Courses

Residential

Courses 2025


At Casa di Betlemme, in the hamlet of Cervarolo about 7km from Varallo, a picturesque town in Valsesia in the region of Piemonte, Italy

Our next residential courses in Cervarolo are scheduled for


July 10th - 17th 2025

November 3rd - 15th 2025

April 7th various extended options until the end of May, 2026 (email for details)


A week or more of one-on-one tutorial support as you work on an icon of your choice, alongside a small group of other iconographers. This is ideal for someone who wants a little more than the basics.


The course will be taken at the participant's own pace. Preparations will be done via Zoom in advance so that you can maximise the benefits of your time of immersion into the world of iconography, in the breath taking tranquility of the Italian Alps of Valsesia.


Simple meals, good company, a quiet and prayerful daily rhythm with expert tuition. An all-inclusive, apart from transport and insurance, of €500 per week. What's not to like?



  • Class size is restricted to a maximum of four students
  •  You will have the use of the dedicated studio 
  • Sessions will last from 9 am - 5 pm
  • Tutor accompaniment
  • Times for prayer and reflection

Breakfast and lunch will be light and self-service, and the 


Cooked evening meal. Nothing fancy, mostly pasta, but accommodating participants' dietary needs, eg. vegetarian. Please notify Ian once you have booked.  


Sunday will be a 'day of rest,' so there will be no teaching, but with a possibility of an excursion to Sacre Monte and Varallo. 


Accommodation will be simple, either with Ian or in another house in the village close by.  


Cost for tuition, board and accommodation: €500 per week.  
  • Residential Courses 2025

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  • Residential Courses 2025

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  • Residential Courses 2025

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Be warned, we are about 750m up in the Alps, and the village is quite isolated; there are no shops, pubs or restaurants and there is Mass only on Sunday morning in the village church. So it is a chance to withdraw from the world and enter into the enchantment of painting icons. We will say the Divine Office, grace before meals, and keep quiet in the studio.


Participants can decide which icon they want to work on and we will prepare beforehand via Zoom. This can be a course to paint a simple icon in a week, or can be focused practice for example on garments, backgrounds and so on, or on new areas which you want to learn on such as water gilding or board preparation, or you can just come with whatever you are working on and take advantage of the studio, the peace and quiet and the support of a tutor.


Please note that the November course is a bit longer. Also it gets a bit colder  here at that time of year and heating is limited to a wood stove and electric heaters. You will need to bring plenty of layers and be prepared for no central heating. I don't want to put you off, but at the same time I don't want people coming and being uncomfortable and stressed out because the cold is not easy for them to adapt to. As we will have extra heating costs the weekly fee is higher.



Taxi to and from Malpensa airport: about €80 each way (which can be shared if flight times coincide and needs to be booked in advance).


You can read about last year's residential course in this edition of Arbor Vitae Icon Academy News.