Summary

The course is aimed at anyone who wants to know. Once you have completed this course, you will have a completely different approach to stone and know its properties. You will know how to achieve your goal technically. This course is also suitable for finding a career in the stone professions.

Craft interventions

Working effectively and appropriately with stone requires in-depth knowledge of its properties. You will learn how to choose and use the right tools to achieve your goal safely and efficiently. Using a block of local Cristallina marble, you will practise and consolidate work steps and techniques. The sensible use of hand tools also needs to be practiced. You can overcome any fear of contact on two "machine days".

Further focal points:

Accident prevention
Care of hand tools and machines
Forging and hardening your own pointed and chisels
Lifting and moving heavy stones with simple tools

In theory lessons, you will learn more about the formation, quarrying and manual processing of natural stone. You will also receive written documentation. During a visit to the marble quarry at the foot of Pizzo Castello, you can discover traces of the historical development of natural stone extraction and observe how exclusive Cristallina marble is extracted today using the latest technology in underground quarrying.

Specialist books:

Der Steinmetz und Steinbildhauer, Ausbildung und Praxis, Verlag Callwey, ISBN 3-7667-1145-8
Der Steinmetz und Steinbildhauer 2, Die Arbeit am Stein, Verlag Callwey, ISBN 3-7667-1330-2
Geology of Switzerland, Toni P. Labhart, Ott Verlag, ISBN 3-7225-6298-8,
Sitterkiesel, Urs Hochuli, Edition "Ostschweiz", Wittenbach, ISBN 3-7291-1095-0
Geodynamics and plate tectonics, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, ISBN 3-86025-373-5
Restoration of stone monuments, Callwey publishing house, ISBN 3-7667-0537-7

The retreat at a glance

The most important facts in a nutshell:

Categories: Sculpting, Creative Retreats, Modeling
Date: 2025-05-11 - 2025-05-25
Language(s): German
Level: Beginner, Advanced
Place: Peccia, Switzerland
Accommodation: not included
Catering: No meals
Services: All necessary tools are provided on site

Our courses are taught and supervised by highly qualified instructors.

Working together in the course groups encourages craftsmanship.

The didactics of the Scuola di Scultura combine practical creative work with theoretical consolidation.

The atmosphere at the Scuola di scultura is ideal for getting started in artistic work.

The Scuola di Scultura maintains its buildings, workplaces and technical facilities to a professional standard.

Accommodation

Ambience of the houses
If you rent a room in one of our course houses, you will be staying with the other participants in one of the old Ticino houses in the area. The original furnishings are charming and the atmosphere around the open fire is very cozy...
Costs:
Double room for 1 week: 400.- CHF
Single room for 1 week: 600.- CHF
Please bring your own towels, bed linen is provided.
Hotel rooms or a rustico (Ticino vacation home) can also be rented as accommodation, we will be happy to help you arrange this!

Catering

Breakfast and lunch will be organized by the participants themselves and can be arranged freely, in the evening there will be a meal together in one of the accommodation houses in Prato Sornico.

Various chefs are happy to cook for our course participants and offer dinner in the Ex-Osteria Mignami during the week (Mon-Fri). Dinner costs CHF 26 including starter/main course/dessert (drinks such as wine, beer etc.) can be purchased from them by the bottle.

sequence

Further focal points:

- Accident prevention
- Care of hand tools and machines
- Forging and hardening your own pointed and chisels
- Lifting and moving heavy stones with simple tools

Specialist books:
- Der Steinmetz und Steinbildhauer, Ausbildung und Praxis, Verlag Callwey, ISBN 3-7667-1145-8
- Der Steinmetz und Steinbildhauer 2, Die Arbeit am Stein, Verlag Callwey, ISBN 3-7667-1330-2
- Geology of Switzerland, Toni P. Labhart, Ott Verlag, ISBN 3-7225-6298-8,
- Sitterkiesel, Urs Hochuli, Edition "Ostschweiz", Wittenbach, ISBN 3-7291-1095-0
- Geodynamics and plate tectonics, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, ISBN 3-86025-373-5
- Restoration of stone monuments, Callwey publishing house, ISBN 3-7667-0537-7

Arrival

Travel individually by car or public transport.
Arrival by car via Gotthard (A2) / San Bernardino (A3 / A13) or Chiasso (A2) / exit "Bellinzona Sud/Locarno" direction Locarno (main road) / tunnel Locarno / exit "Vallemaggia/Centovalli/Onsernone" (DO NOT leave Locarno!) continue direction Vallemaggia (from the end of the tunnel 40 km to Peccia)

Coming from western Switzerland and Valais: Simplon route to Domodossola / Centovalli / Ponte-Brolla, then turn left into Vallemaggia (from here 35 km to Peccia)

Arrival by public transport from Locarno SBB station. Take the "Vallemaggia" bus to Bignasco, then change to the Postbus to the "Peccia Paese" stop.

Arrival in Peccia: Turn left towards Piano di Peccia, after 30 meters there is a bridge over the river, here you can park your car on the left. The sculpture school is located directly on the river opposite the former stone processing company Cristallina S.A.

Via al Piano di PEccia , 6695 Peccia, Ticino, Switzerland

Cancellation policy

If you cancel up to 28 days before arrival, you will receive a 90% refund of the booking price.
After this, if you cancel up to the day of arrival, you will receive a 100% refund of the booking price.

Cancellation of course/seminar/accommodation: From registration up to 4 weeks before the start of the course/seminar, a cancellation fee of 10% will be charged for the course, seminar and accommodation. 4 weeks or less before the start of the course/seminar, a cancellation fee of 50% will be charged. If you cancel 1 week or more before the start of the course/seminar, the entire fee is due unless you provide a replacement.