Stellar Arts Foundation

adventure artist's tours supporting orphans

Soglio for Photographers

september 8-20, 2009

Come to Soglio to photograph stunning scenery — with guidance and instruction from Denis Hill — and enjoy interaction with natives and watercolor artists on the painting track of this tour. Photographers of all skill levels are welcome.

Soglio sits on a sunny South facing promontory three thousand feet above the narrow Bregaglia/Bergell valley and just a few kilometers from the Italian border. The village of about one hundred inhabitants faces out over the stunning Bondesca mountain range with jagged peaks and glaciers rising more than ten thousand feet above the valley floor. Choked off, from the North by the steep Maloja Pass and from the South by the Italian border, the valley has been rather lost in time with villages still much as they were centuries ago. Here you will find signs of pre-Roman habitation; this is the approach to the "Septima Pass," Hannibal's epic route to the north. This quiet valley also has a long standing artistic tradition and, among others, is the home of the Giacometti family of artists.

The landscape of the valley – with sparse Alpine to lush Mediterranean vegetation – is full of contrasts, as are the villages within it. Soglio is the valley gem: an incredible mixture of primitive stone houses and barns, many five hundred years old, clustered along narrow cobbled alleyways and set alongside large 16th to 18th century palaces, built by the Bregallian von Salis mercenary dynasty.

Soglio, at its core, is a simple farming village where the steep fields are still hand cut by sickle and the hay is carried down the mountainsides in handmade baskets on the backs of both the men and women. From the forest below the village, chestnuts are gathered, smoke dried, and laboriously beaten and winnowed to form – for both the people and animals – a staple diet for the winter months. Clothes are still scrubbed by hand in the wash fountains. The smallest of sticks are gathered from the forest to maintain some warmth through the winter months in the thick stone-walled houses. This is not a re-creation of times past ... rather how life has always been here, and continues, today.

Twelve kilometers down the valley, across the Italian border, lies the bustling town of Chiavenna. Born from a Roman encampment, today it is a very pedestrian-friendly shopping, market, and commercial center with wonderful old buildings, alleyways, gardens, and umbrella-filled piazzas. Not to be missed and, definitely, on the agenda!


Our lodging and base of operations will be the hotel La Soglina, offering light, comfortable rooms, meals prepared by the chef-owner, and spectacular vistas. Modern amenities include a solarium and fitness center.

Cost Summary

$3,590 US

NOTE•The tour cost is per person based on double occupancy. The single room supplement is $450 additional. Tariffs and currency valuation are as of October 2008. A minimum of 12 full paying travelers are required, and are subject to confirmation. While we will do everything possible to maintain the listed price and itinerary, they may be subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control.

INCLUSIONS • Hotel accommodations • Transport from and to Milan, Italy airport • Transport to painting locations outside the town of Soglio • Sightseeing entrance fees • Luggage handling of ONE PIECE per person plus carry-on • Painting instruction planned for 10 days • Multilingual guide • Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, not including beverages

NOT INCLUDED • Air travel • Items of personal nature • Art supplies • Alcoholic beverages • Any meal or sightseeing item not listed in the itinerary. Optional Insurance for health, baggage, and cancellation is highly recommended.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE • A deposit of $500 per person is required with reservation. Payment of $1,000 per person is due 90 days prior to departure. Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure. Space is limited and early reservations are encouraged.

REFUND POLICY • Stellar Arts Foundation will have no obligation to provide refunds for partial or unused land arrangements. The following penalties will apply to all cancellations: (1) Notices received 90 days prior to departure: $75.00 per person processing fee: (2) Notices received 60-89 days prior to departure: The full deposit shall be forfeited, in addition to the forfeiture of any unrecoverable payments made on behalf of the traveler to hotels, or tour operators: (3) Notices received after 60 days prior to departure: NO REFUNDS will be allowed, unless you provide a person to take your place. Purchase of trip cancellation insurance is advised to cover any emergencies should they arise.

RESPONSIBILITIES•Stellar Arts Foundation provides customized travel services for group travelers. In offering these travel arrangements SAF acts solely as agents for the sale of air transportation and other travel related service. SAF maintains no control over the personnel, equipment, or operations of any entity furnishing services, products, or accommodations. SAF assume no responsibility or liability for, and shall not be expected, asked or required to pay for any injury, damage, expense, personal injury, property damage, inconvenience, or any other loss experienced by reason of: (i) any intentional, wrongful, negligent, or unauthorized act or omission on the part of any supplier, its agents, or employees; (ii) any defect, break down or other failure to any vehicle, equipment, service, product or other instrumentality which owned, operated or otherwise used by a supplier; (iii) any intentional, wrongful, negligent, or unauthorized act or omission on the part of any other party not under the control of Stellar Arts Foundation; (iv) financial problems causing non-performance by any supplier; or (v) any other cause, condition, or event whatsoever beyond the direct control of SAF. Damage to personal effects shall be the sole responsibility of travelers at all times. Stellar Arts Foundation reserve the right to withdraw from any tour member whose conduct is incompatible with the interests of the group as a whole as judged solely SAF. SAF takes no responsibility for medical treatment, medication or any current, past or future medical or treatment problems of traveler.

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