Under theTuscan Sun Cortona, Italy

Petra Kolber - Never Too Late!

Join Petra  on this transformational women's experience in Tuscany.

RSVP Opens April 1st
7 Nights   |   April 6-13, 2027   |    €8,950 euro (excluding flights)

10 Women are Welcome

Under The Tuscan Sun...

Under The Tuscan Sun is an exceptional book that was turned into a beloved film.  The story represents freedom, change, a new chapter in life, foreign exploration, and a leap of faith.  Although it is a work of fiction, the author Frances Mayes based it upon her own experience of traveling to Cortona, Italy, buying a beautiful villa, and fixing it up.  She still lives in that Villa Bramasole today!  The movie itself was filmed in a different villa, as the story required a property that was in need of serious repair.  They found the perfect place just 2 kilometers away in the same village, and this became the "Bramasole" that you see in the movie.  This Bramasole was purchased by an American woman after the movie was released, and she became the driving force behind the exceptional renovation we see today.  Incredible frescoes and other original artifacts were revealed, and the entire space, including 3 separate buildings, was transformed into a precious display of comfort and luxury.  This is where you will sleep for 7 sweet nights ... in the very Bramasole you see in the movie.

Tuscany is at it's most delicious in Spring when local markets are teeming with freshly foraged ingredients, and the landscape is sumptuously blooming with iris, wisteria, baby pomegranates, walnuts, tiny olives and grapes, and the fuzzy young quince.  The weather is also very pleasant for daily explorations in nature and nightly meals al fresco.

Villages You Will Explore...

​This Getaway Is For You If...

You think it would be dreamy to sleep in the villa from the movie "Under The Tuscan Sun" and to imagine you live in Italy.  Having a private, ensuite room to yourself is a must (we don't offer shares).  You prefer a more local experience.  The desire to embrace freedom and change resonates with you.  Historic walks through the past awaken your curiosity.  You love dining al fresco and you're enamoured by actual frescoes.  Visiting local shops to taste everything in season rocks your socks.  Temperatures in the 70's (22 celcius) are your comfort zone.  You adore nature.  You prefer to mingle with locals and immerse yourself in their way of life.  Visiting medieval villages is irresistible to you.  And travelling with an intimate group of like-minded women, with more time on foot and less in a vehicle is your jam.  There will be a good amount of walking, so comfortable shoes and an appropriate level of fitness is required.  Tuscany is full of hill towns, so think 10,000-15,000 steps per day with steep hills, stone stairs, and beautiful cobblestones.

10 Women are Welcome

RSVP Opens April 1st

Your Host

Petra Kolber

Petra Kolber — author, speaker, DJ, and wellness expert — won’t just be hosting this experience. She’ll be right there with you, savoring the sunsets, lingering over long dinners, and delighting in the unexpected magic that happens when remarkable women gather in one place.

During our time in Tuscany, she’ll naturally share reflections from her Never Too Late philosophy — not as a formal workshop, but as a lived experience. A shift in perspective. A reminder that courage doesn’t retire, curiosity doesn’t expire, and possibility is always within reach.

Come laugh until your cheeks hurt. Share stories you didn’t know you were ready to tell. Deepen old friendships and spark new ones. And return home with more than beautiful photos — return with a renewed sense of what’s still possible for you.

The Never Too Late Experience

Itinerary...

Day 1, Tuesday - April 6

Bramasole

Total Driving Time:  90 minutes from Florence Airport

Arrive to Florence Airport, meet your driver, and check in to the actual Bramasole villa from the movie Under The Tuscan Sun.  We have private use of the entire property, with expansive gardens, a swimming pool, a hot tub, and a bocce ball court.  For your pleasure, there is a private chef and daily cleaning staff.  Chef Francesco will surprise you with the most incredible selection of local foods ... picked from the garden and sourced from local farms.  Our welcome dinner is under the stars.

UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN BRAMASOLE VILLA

Day 2, Wednesday - April 7

Cortona

Total Driving Time:  10 minutes

Guided Tour, Hats, Jewelry... Optional morning stretch with Petra, coffee and breakfast.  After lunch we visit our village of Cortona, a medieval hilltop town whose soaring position offers 360° views of the incredible Val di Chiana.  Spend the day surrounded by beanstalk-like cyprus trees, sunflower fields, and the most intriguing history and architecture.  An ancient tour with Valeria teaches us about the Etruscan civilization that founded this walled town.  Discover the stories, art-filled spaces, palaces, churches, and monuments.  Just before dinner, we embark on a fashion reconnaissance.  It begins with choosing a hat for our "Hat Party" ... this is our gift to you.  All of the hats in this shop are made by women, and fun fact ... Lady Gaga has one!  Next is a private tour of the most stunning jewelry showroom, in one of the oldest and most beautiful buildings of Cortona.  In this ancient space, glasses of Cava are laced with flakes of silver, and the owners tell their story.  Dinner is served at the famous La Loggetta Restaurant.

