--- title: Lesson from Italy, September 2012 description: Lesson from Italy, September 2012 image: https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/DSC_1065-600x401-4.jpg --- # Lesson from Italy, September 2012 [mailto:?subject=I%20wanted%20you%20to%20see%20this%20site&body=https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/lesson-from-italy-september-2012](mailto:?subject=I%20wanted%20you%20to%20see%20this%20site&body=https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/lesson-from-italy-september-2012) [Book](https://www.lascatalinascr.com/section/booking) ### August 21, 2019 This is one in a series of "Lessons from..." documents I have written after visiting places that are of interest as precedents for Las Catalinas. Some of these towns I have visited before. I stayed in Pienza circa 2004 on a study trip with the Seaside Pienza Institute. Civita de Bagnoregio I visited way back in 1985, inspired by the write-up it received in Rick Steve's Europe Through the Backdoor. But, this is the first chance I have had to visit this region since we began work on Las Catalinas in 2006. It is a mother lode of lessons and examples from hilltowns. In this document I will focus on the positive examples. There are plenty of negative examples - things we would not want to emulate. Some of the towns we encountered were too dark, too closed in. Historically, I'm sure they had their reasons. But we are building for pleasure and beauty - we don't need to be a fort as well. I do believe we can take the best from these lessons and then do even better!   For PDF of my report, click ["Lessons from Italy, September 2012"](http://blog.lascatalinascr.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Lessons-from-Italy-September-20122.pdf). ## See related posts ## [The Use of Plants and Greenery in Urban Areas in Las Catalinas](https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/plants-and-greenery-in-urban-areas-las-catalinas) [ At the town’s founding, 80% of the land in Las Catalinas was dedicated to the long-term restoration of the surrounding tropical dry forest landscape. In this way, Las Catalinas could grow in harmony with the environment, and maintain a constant connection to the natural beauty of Guanacaste. ](https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/plants-and-greenery-in-urban-areas-las-catalinas) [Read more](https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/plants-and-greenery-in-urban-areas-las-catalinas) ## [Building a Beautiful Place to Live, and Why That Matters](https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/building-a-beautiful-place-to-live-and-why-that-matters) [ Part of the founding vision of Las Catalinas was to create a place that would be beautiful. Beauty can be hard to quantify or measure, but the effect that a beautiful town or city can have on the people who live there can be very tangible. People are happier. They’re more active, and spend more ... ](https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/building-a-beautiful-place-to-live-and-why-that-matters) [Read more](https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/building-a-beautiful-place-to-live-and-why-that-matters) ## [Las Catalinas at PreCOP25](https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/las-catalinas-at-precop25) [ Costa Rica hosted PreCOP25, a preparation meeting before the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change. This year, a global meeting of stakeholders seeking to combat climate change will take place in Santiago, Chile, and PreCOP25 served as a gathering to workshop ideas, meet, and prepare before ... ](https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/las-catalinas-at-precop25) [Read more](https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/las-catalinas-at-precop25) ## [Line of Sight: Windows in Las Catalinas](https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/windows-in-las-catalinas) [ Windows can serve both a functional purpose and an aesthetic one, and in Las Catalinas, like with many of the aspects of town’s design, these two purposes blend together. ](https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/windows-in-las-catalinas) [Read more](https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/windows-in-las-catalinas) #### Subscribe to The Blog, The Daily, The Newsletter, and more Additionally you will receive our occasional newsletter. Absolute confidentiality. Never SPAM. You can unsubscribe at any time. ```json { "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "BlogPosting", "headline": "Lesson from Italy, September 2012", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4917861/Imported_Blog_Media/DSC_1065-600x401-4.jpg", "width": 1040, "height": 640 }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://theblog.lascatalinascr.com/lesson-from-italy-september-2012" }, "description": "

This is one in a series of "Lessons from..." documents I have written after visiting places that are of interest as precedents for Las Catalinas. Some of these towns I have visited before. I stayed in Pienza circa 2004 on a study trip with the Seaside Pienza Institute. Civita de Bagnoregio I visited way back in 1985, inspired by the write-up it received in Rick Steve's Europe Through the Backdoor. But, this is the first chance I have had to visit this region since we began work on Las Catalinas in 2006. It is a mother lode of lessons and examples from hilltowns. In this document I will focus on the positive examples. There are plenty of negative examples - things we would not want to emulate. Some of the towns we encountered were too dark, too closed in. Historically, I'm sure they had their reasons. But we are building for pleasure and beauty - we don't need to be a fort as well. I do believe we can take the best from these lessons and then do even better!   For PDF of my report, click "Lessons from Italy, September 2012".

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