for photos and find the sunniest spot in the house, usually on whichever cushion you were about to sit on.
Together, we’ve made this Tuscany our home, and we’d love to share it with you.
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OUR HIDDEN TUSCAN TABLE
If there’s one thing guests talk about long after they’ve gone home, it’s the food.
So many people have dined with us over the years that they’ve started calling it our hidden Tuscan table, and they keep coming back, some for a second helping, most for a second visit.
We cook farm to table, with seasonal ingredients, many grown just steps away, and traditional recipes from Antonio’s family, plus our own twist: a touch of Ayurveda for balance and a little Yorkshire warmth for good measure.
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WHAT WE
BELIEVE
Tuscany has never been in a hurry, and we don’t think you should be either.
We believe the best things in life can’t be rushed: a long lunch, a real conversation, a quiet morning with nowhere to be. That’s why our retreats follow the Italian family way of living, with a shared table, an unhurried day and the simple joy of being looked after.
It isn’t about escaping your life. It’s about remembering how good it feels to slow down, and taking a little of that home with you.
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WHY WE KEEP
groups SMALL
Our group retreats welcome just 6 women at a time.
Small means personal. Everyone has space to rest in their own way, nobody gets lost in the crowd, and the dinner table never feels too full. Most guests arrive as strangers and leave as friends.
Prefer to bring your own people? We also host private retreats for you, your friends or your family, shaped around your dates and what you’d love from your time here. Perfect for celebration birthdays.
come retreat
in tuscany
Our first women’s retreat, Tempo per Te, takes place on 1–6 May 2027, with just 6 places.
Whether you join us for a group retreat or create your own, we’d love to welcome you into our home, and to our table.
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Why Tuscany
A Place That Already Knows How to Slow Down
Tuscany doesn’t need to be taught how to rest. Meals stretch for hours. Afternoons are meant for shade and conversation. The hills, the olive groves, the golden light — none of it is in a hurry, and neither will you be.
This isn’t a backdrop. It’s part of the medicine. When the pace of a place changes, something in you changes with it.
Five nights. One villa. A rhythm of life you’ll want to bring home with you.