Post-RSD15 Retreat @ Ostana, Po Valley
Date
16/17-18 Oct 2026, Fr/Sa-So
Place
MonViso Institute campus "Serre Lamboi" and Village of Ostana, Valle Po, Italy, 1500m asl
Idea
This is an invitation to slow down and mingle after RSD15 in Torino. We move up into the mountain landscape for informal exchanges with conference participants.
The High Po Valley provides space to decompress, breath autumn mountain air, hike, and reflect on RSD. This retreat offers a light program structure to meet each other, learn about the place, and to provide open space and optional activities for those who like - as well as to simply chill.
As a special part of this retreat, we will travel upstream and downstream to/from Ostana by bicycle - with e-bikes, accessible to anyone who is able to cycle. This arrival and departure is part of our "Systems Sensing and Mapping" program content and didactic, a slow-movement to experience the place, to slow down after the city haste, to activate the body and all senses. Read more about Systemic Cycles (for those physically not able to cycle, we will offer a shuttle upon specific request).
Participation number
We have space for 40 participants (group 1 and 2) in total. (Please note: RSD15 participants are prioritized if demand exceeds places)
Program structure (light but curated)
Group 1:
16 Oct, Friday afternoon/evening
15h about departure from Torino by train to Savigliano
16h about: pickup of luggage by an electric van service from Ostana; the group will cycle with electric bikes (provided) up the Po river to Ostana. A Systemic Cycles guide will provide insights and insides on the tour. Duration in slow-mode: about 2.5 hours.
Arrival, informal dinner, settling in, open-air fire option, mingling.
Group 2:
17 Oct, Saturday morning
8h about departure from Torino by train to Savigliano
9h about: pickup of luggage by an electric van service from Ostana; the group will cycle with electric bikes (provided) up the Po river to Ostana. A Systemic Cycles guide will provide insights and insides on the tour. Duration in slow-mode: about 2.5 hours.
Arrival, settling in, mingling.
17 Oct, Saturday
Morning (group 1)
Optional village tour of Ostana; hiking, strolling, mingling time.
Groups 1 and 2 together:
Lunch: Informal gathering of groups 1 and 2; outdoor welcome with an open fire and social lunch - joint pizza making in the outdoor oven - at the MonViso Institute campus
Afternoon
Guided MVI campus tour; free exploration (walks, coffee, rest, conversations)
Evening
Gathering at Centro Polifunzionale
Internal fishbowl session as a downloading opportunity after RSD
Followed by
light dinner in dialogue with jazz "complexity music" concert as artistic systemic intervention; open social evening (partly public for Ostana people)
18 Oct, Sunday
Morning
Free time; optional activities:
Systemic Cycles tour with rental bikes to the Po River spring on 2000m asl; OR
hiking tour “View from Above” into the Po Bioregion above Ostana (2300m asl); OR
village exploration OR simply rest & informal exchange
~13:00–14:30
Late lunch with a visual dialogue session
Collective reflection + mapping of RSD reflections
→ feedback service to RSD / SDA
~15:00 departure
Return by bicycle to Savigliano and by train to Turin; option to stay longer, informally, possibly for the following "SD for Regenerative Practice" course.
Costs
Participation fee (includes the program curation, excursions and shared activities, lunches/dinners, rental e-bikes and guided Systemic Cycles arrival/departure, together with e-van luggage shuttle)
Group 1 (2 days): 285€
Group 2 (2.5 days): 330€
This fee is to be transferred/wired to the MVI account after reception of your booking confirmation by email.
Food (included apart from breakfasts)
Lunches and dinners are part of the "loose" connection meeting points for the entire group. Friday's dinner for Group 1, Saturday's lunch and Saturday's dinner, and Sunday's lunch are organized as a group and included in the participation fee.
Breakfasts are individual to the accommodation and need to be paid individually.
Accommodation (own costs)
Option 1: The Foresteria hostel in Ostana, 10min walking distance, with spacey, semi-private bunk beds and two bathrooms for two sleeping rooms (8 people max per room). ~28€ per night.
Option 2: A single or double room in the Agriturismo or Rifugio Galaberna. ~60-80€/night
Option 3: Your indiviual AirBnB. ~60-80€/night/person
Signup
You can reserve you seat anytime by email to apply@monviso-institute.org. Please state your name, if you select group 1 or 2, the accommodation option, and any food specifics. Seats are given first come first serve. We have 20 seats for group 1, and 20 for group 2 (number of available rental e-bikes). From Saturday noon on, both groups will be one.
The following MVI Course
"Systemic Design for Regenerative Practice" is an independent course coming up right after the retreat, 19-21 Oct. Read more