Loc. Le Piane · the track below the village
ASHA, and the village above it
ASHA Retreat & Community Centre is a retreat venue and working agriturismo on forty-two acres of hillside in Castell’Azzara, in the province of Grosseto. Anthony Abbagnano and Amy Rachelle bought the land in 2020. It runs on solar power with its own water source, and it is also a lavender farm.
We are the community that lives in the village 1.5 km up the hill. We are not affiliated with ASHA and this is not an official page — it is what the neighbours can tell you.
- 42 acres
- hillside
- 16 rooms
- five cottages
- 45
- guests in summer
- 800 m
- elevation
What is on the land
Sixteen rooms across five cottages, holding up to forty-five people in summer and thirty in winter.
Three practice spaces. The Nadi Shala is a round yurt. The Dharma Den is a small room with a log burner, for the colder months. The Prana Shala is open-sided and works only in summer.
The land is a registered Italian agriturismo and a lavender farm, on its own water, with solar power. The footer of their site carries the name it was founded under — the Alchemy School of Healing Arts.
How staying there works
Groups hire the campus and bring their own programme. The minimum is four rooms for six nights, Sunday to Saturday; twelve rooms in summer, or ten in winter, gives exclusive use of the whole site.
Individuals can stay without a programme through the Alchemy Residential Club, two nights minimum, with discounts for longer. There are winter residencies for writers and remote workers.
Alchemy of Breath — the breathwork school founded by Anthony Abbagnano — runs its BreathCamps and its residential facilitator training on the land. Those are booked through Alchemy of Breath, not ASHA.
Bookings and current prices are on asha.global. We don’t handle either.
Alchemy of Breath’s own site: alchemyofbreath.com
Getting here
There is no station in Castell’Azzara. The nearest is Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, about an hour away, and ASHA arranges a taxi from there through reception. By road it is roughly two hours from Florence and two and a half from Rome Fiumicino.
The last stretch climbs. If you are driving in winter, come in daylight the first time.
There is also a local English-speaking taxi, Richard Tollow, who runs to and from the airports and stations on request.
While you're here
The village is 1.5 km up the hill, and it is the part most people don’t plan for. There is a supermarket, a bakery, a pharmacy, three bars and three restaurants, and a market on Thursday mornings. Five marked trails start within walking distance, through old oak and chestnut forest in the Riserva Naturale Monte Penna.
We keep the details up to date, because we use them.
FAQ
Where exactly is ASHA?
Loc. Le Piane, 58034 Castell'Azzara GR, on the track below the village, about 1.5 km from the centre.
What is ASHA?
A retreat venue and working agriturismo on forty-two acres, founded in 2020 by Anthony Abbagnano and Amy Rachelle. Groups hire the campus; individuals can stay through the Alchemy Residential Club.
Can you get there without a car?
Yes. Chiusi-Chianciano Terme is the nearest station, about an hour out, and ASHA arranges a taxi. There is no useful bus.
Is ASHA part of the Castell'Azzara community?
No. ASHA is a privately run retreat centre and venue. The community is a separate, secular group of about fifty people living around the village. We are neighbours, not the same thing.
Is ASHA the same as Alchemy of Breath?
They share a founder and the in-person programmes run on the same land, but they are separate organisations and booked separately.
How many people does it hold?
Sixteen rooms across five cottages: up to forty-five in summer, thirty in winter.
Something here out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
