Aurora Nature & Spirit Festival is an inter-disciplinary international event, taking place since 2012 in Pienza (Siena), ideal Renaissance city on the wonderful rolling hills of val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The festival, totally bilingual Italian-English, aims to re-connect with Nature, and to overcome dualism that separates mind and body, nature and spirit, to help evolve public consciousness on such an important theme in times of social, financial, cultural and environmental crisis.

In 2015 the festival will be four days long, to allow a more relaxed rythm and a deepening of the themes we are going to tackle. Thursday is dedicated to the Sienese Mystics and Templars, and to discover the caves, hermitages and chapels around Pienza. Friday is dedicated to plants, with a nature walk in Pietraporciana forest, a worskhop on cooking with wild plants and a seminar on herbalism. In the evening, a thanksgiving ceremony for the Oak of the Magpies, followed by wine tasting and dinner in Monticchiello’s square and by the screening of the film Animate Earth.

During the weekend, various public events will be hosted at the lovely Pieve di Corsignano, ancient romanic chapel just outside Pienza: Yoga in the morning, Gregorian Chants and Songs for the Tree of Life of Nordic tradition in the evening. On Saturday and Sunday, renowned international speakers will give talks in the mornings at San Carlo’s Conservatory in Pienza, and hold experiential workshops in the afternoons at Podere Isabella in Monticchiello. The festival will close with a ceremony the Energy of the Ancestors in the afternoon, and a wine tasting in the evening, followed by a party with Sacred Circle Dances for trees. Come and join us!

nature and spirit festival t h e t r e e o f l i f e

9-12 July 2015 pienza & Monticchiello (siena)

At the beginning of the summer, speakers from all over the world come together to meet the public for an unforgettable week-end of seminars and workshops, dance, poetry, concer ts, exhibitions, dinners with exquisite local food and wine. The theme of this year’s festival is The Tree of Life, a symbol present in all world religions. The program will be both international and local, to discover the stories of the ancient mystics of this area and to explore their secret sacred abodes.

Peace Ceremony at Piazza Pio II in Pienza - Photo Gianpaolo Tescari

Why participate?Open to new visionsShare experiencesFeel part of a whole

Mount Amiata’s view from Podere Isabella - Photo Ilvio Gallo

The Cosmic Tree, whose roots reach down to the underworld, whose trunk is planted on the ground and whose branches reach up to heaven, is a metaphor of the human condition. At the festival we will speak about real trees’ functions, necessary for life, about their perceptions and communications: of how to get to know them, honour them, learn to live with them, use their gifts- and realize how much they do for us. The 2015 festival is dedicated to the Oak of the Magpies, beloved monumental tree of the val d’Orcia, that last summer suffered damage due to lack of care and brought together three thousand people in a committee to support and restore the Tree of Life.

Yoga at the Pieve di Corsignano - Photo Gianpaolo Tescari Inside the Pieve - Photo Ilvio Gallo

The Oak of the Magpies with a broken branch - Photo Gianpaolo Tescari Jonathan Horwitz and Zara Waldeback - Photo Gianpaolo Tescari

How to get thereArriving at Monticchiello from Pienza, before entering the village, make a right on the dirt road called via Agogna immediately after the white road sign “Monticchiello”. Follow the road going up and down for 2 km, until you see the panoramic view of the valley opening up in front of you. At the bottom of a rather steep descent, where the road makes a turn to the left, you will see two stone houses below you and the sign Podere Isabella.

Pienza’s Conservatory - Piazza San CarloConference hall, Library, Olistic Market

Buy

1 day ticket for 60€4 day ticket for 200€

* plus 10€ for the Aurora Festival organization yearly membership card, to be picked up and paid for at the entrance.

It will be possible to buy half day tickets and/or single event tickets directly at the door.

