Kids: Arte al Sole Day Camp Program in Stresa
Arte al Sole...
Shannon Venable believes you're never too young to learn about art and culture. Especially if you are fortunate enough to be spending your summer in Italy. That's why she founded Arte al Sole, which runs an arts and culture day camp for international kids in Italy. This summer they have included a program in Stresa, focused on the Baroque and Italianate art of the Borromean palace and gardens. If you will be here in Stresa for a long vacation this June with children, or if you live here in Italy now as an expat with your family, this may of interest to you.
The Stresa program is called Unicorns in the Garden. Here's the description:
Set on a hilltop in Stresa overlooking Lake Maggiore and Isola Bella, children will embark on a magical exploration of Borromean Baroque and the art of Italianate gardens. The week's activities connect the history and culture of Piedmont during the 17th century with the art and architecture of the era as the children create ornate hardscapes out of lake rocks, design their own tapestry, set a performance in the mannerism style with a garden as the mis-en-scene, build a diorama illustrating features of Baroque architecture and interior design, learn to cook regional specialties with fresh local ingredients, and try to solve the mystery as to why there is a unicorn in the garden… This session includes a fieldtrip to the palace and gardens on Isola Bella.
I love how this program will focus around the mysterious unicorn in the garden. Those of you who have been here may already know that the unicorn is one of the Borromeo family symbols. A statue of a unicorn rides high above the gardens of Isola Bella, greeting visitors as the come and go. The Borromeo palace and gardens can make anyone feel like a child again... Imagine allowing a child to discover it and learn about it in this fun way. And perhaps a lifelong love of Italian culture it may encourage.
I met Shannon through this blog and couldn't be happier to be able to share her program with you. I think it's a perfect addition to our ever-growing list of reasons to bring your family to Stresa. Arte al Sole also runs camps in Tuscany and Umbria. Interested? Get all the information here:
Arte al Sole
Arte al Sole
Photos are from the Arte al Sole website
Category Article art and culture, for kids, Summer
