Welcome to Casale Pundarika
Retreat center and rural hospitality in Riparbella, Tuscany
Originally called Podere Cordazzingoli at beginning of the century, the house represented a rural reality typical of the social fabric of Riparbella territory and in general of the Tuscan countryside. A few families lived there in a community dedicated to farming and livestock. With the rush towards the cities, this farm was abandoned for many years and went to ruins.
Some decades later, a family of Tibetan Buddhist faith was looking for an ideal place for spiritual retreats and together with some monks inspected the place confirming that the position, the particular quality of silence of the surroundings and the purity of the air made it the ideal place for meditation.
At the beginning of the 2000s the idea of Casale Pundarika (lotus flower in sanskrit) took shape as a center for residential retreats and a place of meditation and excellent rest.
Currently the farmhouse is run by a team of friends and in addition to hosting regular residential retreats of various disciplines, we offer slow nature-based holiday experiences, long stays for smart-working and corporate retreats. Our goal is to respect the history of the place and provide an opportunity for travelers and groups to experience a slow holiday or join a retreat in this corner of Tuscany in touch with nature and themselves.
7 APARTMENTS
OUTDOOR HOT TUB
4 MULTIPURPOSE AREAS
ENDLESS NATURE
LGBTQ+, S+, FAMILY, KIDS, ANIMALS, HUMAN FRIENDLY!
Surrounded by a Mediterranean forest Casale Pundarika is a typical Tuscan country house ideally set in a magical place, 2km from the village of Riparbella on the Maritime Hills and a few km from the Tyrrhenian coast. A mixed landscape of woods, olive groves, vineyards and a skilfully-worked countryside reflect the agricultural origins of the town.
Opposite is an open view to the sea, the Tuscan Archipelago, with a peek of Elba and Capraia Islands on the horizon and when it’s very clear “the finger” of Corsica. This striking panorama can be enjoyed through walks along the naturalist paths of the countryside or via excursions on horse back or mountain bikes.
Thanks to its secluded position, Casale Pundarika is an ideal place both for groups or travelers looking to reconnect with the purity of nature.
A story only matters, I suspect, to the extent that the people in the story change.
― Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The foundation of Casale Pundarika was inspired by the Venerable Geshe Ciampa Gyatso, the resident teacher and abbot of the nearby Lama Tzong Khapa monastery in Pomaia. Even before the house was restructured, he inspected the site and confirmed that its position, the special quality of silence of the surroundings and the purity of the air made it particularly suited for meditation. Later, the Venerable Jhado Rinpoche, abbot of the Namghyal monastery in Dharamsala (His Highness the Dalai Lama’s monastery), blessed the site and gave it its name, thus creating a special link to the Kalachakra Lineage, of which he is one of the holders. The idea at the basis of the foundation of Casale Pundarika was to create, in the West, a place suited for high-quality retreats.