The venue this year was the recently restored church Chiesa del Carmine, a building that was in ruins when Alan first painted it on location in 2004. We never dreamed that one day we would have the privilege of staying in, what is now, a beautifully restored building with breathtaking views and landscaped gardens.

The accommodation itself is stunning and is the perfect place to chill out and relax. There are plenty of subjects to paint in and around the property (which we did) but we also enjoyed a couple of day trips out and about.

The first was the small hilltop town Todi, just south of Perugia in Umbria. We based ourselves in the piazza. Alan and the painting guests sketched the architecture in watercolour before enjoying a delicious pizza at a nearby restaurant.