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Civitella Ranieri is a residency devoted to international writers, composers, and visual artists, set within a 15th-century castle in the Umbrian hills of Italy. Founded in 1995 by Ursula Corning, it has since welcomed over 1,200 Fellows and Director’s Guests who have found a creative haven inside its historic walls, drawn by the promise of uninterrupted time for exploration and dialogue.
Located in the Upper Tiber Valley, Civitella Ranieri Castle is a striking 15th-century fortress with thick stone walls, originally constructed as a stronghold to safeguard the Ranieri family and their community. Today, it continues this legacy, offering solitude and shared creativity to international artists who come to work without interruption within its dramatic, historic walls. The setting, a blend of medieval architecture and the quiet Umbrian landscape, embodies Civitella’s mission to foster deep connection and concentrated, self-directed exploration.
Inside, the castle embraces its evolving role. The library, holds more than 12,000 monographs across 30 languages, focusing on visual arts, literature, music, art history, and Italian culture. It serves as both a creative resource and a historical archive, including works by current and past Fellows and Director’s Guests, and provides 24-hour access for reading, listening, and research.
Unlike open-call residencies, Civitella Ranieri does not accept direct applications. Instead, candidates must be nominated by a distinguished network of artists, academics, and critics. A rotating jury then reviews these nominations, carefully selecting each cohort to represent a diverse mix of disciplines, backgrounds, and stages of career. Emerging talents, mid-career practitioners, and established figures come together, creating a truly intergenerational and international experience.
Fellows enjoy a rare blend of private comfort and creative flexibility. Each receives a spacious private room with its own bathroom, along with 24-hour access to an adjoining study or studio, distinctive, atmospheric spaces shaped by the castle’s medieval architecture rather than conventional white-box designs. Composers benefit from specialized setups that may include pianos, keyboards, or recording equipment.
Food at Civitella is central to the experience and to communal life. The kitchen, led by head chef Debora Ventanni, embraces a philosophy of ethical, regional nourishment: meals are crafted from local Umbrian and Tuscan traditions, with ingredients sourced from nearby producers or grown on-site in the garden. Fresh, seasonal, and lovingly prepared, the meals are meant to nourish both body and creative spirit, forming an integral part of the foundation’s culture of hospitality and well-being.