DELBRENNA Jewelry Beautiful CORTONA ANNIE HALL Hat Shop

Day 3, Thursday - April 8

Pienza / Montalcino

Total Driving Time:  2:30 hours​ ​

Romantic Village, Women Owned Winery... Optional morning mobility with Petra, coffee and breakfast.  Today's journey begins with a walk around the romantic city of Pienza, with street names such as Via dell'Amore and Via Del Bacio.  Considered a Renaissance Utopia, Pienza will enchant you with its charming stone architecture, narrow cobblestone lanes, and panoramas of picture-perfect landscapes.  We then arrive to a hilltop village, crowned by the Rocca which was erected by the Sienese in 1361.  Montalcino is a medieval, walled village that has its centre in Piazza del Popolo, overlooking the Palazzo dei Priori with the high tower and the portico and the Gothic loggia.  The town itself is surrounded by olive groves and rolling hills of grapes.  The views are spectacular!  After a bit of exploration, we taste one of the most famous wines in the world ... Brunello di Montalcino.  The woman-owned winery we have selected is where lunch is served.  Dinner with our private chef is back at Bramasole.

PIENZA WOMEN WINE MAKERS

Day 4, Friday - April 9

Cortona

Total Driving Time:  20 minutes

Cooking Class with Silvia... Optional morning stretch with Petra, coffee and breakfast.  Today, lunch is a magical cooking class with Michelin Chef Silvia Baracchi.  Silvia is the head chef of a gorgeous restaurant located inside the luxury hotel, Il Falconiere.  Every day she brings to the table the wonderful zero-kilometer products of Tuscany.  Silvia believes that for the best tasting meals, cooking should be done using only those ingredients that are in season.  So let's see what she prepares for us.  In the late afternoon we head back to our villa where massage services are available.  In the evening, we head out to a beautiful dinner in the village.

Cooking With Silvia
Day 5, Saturday - April 10

Arezzo / Anghiari

Total Driving Time:  2:00 hours​ 

Two Ancient Villages... Optional morning mobility with Petra, coffee and breakfast.  Our first stop today is in Arezzo, the biggest city nearest to Cortona and one of the 3 largest in Tuscany.  Valeria will show us Piazza Grande, The Cathedral, the green park of Il Prato, Il Corso with it's many stores, the Parish Church of the 13th Century, and the well preserved medieval walls.  There is time for shopping on the main street.  Lunch is solo today so that everyone can explore at their own pace.  Next stop is Anghiari, rated "one of the most beautiful villages in Italy".  Here we walk the ancient streets, then visit the incredible Busatti Linen Factory.  The shop was actually opened in 1795, but it wasn't until 1797 when Napolean's army was stationed at the Busatti house in Anghiari, that they began making blankets, uniforms and clothing for the soldiers.  The official weaving mill is recorded to have begun in 1842.  Their high quality, organic linens can be found in the bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms of our Bramasole villa.  You are welcome to place a custom order to be shipped to your home.  Dinner is back at our Bramasole villa.

AREZZO BUSATTI LINENS ANGHIARI

Day 6, Sunday - April 11

Le Celle / Montepulciano

Total Driving Time:  90 minutes​

Wondrous Hike, Spa Experience, Underground Winery... Optional morning wake up movement with Petra, coffee and breakfast.  The day begins with a 5km hike to see Le Celle - the hermitage of Saint Francis of Assisi, a place of immense spirituality.  Landscape views reminiscent of an ancient nativity scene, complex architecture carved into the rock, and bridges suspended over flowing mountain streams: finding peace of mind here is not a difficult task.  Transport then awaits to take us to a beautiful spa experience, where we have exclusive use of the therapeutic pools.  Lunch is served back at our villa.  In the late afternoon we head to Montepulciano, a village full of history and works of art, surrounded by olive trees and chestnut forests.  An escort leads us through secret passages along the monumental path of the fifteenth century "Underground City".  Through spectacular brick vaults and tunnels dug into the tuff, we find gigantic oak barrels in which the famous Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Rosso di Montepulciano reside.  Enjoy a tasting of these most exceptional wines with an explanation of their characteristics.  There will be time for wandering and popping in and out of local shops before we all meet for a delicious dinner in Montepulciano

LE CELLE HERMITAGE MONTEPULCIANO

Day 7, Monday - April 12

Celebration

Total Driving Time:  10 minutes​ ​

Clay Lab, Professional Photos, Hat Party... Optional morning stretch and gratitude session with Petra, coffee and breakfast.  Today is spent enjoying Cortona and Bramasole.  A fun pottery class with Prosecco.  Pizza lunch by Chef Francesco.  Then in the evening, our hat party begins.  Wear your festive best along with the new hat you selected in Cortona.  We kick off the festivities with an authentic Italian Negroni, a bit of music and dancing, and a professional photographer to capture you living your best life.  These photos are our gift to you.  All the while, Chef Francesco prepares our final, celebratory dinner.  Thank you to Frances Mayes for writing such a beautiful book full of hopes and dreams.  It's never too late to move, change, or simply add the most wonderful elements to your life.

