Palazzo Rinaldi Artists' Residence

Mission

Independent, family-run and 100% Italian owned - the Palazzo being our ancestral home for generations - we provide our International resident artists with a dedicated and welcoming space to focus and create in a historical site and within an idyllic natural setting. In addition, through the calendar of events ARTtractions/ ARTtrazioni, Palazzo Rinaldi actively promotes interaction and exchange between its resident artists and the Lucanian community by organising end-of-residency exhibitions, performances, workshops, activities and much more.

Our Values

Palazzo Rinaldi Artists' Residence hosts artistic experiences through sustainable and ecologically sound principles and practice. The Residency is small scale, low impact, family & locally owned, historically sensitive and community-oriented. These are just some of the ways we are endeavoring to make Palazzo Rinaldi an eco-friendly artists' residence:

• Locally owned, small family management
• All stationery and publicity material printed on 100% Eco-label paper
• Recycling
• Long life, low energy light bulbs
• Strictly limited use of disposable items
• Local workmanship and materials used throughout the renovations, carried out respecting the identity of the house and its surroundings
• Pure cotton towels and bed sheets used to minimise the risk of allergies
• We use local seasonal produce that supports local growers, organic whenever possible
• Towels & sheets are changed once a week in order to minimise water consumption
• Environmentally friendly cleaning products
• We take pride in showcasing our local natural, cultural and culinary heritage
• Interaction between Residents and the local community is actively encouraged
• We support the local industry, traders and tourism professionals

We believe that Palazzo Rinaldi's commitment to sustainability adds a further dimension to our guests' Residency experience, enriching their sense of discovery of the local area, of its ecosystem and the ways it can be protected.

History
The arliest available documentation about Palazzo Rinaldi date the construction of the building back to 1822, with additional decorative and structural elements added in 1845. The Palazzo was the birthplace and long term home of leading XIX century jurist Antonio Rinaldi and is located right in the heart of the hilltop village of Noepoli, on the winding, cobbled street it gives its name to. The building's original features include the entry portal in finely sculpted local stone adorned with elegant decorative elements. Towards the end of the 1800s, the Palazzo was endowed to the local Calabrese family. During those years Raffaele Calabrese, teacher and poet, enriched the private house collection with an outstanding collection of literary texts, periodicals and journals. The dramatic events of the 1900s - in particular the First World War and the widespread Spanish plague - brought tragic consequences. Following the deaths of the head of the family Giuseppe and his son Raffaele, the family was left struggling for survival and with no other option but see two of the children, Antonio and Nina, emigrate to the United States.

After many years Palazzo Rinaldi was passed onto the heirs of the Calabrese family and is today owned by Raffele, Pina and Susanna Caprara. After living abroad and working professionally in theatre, publishing and the Arts, the small family began a project of restoration of the Palazzo determined to preserve its historical legacy and to share with artist guests its beauty and tranquil, inspirational atmosphere. Palazzo Rinaldi today is an intimate yet vibrant Artists' Residence offering all the warmth of a family home, the peace of a country retreat and the uniqueness of its character.

© Palazzo Rinaldi Artists' Residence, 2008-2010