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Herbalism & Natural Medicine
Plant identification, tinctures, salves, herbal oils, hydrosols, essential oils, teas and seasonal preparations.
Sicily · Campagna outside Siracusa
Rooted in ancient earth.
Terra Vianova is a family-led natural learning and permaculture project in the Sicilian countryside — a place for children, families and people who want to reconnect with nature, community and simple living.
Children, Nature & Self-Directed Learning
Children need nature, freedom, real things — and time to discover who they are.
Terra Vianova is built around natural learning, free learning, home education, self-directed learning and learning outside the classroom.
We want children to climb, observe, ask, build, plant, collect, cook, care for animals, identify plants, follow the seasons, make friends and discover their own strengths.
Families with children are very welcome. The land should be filled with life, play and shared experiences.
This Is Us
A long journey that became land.
Terra Vianova is a family project born from a long road. The Vianova journey started over a decade and a half ago, with a desire to live differently — away from throwaway culture, fast fashion, fast pace, and disconnected living.
It began with giving vintage and antiques a second life, empowering local artists and designers, and creating a new path. What started in New York City moved through Germany and many destinations across the Mediterranean.
Now, that path has become land.
We found our Terra Vianova — this piece of land outside Siracusa — after searching for a home base for a whole decade. We chose it because it felt ancient, peaceful, untouched, and full of potential.
My wife is a trained herbalist. I come from a family of gardeners and grew up close to animals, plants, and nature. We are learning as we go, building slowly, and creating this place with our child, with our hands, and with the people who come along the way.
The Land
One hectare of Mediterranean ground, fifteen minutes from the ancient city.
Ancient olive trees, almond, carob, fig, citrus and pomegranate. Wild fennel, wild thyme, wild asparagus, wild leek and wild carrots. Capers in the rocks. Birds, lizards, geckos, skinks, toads and a lively hum of insects. A dry Mediterranean ecology, alive in its own slow rhythm.
Around us there are ancient stones and signs of old human presence — cut stone and a small quarry nearby — giving the land a deep, living sense of history.
This land already has a language. We are not here to force it into something new. We are here to listen, guide, plant, restore, protect and slowly help it become more alive.
Permaculture & Medicinal Herbs
Working with what is already growing.
Terra Vianova is becoming a permaculture project with medicinal herbs, food forest areas, wild plant integration, shaded woodland zones and dry-land Mediterranean planting.
Some herbs will be grown in structured garden and farming areas. Others will be integrated into the existing ecosystem — especially in the rocky places where thyme, capers and wild asparagus already thrive without us.
- Food forest development
- Soil building & composting
- Water awareness
- Native plants
- Biodiversity
- Herbal gardens
- Wild edible plants
- Low-impact design
Stay With Us
Simple land-based living. Honest beginnings.
Terra Vianova is still in the beginning. People with self-sufficient campers or caravans can already inquire about staying. The land has easy access.
- Water
- Available
- Drinking water
- Coming soon
- Electricity
- Limited — small charging only
- Internet
- Starlink available
- Toilet
- Compost toilet — in planning
- Kitchen
- Simple outdoor community kitchen planned
This is not luxury camping. It is not a party campsite. It is for people who enjoy nature, lively company, children, community, practical work, simple rhythms and honest beginnings.
Ask About StayingVolunteer With Us
Help shape the land — hand by hand, day by day.
A Workaway-style volunteer concept. Volunteers help with clearing paths, planting, watering, composting, building the compost toilet and community kitchen, herbal beds, food forest work, animal areas, simple natural structures and daily community tasks.
Ideal volunteers: families, nature-loving people, practical hands, herbalists, gardeners, builders, educators, artists — people comfortable with simple living.
Typical stays are a few weeks up to one or two months, sometimes up to three depending on the situation.
Apply to Volunteer
Workshops & Experiences
Knowledge shared, tested, lived and passed on.
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Foraging & Wild Food
Wild asparagus, fennel, thyme, capers, wild leek and seasonal gathering — with safe identification.
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Food From Scratch
Outdoor cooking, preserving, fermentation, bread, simple family food, herbal foods and beer brewing.
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Permaculture & Land Skills
Food forests, composting, soil care, dry-land planting, water awareness and wild ecosystem integration.
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Children & Family Nature Days
Nature walks, free play, plant discovery, garden tasks, animals, outdoor crafts and child-led learning.
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Guest-Led Workshops
Open space for herbalists, educators, artists, natural builders, musicians and craftspeople.
Some workshops will be hosted by us, others by guests and volunteers. Terra Vianova is a place where knowledge can be shared, tested, lived and passed on.
Who This Is For
Lively people, curious people, people who love living things.
Families wanting nature-based experiences
Home education & free learning families
People with self-sufficient campers or caravans
Volunteers who want to shape the land
Herbalists, educators, artists & workshop hosts
People looking for a slower rhythm
Community without noise or pressure
People who respect children, nature & simple living
A Gentle Note
Terra Vianova is not a party campsite, not a luxury retreat, not a loud tourist place and not a finished facility. It is a family-led land project in the making.
We welcome people who are respectful, independent, kind, practical, child-friendly and comfortable with simple outdoor living.
Near Ancient Siracusa
Lively land, just a short drive from one of the Mediterranean's oldest cities.
Terra Vianova sits in the countryside outside Siracusa — one of the most beautiful and historic places in the Mediterranean. The land feels alive and removed, but the ancient city, the sea, culture, markets and Sicilian life are only a short drive away.
Contact
Be our guest.
We read every message. Tell us who you are and what you're looking for — camping, volunteering, family time, a workshop, or something else. We answer as the days allow.