Tempo di Vivere is an ecovillage in Italy that welcomes volunteers for short “experiential exchanges” of about one week. Visitors share daily community life, helping with cooking, cleaning, gardening and other simple tasks while also offering their own skills, passions and experiences. Accommodation is in shared rooms with vegetarian or vegan food, and animals and under 18s are not accepted in this formula. There is no work payment and no nightly fee, but participants contribute a one time €15 annual membership card to stay at the ecovillage.

Experiential exchange at Tempo di Vivere ecovillage

Experiential exchange in an ecovillage – Tempo di Vivere is an Italian ecovillage that welcomes volunteers from all over the world. After several years of experience, the community has decided to move from a simple “work exchange” to an experiential exchange, where the most valuable contribution is what each person brings of themselves: talents, abilities, passions and personal experiences.

An experiential exchange

The experiential exchange is not only about practical help. It is a period of mutual discovery in which guests offer their time and experience and, in return, have the chance to live community life, share daily routines and feel part of a shared dream, even for a short period.

Lending a hand in the community enriches both visitors and residents. It is a 360° exchange, practical and relational. On a practical level, the work projects depend on the needs of the moment and may vary.

Daily tasks and possible activities

In general, help is needed with everyday tasks such as:

• cooking
• cleaning
• tidying indoor and outdoor spaces
• spending time with children
• working in the seasonal vegetable garden

It is not essential, but people who can offer professionalism and experience in specific fields are very welcome (for example: plumbing, electrical systems, IT, education, self-construction and do-it-yourself, agriculture).

Benefits

• The opportunity to experience community life, sharing everyday routines and feeling part of a living project in a beautiful natural place.
• Excellent home-cooked food and a comfortable bed.

What does experiential exchange mean for Tempo di Vivere?

The experiential exchange is a short period of shared life in which people offer their presence, skills and time and receive in exchange a chance to experience intentional community living. It is not a standard “job exchange”, but a precious moment of mutual learning and collaboration.

Requirements

• The experiential exchange period is normally 7 days (minimum and maximum), to give everyone time to get to know each other. Dates and details are agreed by phone.
• To stay at the ecovillage, a one-time €15 contribution is required for the annual membership card of the association.

Important notes

The ecovillage does not accept people under 18 years old in the experiential exchange formula, even with parental authorisation. At the moment it is also difficult to host families with young children, both because of limited space and because the community is not organised to take care of children who need constant adult presence.

Families with children can join other events during the year to experience community life, such as family camps,
summer camps, “Via del Cerchio” and other ecovillage programmes.

Food and diet

The cuisine is mainly vegetarian and vegan. Please communicate any specific dietary needs in advance so the community can see what is possible.

Accommodation

• Accommodation is in shared rooms, with up to six beds.
• The bathrooms are shared.

Animals are currently not allowed. 
The community loves animals, but there is already a colony of five cats and one dog, and they do not easily accept newnanimals. The ecovillage is not equipped to host more animals safely.

Location and environment

The house is in the foothills, in open countryside. Even with constant cleaning, you need to be comfortable living with some dust and earth. Some of the cats also enter the house. Please consider this carefully before visiting, especially if you have allergies to animal dander or dust mites.

You can find more details in the Internal Agreements (in Italian)

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