How to join as a family
Welcome, dear families! We receive many inquiries from families interested in joining us, so we thought it would be helpful to gather all the essential information for those considering a visit or a longer stay. This July, we organised a special month for families—a time to come together, experience the community, and explore the questions of joining us as a family. Before going into practical details, here is a bit about Sentire:
About us
We believe in learning through every aspect of life—the little moments and the big ones, the subtle communications, and how we relate to one another. Working together provides fertile ground for self-inquiry, inviting questions about relationships and cooperation. We observe, reflect, and engage in conversations as we go about our day.
In "normal" life, we often move through the world, unaware of our impact on one another and everything we encounter. Joining offers an opportunity to acknowledge that we are interconnected and that our actions affect the world around us. We can embrace responsibility for ourselves and our surroundings and expand our perspective—consciously stepping beyond our comfort zone.
Joining means being an effective part of something greater than myself. It means having partners to walk this path with. It is an invitation to engage in tasks with a sense of freedom and full responsibility, to see myself as I truly am.
Family seminar in July 2025!
This past July, we invited up to six families to come for any time between two weeks and a month and experience our community together. We offered activities for the children together with the participating families.
The activities included:
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Theater
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Crafts
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Building with natural materials
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Games outdoors, and more...
We have educators in the community that lead the days with the children.
We created this special time to support connection the between families and meeting the place from the same starting point.
Every day, a few adults lead the activities with the children and supervised while the rest joined in the schedule of the community.
Community schedule
We have a full schedule. There is either an activity for the children, or one of you will be with the child during the day.
Silent Sitting
We meet every morning (except on Sundays) between 5:30 and 6:30, depending on the time of sunrise, for a 20-minute silent sitting.
Continue working
day and break
We return to work according to our assignments. Around 12:30, we take a one hour break. The break serves as a pause in the flow of the day, offering an opportunity for shared rest and reflection on a question raised by one of us.
Saturdays
After the silent sitting, we go together for a continuous walk—a form of meditative walking in nature. The rest of the day is dedicated to household tasks, also known as "cleaning day". On this day, we finish earlier than usual. In the evening, anyone who wishes is invited to organize a social night with games, a movie, or a trip to town.
After work hours
After work hours, one is welcome to rest, take a walk, or join others for a quiet gathering.
Start working day
We divide into the different tasks of the day according to necessity and work for two hours until breakfast.
Lunch and Dinner
At 16:00, lunch is served in the dining hall. The meal is vegetarian with vegan options. Unlike breakfast, it is not a silent meal, offering an opportunity for conversation around the table.
There isn’t a communal dinner; everyone is free to prepare a meal for themselves.
Evening learning meetings
Twice a week, we come together for evening learning meetings. On Mondays, we gather for an improvisational dance or theater session, offering a chance to meet one another differently—connecting through play, encountering each other without words, and stepping beyond familiar ways of interaction.
On Wednesdays, we hold a verbal learning meeting, where we explore a topic brought up by one of us—something relevant and alive in our daily lives. These meetings provide an opportunity to step back, observe our consciousness, and reflect on our state of being
Breakfast
We gather in the dining hall for breakfast. The meal is conducted in silence. The food is vegetarian with vegan options.
Various Jobs
During the week, after lunch, the workday officially ends, but some times we are still assigned to various jobs that take place in the afternoon and evening such as washing dishes, baking bread, or other things needed. If needed one can stop to rest befor.
Sunday
It is a day off. Two of us will be responsible for the meals and atmosphere of weekend. The others are welcome to organise their day as they wish.
Personal income
If you have an online job or are looking for a job, you can dedicate 15 hours a week to work on your business within the schedule.
Economy
In the past two years, we have established a hospitality business, a wedding venue and a seminar and retreat center. However, these ventures are still young and cannot yet fully support the community or those joining us. The expenses of sustaining a community are significant, which means we are unable to offer full volunteering opportunities at this time.
Anyone joining, whether for a short or long stay, is asked to contribute to their basic living expenses within the community. The standard cost per person, covering all living expenses, is €45 per day. For those in need, we offer financial support through a sliding scale of €15–45 per day, adjusted according to individual circumstances.
So far, the founding members have shouldered the investment to create this space, driven by the vision of building a place for many to join and experience an alternative way of being together. To help sustain the community, we ask you to contribute as much as you can toward your expenses, with the understanding that any support is a meaningful step in creating this place for yourself and others to share and enjoy.
If you have an online job, that's great! We offer flexibility in the schedule, allowing you to work for personal income during the week. However, we ask that this does not exceed one-third of the week so you remain connected to communal life and the shared schedule.
If needed, we can also help you find a job to support your stay.
We are open to collaboration and integration for those who have a business and are interested in bringing it to the community. Together, we can grow your business and the community and develop them further.
Sleeping arrangements for families
Several sleeping options are available, all of which include shared bathrooms and showers:
Sleep in a tent
Stay in one of our tents with a mattress for a one time paynet of €15.
Sleep in a wooden hut
Enjoy a cozy wooden hut featuring a double bed and a small cupboard. Large glass windows provide stunning views of the olive grove for €25 per day.
Sleep in a room in the villa
Stay in a private spacious designed room featuring a double bed and a cupboard, for €50 per day.
Bring your own tent or camper
You can set it up in several designated spots on the land.
Building a house in the community
If you are interested in joining after staying with us for a few months, you can bring a mobile home and connect it to the land. After spending a significant amount of time with us, you can build a house on the land, and we can talk about investments and shared ownership.
Schools in the area
Forest kindergarden
If there are families with children of kindergarden age, we will open a forest kindergarden on the land and invite other children from the area.
There is another kindergarden in the area that has an open alternative approach. We are in contact with them and can recommend them as well.
Waldorf school near Siana
About an hour away from us there is a Waldorf school, which we have gotten to know closely and highly recommend. It is all in Italian, but from our experience, the children learn the language fast.
Local school in the area
In the city of Arezzo, 15 minutes away, there are a few public schools. We don't know them well, but they are very close.
Location