Pieve di Corsignano

Map of Pienza Map of Podere Isabella

Info Points and tickets - Pienza’s Main Square and San Carlo Conservatory

For information and booking www.aurorafestival . it - email : festival@aurorafestival . it Phone: +39347/3651115

p r o g r a M M e a u r o r a 2 0 1 5Thursday July 9th PIenza SeMInarS

Templars and Mystics in val d’OrciaGuided tour of Pienza’s sacred area: Romitorio hermitage and Pieve di CorsignanoGiAnCARlo BAstREGhi, collector, antique dealer, FABio PEllEGRini, local historian, AlEssio VARisCo, sacred art historian

Lunch at Podere il Casalestreet al Podere il Casale 64, Pienza

Visit to the grotto of the Blessed One and grotto of the FairiesFABio PEllEGRini, local historian

Friday July 10thMOnTICChIeLLO wOrkShOPS

nature walk in a native forestMARio MoREllini, naturalistPietraporciana forest

wild plants for cookingCAtERinA CARdiA, wild herbs expertPodere isabella, dining room and kitchen

Lunch with wild herbsPodere isabella

PIenza SeMInarS

Medical use of local wild plants AUGUsto dE BEllis, herbalist and botanistConservatory main hall

The Tree of Life, aurora festival presentationilARiA BoRlEtti BUitoni dAll’ACQUA, undersecretary, Ministry of Cultural heritage, BEBEttA CAMPEti, festival director, GiAMPiERo ColoMBini, culture councillor, Pienza, niColEttA innoCEnti, oak of the Magpies sos committeeCloister, Palazzo Piccolomini

Ceremony for the Oak of the MagpiesJonAthAn hoRwitz and zARA wAldEBACk, Åsbacka Center for shamanic healingPienza, sP n°146, at 8 km engrafted with ss 2 (Cassia)

MOnTICChIeLLO Square

wine tasting and dinner

“Animate Earth”Film 45’ directed by sAlly AnGEl, texts by stEPhAn hARdinG, introduction by ecologist BRUno d’UdinE. the authors will be present.Company theater

Saturday July 11thPIenza SeMInarS

Free yogaGRAziA CECChinAto, yoga teacherPieve di Corsignano

Thinking with the heart: back to the Indigenous rootsMARiE kVARnstRöM, environmental biologistConservatory main hall

The ecology of Giving and receivingJonAthAn hoRwitz and zARA wAldEBACk, Åsbacka Center for shamanic healingConservatory main hall

Gaia Theory and the Tree of LifestEPhAn hARdinG, head of holistic science, schumacher CollegeConservatory main hall

MOnTICChIeLLO wOrkShOPS

Living the Tree of LifeJonAthAn hoRwitz and zARA wAldEBACk, Åsbacka Center for shamanic healingPodere isabella, meditation room

Celebration of the wood elementEdUARdo hEss, Feng shui masterPodere isabella, living room

The wishing TreeCoRA FossAti, illustratorPodere isabella, dining room

Power SongsshEnoAh tAyloR, singer and shamanic practitionerPodere isabella, meditation room

PIeVe dI COrSIGnanO

Gregorian ChantsMAEstRo liVio PiCotti, Abbazia di s. Antimo songs by hildegard von Bingen

Sacred Songs for the Tree of LifeshEnoAh tAyloR and the public

Sunday July 12thPIenza SeMInarS

homo radixtiziAno FRAtUs, writerConservatory main hall

Learning to Live with TreessAlly AnGEl, filmmaker, stEPhAn hARdinG, ecologist, MARiE kVARnstRöM, enviromental biologist, JonAthAn hoRwitz and zARA wAldEBACk, Åsbacka Center for shamanic healingConservatory main hall

MOnTICChIeLLO wOrkShOPS

Ceremony on The energy of the ancestorsAlEssAndRA CoMnEno, consciousness pilgrim according to the Mayan-toltec traditionPodere isabella, meditation room and surroundings

Sacred Circle dances for TreesCARolinA Botti, teacher and dancerPodere isabella, garden

Tree SeekerstiziAno FRAtUs, writernature walk, Podere isabella and surroundings

yoga, an invitation to awakeningGRAziA CECChinAto, yoga teacherPodere isabella, meditation room

wine and cheese tasting and meeting with local producersMARCo CAPitoni orcia doc, FRAnCEsCo iACono Arcipelago Muratori, lUCA sAnJUst Petrolo, stEFAno REndE Agrivite Valdichiana. Managed by MAddAlEnA MAzzEsChi.

Tree Party at Podere Isabellavegetarian dinner

The dance of TreesCARolinA Botti and the public

darshan, Sonic Visionwith performer toMMAso VAlEntini and musician lUiGi MAttiEllo

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Photographic exhibitionsClosER by Mario Castiglioni

itAly is A wood by tiziano Fratus

Via G. G. Mora 15, MilanoTel. 02.58101310 - www.libreriaazalai.it

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Special thanks to:Sponsored by