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NOMADIC STYLE

Campground in the Wilds of Abruzzo

The Campground at Heartland encorporates a new kind of camping, one with a collective experience at its core. Many Nomadic traditions of Central Asia, from the Mongols and even before, had the camp as its stronghold. The camp, or Ordu, was a unit which transcended even the tribe and was focused around a central theme.

The central theme at Heartland is one of living in wild nature and being transformed by interacting with the power of the place itself alongside living more connected to a whole, in nomadic tents. These dwellings are yurts set in a hamlet of tents in the forests and clearings of this beautiful place. If you have never had the experience of stepping into a yurt, be prepared to say ‘wow’ as you enter a cathedral of framed wood and canvas. The central window looks out to the sky, and the feeling of a circular space is unique. Sleeping on the Earth, gazing up at the stars (seeing a shooting one if you’re lucky) is an unforgettable, healing experience.

ENCOUNTER NATURE

The Power of Place

The Heartland site is the one we have looked for for many years, isolated yet within range. It has a unique blend of nature: deer nestle under olive trees, wolves wander through the forests and hordes of wild boar can be seen on the hills. In early summer, butterflies by day and fireflies by night. The land has two rivers with bathing holes, and is strung with oak and ash, wild fennel and asparagus, olive and fruit trees.

In ancient times the local tribes used to worship the goddess of the deep and it is said that there used to be groves of oaks by sulphur or hot springs, where the Sybil (The Oracle) would call prophecy. It so happens that there is a ruined church over the hill built on an existing sulphurous pool. It is a land of special mystery.

ABRUZZO: THE GREEN HEART OF EUROPE

A land of lasting traditions

Abruzzo is a land of mystery, who has never forgotten her history and origins: traditions, cuisine, folklore, festivals and ancient varieties of grains and vegetables have stood the test of time. There are hilltop villages all over gIt still stands like a stronghold against the mainstream of Italian culture, like it did when the Samnites, its nomadic people, fought with Rome.

Abruzzo sits on the Adriatic coast which rises abruptly to the mountain communities in extraordinary hilltop villages and dramatic mountain peaks of the Apennines, Gran Sasso and Majella. It is known as the Green Heart of Europe as a third of her territory is set aside for national parks or nature reserves ensuring the survival of rare species such as the golden eagle and the  Marsican brown bear, of which only 30-40 survive.

Abruzzo is a well kept secret region of Italy, and its motto is ‘forte e gentile’ (strong and gentle) for the beauty of the land and the character of its people.

GALLERY
A View of Heartland

See photos of this magical place. Better to come and see it for yourself, if you can.

EVENTS
Transformational Events

Our Events are always designed around consciousness, not as a spiritual means, but as a tool for the sharpening of awareness

MYTH OF THE MAJELLA
The story of the Goddess of the Mountain

Heartland is found in at the foot of the ‘sacred mother’, the Majella Mountain. It is a place of power and raw beauty and here is the legend of its origin.

A vision of rejuvenation at the foot hills of the sacred