Valley of the Elves

An Unspoiled Valley

We will go to the municipality of Sambuca Pistoiese in the Apennines to visit the territory inhabited by a diverse and colourful community of people who consider themselves part of nature, people who began by working the land with no-electric tools and who today have gradually and consciously integrated new tools, while remaining completely off the grid.

These are communities where there is a deep sense of dwelling in places that are hospitable to man and at the same time do not disturb the balance of the forest that surrounds them… where man gets inspiration from the wilderness rather than dominate it.

Shepherding, craftsmanship, freedom, dance, spirituality, but also activism, sociability, agriculture and creativity in all its forms; these are just some of the essential traits that unite those who identify with the elven community, which has gradually repopulated hamlets abandoned for decades, bringing back life, children and an ancient tribal solidarity to these mountains.

Every full moon they gather in a circle, from all communities, to celebrate and take decisions all together. In the Elven Cores we find different forms, activities and scents: the common matrix of attraction and identity has unfolded according to the talents of those who inhabit them and the potential of each place. They are communities inspired by authenticity, relationship and compassion.

From the very first journey we felt welcomed in a wide wild territory: 3 valleys, 4 decades of resilient life, 3 generations, dozens of children born there, a multitude of nuclei, hundreds of people who have lived there and thousands who have passed through, local and international connections, people from all over Europe, a deep sense of freedom and naturalness.

It will be an experience of exploration and peace, challenging us to push the limits of our bodies and minds. We will be in contact with all the elements: the changing vegetation of the Apennines, the fire and the dances around it, the water from the stream to the lake to the steam of the sauna, the fragrant and fertile earth of the fields and farms, the very pure air and the breezes when they rise. We will be pilgrims and messengers between the different communities in the valley and will be able to connect with the testimonies of those who live there.

We have co-created a 6-day walk, with the support of those who have generously welcomed us, to immerse ourselves in a wonderful and vibrant community and the energising environment they have chosen to make their home, and we invite those who feel the “call of the wild”, as Gary Snider has written, and a connection to self through walking in silence, to join this special Silent Steps in the Valley of the Elves.