Design, Truffles, and Silent Dinners in the Italian Hills

Words Vidula KotianDate 30 May 2025

As explored in our Further Forecast 2025—Community Capital cultural study, travelers today crave more than destinations—they seek belonging. It’s a shift from simply going somewhere to becoming part of something.

This year, we're partnering with Design Anthology UK on a series of immersive experiences across Italy and Greece—each rooted in the local fabric of community, culture, and design. From June 28–July 1, a three-night escape unfolds in Umbria, revealing the soul of Italy’s often overlooked heartland.

We’ll begin in Panicale, a medieval hilltop village where cobbled lanes and local legends converge. Guests will stay at Rastrello, a family-owned hotel and olive oil producer known for its hand-harvested EVOO. Between tasting sessions, truffle hunts, and architectural strolls through ancient piazzas and lace museums, guests will immerse themselves in a region where heritage and hospitality run deep.

The final night unfolds at Eremito, a modern-day hermitage tucked deep in the Umbrian forest. Here, community takes a quieter form: shared silence, candlelit dinners, and rooms stripped down to the soulful essentials. It’s a place that encourages inner connection while surrounded by natural beauty.

Next, we head to Greece. This autumn, our upcoming five-night journey will follow the work of visionary architecture studio K-Studio, taking a small group from Athens to a mountain retreat and on to the sea.

In a world ruled by speed and surface, these escapes offer something more lasting: meaningful connection—with people, with place, and with self. It’s Community Capital made tangible—and a reminder that true luxury lies in presence, depth, and soul.