On the Expedition

Help preserve Tuscany's rich heritage by finding and restoring neglected cultural treasures along winding country roads.

Under the Tuscan sun, on roads lined with grapevines and cypress trees, you will help find, map, record, and restore relics such as fountains and tabernacles. The area you will explore was home to the Etruscans, the region where the ancient Roman Empire grew, and, of course, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and all its wonders of art and science. Depending on research demands, you may help clear structures for complete visibility, repair masonry, restore surfaces, draw or photograph the structures, process data, or help make recommendations for monument conservation. In your recreational time, a wealth of Tuscan restaurants and museums beckon, as do tours of the Renaissance Fortress of Poggio Imperiale in Poggibonsi, the tabernacle frescos of the Florentine Renaissance painter Benozzo Gozzoli in Castelfiorentino, and the medieval towns of San Gimignano and Colle Val d'Elsa.

Meals and Accommodations

Teams will stay in a country hostel, boasting comfortable beds, hot showers, and a pleasant kitchen and dining room. A cook will prepare continental breakfasts, buffet lunches, and Mediterranean dinners, including dishes made with pasta and fresh harvest vegetables. Volunteers will work with the chef to prepare and clean up meals.

About the Research Area

The specific area of research is one of the most famous landscapes in Tuscany and in all of Italy. It is rich in art and cultural items, and holds important sites like San Gimignano, Colle val d'Elsa, Certaldo, Volterra, and San Miniato. The research will be conducted in a river valley surrounded by low hills full of agricultural activity - vineyards and olive tree plantations in the hills, and sugar and corn in the narrow plains of the rivers-and dotted by big oak forests.