THANK YOU FRANCES MAYES
Day 8, Tuesday - April 13

Home Sweet Home

Total Driving Time:  90 minutes to Florence Airport​

Until Next Time... Bid a reluctant yet grateful farewell to Tuscany.  You leave with the most exceptional memories, a Never Too Late outlook on the future, and an all new set of FANTASTIC FRIENDS to boot!  Transport to Florence airport will be arranged.​ ​

​​​​​ CIAO ITALIA

Accommodations

We arrive to Villa Bramasole, which dates back to 600 AD.  The main house is what was featured in the movie ... a light-yellow home with green shutters and terracotta roof tiles.  As soon as you walk through the front door, you recognize the faucet from scenes in the movie.  Wander through the living room, expansive dining room, kitchen, and one bedroom on the main floor, before heading upstairs to discover four more bedrooms.  The lower level of the house has a speakeasy, movie room, wine cellar, chapel, and massage room.  The farmhouse is an adjacent building, which was originally where the farmworkers and animals lived.  It now has a spacious main floor with dining and seating areas, plus a large kitchen where your private chef prepares the most delicious meals.  Upstairs there are four beautiful bedrooms.  The limonaia is the final structure on the property.  Originally the citrus conservancy, this final bedroom still has its domed 17th-century fresco ceiling.  Perfect for a solo guest who enjoys a more private space.

Villa Bramasole has a swimming pool, hot tub, open air lounges and dining, an edible garden where we collect ingredients for our farm to table meals, a baci ball court, and there are even paths built by the Medici family that lead to Lake Trasimeno.

Photos of villa bramasole

Your Hosts

Petra Kolber

Keynote Speaker, DJ, Community Builder, and Positive Psychology Coach.

Petra Kolber has built her life — and her work — around reinvention.
At 50, she lost a long-term relationship and had to rebuild her career from the ground up. What followed wasn’t about bouncing back — it was about building something entirely new. At 52, she wrote her first book, The Perfection Detox. At 55, she learned to DJ. At 59, she entered corporate life for the first time as VP of Mindset for a well known fitness brand and at 62, she DJ’d a nightclub in Las Vegas.
At 58, Petra spent nearly ten months traveling solo through Europe — an experience that brought her profound joy and helped her recognize her own bravery in a whole new way.
Today, Petra is a positive psychology performance coach, global keynote speaker, DJ, and creator of transformational experiences designed to help women realize it is never too late to design a life that excites and energizes them.

The Never Too Late Experience

Laura Cozik

Founder, Team Lipstick

Laura has always been passionate about encouraging women to push their boundaries in order to become powerful.  In 2008 she started an all female triathlon team in New York City.  Then in 2010, she began curating and hosting travel events.  Laura is 58 years old, a group fitness instructor, a nationally ranked ballroom dance champion, a triathlete, an entrepreneur, and she has known Petra for 20+ years!  Laura has been published in Cosmopolitan, Competitor, Shape, Triathlete, and New York Magazine for her accomplishments in the fitness and travel industries.  Her celebrity clients include Nicole Kidman, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Keith Urban and Soledad O'Brien.

Pricing and Details

€8,950

PER PERSON

This intimate event welcomes just 10 spectacular women.

Date: April 6-13, 2027

Private room and en-suite bath for 7 nights.

€2,000 euro deposit due at the time of registration – Payment due in full by December 1, 2026. Rooms are FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.  The earlier you book, the more options to choose from.

Questions and Information: Please contact Petra for more information…  Petra@Petrakolber.com

Subject To Change: All details are subject to change, in order to enhance the client experience

RSVP OPENS APRIL 1st

The Process

RSVP, fill out the application, pay your deposit, then schedule a private Zoom chat so that we can get to know you. We strive to meet and exceed your expectations.  After that, we invite everyone to a Zoom meet and greet.  Petra Kolber's Never Too Late  experiences events are about travel, but we also want to share our stories and forge new friendships with like-minded women.

RSVP, THEN SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION WITHIN 24 HOURS

YOU ARE THEN INVITED TO SUBMIT YOUR DEPOSIT

SCHEDULE YOUR PRIVATE CALL TO VIRTUALLY MEET

INTRODUCTION TO YOUR FELLOW TRAVELERS

RSVP OPENS APRIL 1st