An Eye for colour: School of Iridescence on the Isle of Giglio 2024
With Alessandra Bruno
About the setting
Colour at Pardini’s Hermitage is marvellously integrated with It’s splendid Cala degli Alberi’s natural surroundings.
A splendour that has attracted guests and visitors since the 1950’s, enhancing by their affinity the creation of significant emotional bonds and allowing them to flourish throughout some decades. The family’s summer house built on terraces is now sofltly wrapped in its shadowy lushious
garden.Well protected from summer’s scorching heat. The shimmering blue tirrenian sea winks twinkeling, through the breezy wispers of iridescent silky branches, reflecting the changing colours of the Tuscan archipelago’s unique sky vault , it outlines the bay’s splayed granit rocks and wild herbs borders : principal and omnipresent subject of contemplation.
The colour palette of this particular environment is extremely generous of hues, enriched as it is by its olive’s grows and orchards crawling up the mountain side: lovingly tended to, becoming ,sprawling green textures, interspersed by charmingly hand made farm’s sheds : a sheltering paradise for the family’s friendly goats and donkeys inhabitants.
About Alessandra Bruno and the watercolour course modules
After graduating from Maidstone College of Art’s in UK in 1985 and returning home to Italy while researching images for an illustration project at the Centro Botanico in Milano, I have had the blessing of meeting and being invited to hold watercolour courses on Giglio by Ghigo Pardini whose vision it was to offer this opportunity to those of his guests willing to benefit of the island’s beauty beyond the busiest July and August holiday months.
For twenty years since 1987 we have collaborated successfully in scheduling weeks of full time watercolour courses, samples of wich colourfully framed,tell their story around most of the hotel’s ground floor’s walls.A time lapse suspension of some years away from the island imposed itself due to family’s engagements on my side. Our untarnished friendship remained thriving,we do share epic memories born alongside the growing of the Pardini’s establishment. From a family’s summer guesthouse for adventurous travellers to a fascinating Hotel of charm I have been befriended, actively participant as mural artist and art teacher .I am honoured and exited to be able to invite you once more to an exlusive seascape painting holiday .Confiding in a close to fourty year experience, I wish to be a helpfull source of inspiration and supportive guidance to a memorable creative time for you in this spring time 2024.
Welcome to Pardini’s Hermitage
Overlooking a rocky cove on the south-east side of Giglio Island
can only be reached by sea
(about 20 min. by boat from Giglio Porto).
The villa stands on top of a series of granite terraces and today appears surrounded by a park-garden created and maintained over the years by the Pardini family, "conquering" it with love for granite, wind, salt and drought.
We are happy to host you
Life at the Hermitage
Life at the Hermitage is simple. There are boat arrivals coming and going sometimes with food and merchandise and sometimes with visitors or new guests. At 7.30 pm appetizers and drinks are served on the terrace facing the sea and the rocky coast of the island, one hour later the sound of the gong invites for dinner. During Summer lunch is served in the open on the terrace by the sea. Being led by this gentle lazy and slow pace, you will experience the freedom of not having to make other choices than how to fill the rest of the day, enjoying the sound of the waves and the scented air of the wild, reading a book, making excursions, sailing or, during the evening, listening to Ghigo’s old stories about life on the island and its inhabitants.
