A Psychosynthesis Trip Through the Casentino Valley

The founder of psychosynthesis, Roberto Assagioli invites us to read Dante’s Divine Comedy, which Assagioli describes as “a wonderful picture of a complete psychosynthesis.” Together with Dante, we can descend through the circles of Hell, climb the steep slopes of Purgatory and speed through the spheres of the heavens, to finally reach Paradise and it all-encompassing synthesis.

An adopted Florentine and attentive reader of Dante’s Comedy, Roberto Assagioli was familiar with the Casentino region, situated east of Florence, and Dante’s references to the valley’s places and people. In this trip through the Casentino valley, we will follow the footsteps of Dante and imagine ourselves traveling with Assagioli.

Starting from the Istituto di Psicosintesi, Assagioli’s home and workplace in Florence, we visit the places mentioned by Dante. We walk through quiet forests, visit medieval churches, see beautiful villages and enjoy the cucina locale. Together we will read passages from the Comedy, meditate and enjoy creative activities. The trip promises to be a source of inspiration for novices and veterans of both psychosynthesis and Dante’s poetry.

Purgatory XXVII: 115-117, written by Assagioli

Essentially, the journey is an open voyage of discovery and a direct personal experience of all that presents itself during its various stages.

The trip is intended for up to sixteen participants (tour guides included). We travel in two vans, conducted by the guides, mostly over steep and winding roads, yet without any hurry. Distances are short (see the overview in the program), the views magnificent, and every moment meaningful. Each day we bring a picnic for the journey, while we enjoy evenings with homemade dinners from the cucina locale.

The trip is explicitly small-scale and non-touristic. We stay in small family hotels and dine in local restaurants. We avoid covering large distances and embarking on hasty visits. The sole focus of the journey is to calmly and peacefully experience and enjoy historical sites, majestic forests, sacred places and informative museums while reflecting on passages from Dante’s and Assagioli’s writings in this beautiful area of eastern Tuscany.

Click here for an overview of the program.