RETREAT SCHEDULE 2024
Correction:Ayya Virañani's retreat, previously divided into two periods, is now composed of only one period. You can only participate and register for the entire period.
Bookings will be possible, through our website www.piandeiciliegi.it, starting from Sunday January 7th 2024 at 8.00 a.m.
Those who are not yet members of the association, must have completed and sent the application form prior to their booking (see below in the useful information).
Look here the retreat calendar ⇒ Calendar 2024
March 29 – April 12
Hannes Huber
Assistant: Heidi Pfäffli – Bachmann
Satipatthana Vipassanā meditation retreat in the Mahasi tradition
The retreat is open to all, in English with Italian translation, and includes alternating sessions of sitting and walking meditation, regular individual interviews and Dhamma talks every evening. All participants will be asked to respect the Noble Silence and to take the eight or five precepts (see explanations on our website).
It is possible to participate in a shorter period, for a minimum of 10 days, provided you start with the group and only in case there are still places available one month before the beginning of the retreat. If you are interested in this option please contact the secretary at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Arrival is between 2pm and 5pm on the first day; departure is after lunch on the last day.
Hannes Huber is an experienced Austrian Dhamma teacher. He began meditating in 1985 with Godwin Samararatne of Sri Lanka and has long experience of retreats in the Mahasi tradition with Ven. U Pandita and Ven. U Vivekananda, by whom he was authorized to teach. He reports the teachings of this tradition very faithfully while offering an accessible approach to the Western mentality, thanks also to his training in psychosynthesis with the teacher Sascha Dönges. He teaches Vipassanā meditation in Austria and other European countries and is an MBSR trainer.
He is the spiritual guide of the Pian dei Ciliegi Meditation Centre.
Heidi Pfäffli-Bachmann is a Swiss meditation teacher with a degree in philosophy and religious sciences. For many years she has been practicing Vipassanā meditation in the Mahasi tradition, under the guidance of Ven. Vivekananda, Ven. Viranani, and Beate Glockner. In the past she worked in special education and as a philosophy teacher. She currently collaborates with the Zendo am Fluss in Luzern, Switzerland. She has training as an end of life care therapist and as an MBSR teacher.
Retreat fee: 490€
April 12-20
Gautam Verma
Satipatthana Vipassanā meditation retreat in the Mahasi tradition
The retreat is open to all and is in English with Italian translation. It includes alternating sessions of sitting and walking meditation, regular interviews with the teacher and Dhamma talks every evening. All participants will be asked to respect the Noble Silence and take the eight or five precepts (see explanations on our website).
Arrival is between 2pm and 5pm on the first day, departure is after lunch on the last day.
Gautam Verma is a Vipassanā meditator of Indian origins and has been practicing for many years under the guidance of distinguished Dhamma teachers, besides doing long periods of solitary retreat. He’s been collaborating with Pian dei Ciliegi as a translator during interviews with English speaking Dhamma teachers. He’s been an assistant of Bhante Bodhidhamma since 2017, from whom he’s been authorized to offer Dhamma teachings. He has also been authorized to teach by Ven. Vivekananda, Hannes Huber and Beate Gloeckner
Retreat fee: 280€
April 20-30
Sayadaw U Vivekananda
Satipatthana Vipassanā meditation retreat in the Mahasi tradition
The retreat is open to all and is in English with Italian translation. It includes alternating sessions of sitting and walking meditation, regular interviews and Dhamma talks every evening. All participants will be asked to respect the Noble Silence and take the eight or five precepts (see explanations on our website).
Arrival is between 2pm and 5pm on the first day, departure is after lunch on the last day.
Sayadaw U Vivekananda started training under the Ven. Sayadaw U Panditabhivamsa in 1988. He is a resident teacher at Panditarama Lumbini International Vipassana Meditation Center in Nepal, where he has taught insight meditation and Brahmavihara meditation since 1998 and internationally since 2000, guiding meditators in English, German, French and Burmese. Dhamma talks given by the Ven. Sayadaw U Panditabhivamsa at Panditarama Lumbini and at the Forest Refuge were translated by Sayadaw U Vivekananda and have been published as Beautifying the Mind, Inward Path, 2007, and The State of Mind Called Beautiful, Wisdom Publications, 2006. Sayadaw U Vivekananda has written several articles about Buddhism and the environment.
Retreat fee: 350€
May 10-29
Ayya Virañani
Assistant: Bianca Blaickner
Loving Kindness (Metta) retreat
The retreat is open to all; it is in English with Italian translation. It is only possible to sign up and stay for the whole retreat.
The practice of loving-kindness develops a loving, benevolent, and friendly attitude towards all living beings, including ourselves. While the gentle and welcoming attitude of Metta is immensely supportive of Vipassana insight practice, loving-kindness meditation is also a deep practice in its own right. The power and depth of this beautiful practice is best accessed through periods of intensive cultivation, a unique possibility which this long Metta Retreat at Pian dei Ciliegi offers. In this retreat Ven. Virañani will share the traditional Burmese teachings of Mettā in an accessible and immediately practicable way in everyday life.
Arrival is between 2pm and 5pm on the first day, and departure is after lunch on the last day.
Ven. Virañani began to practice meditation in 1979. In 2003, after several years spent working at the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts, USA, and training in the Thai Forest tradition, she began a four-year period devoted to intensive practice in the Burmese lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw. She took permanent ordination in Burma with Sayadaw U Pandita on New Year 2006, and now resides at the Chanmyay Myaing Meditation Centre North of Yangon. She teaches loving kindness and Vipassanā meditation retreats in Burma, Europe, and Australia. In 2008 she co-founded Metta In Action, a charity devoted to offering Burmese people in need the means and skills to help themselves. She is passionate about the Dhamma, about nature, and about using both to help others rediscover the intrinsic goodness in all beings.
Bianca Blaickner has many years of practice in Vipassana and Metta meditation, including several months of retreats in Buddhist monasteries in Burma, Thailand and Nepal. Her teachers are Ven. Ayya Virañani and Mae Chee Brigitte; she also practiced under the guidance of Bhante Pemasiri, Sayadaw U Indaka and Ven. Vivekananda. Bianca has many years of experience in working as a qualified social worker in the psychosocial field and holds a master's degree in Intercultural Conflict Management, Berlin. She is a trained teacher of "Mindful Self-Compassion" (MSC), a protocol introduced by Christopher Germer.
Retreat fee: 665€
June 1-8
Bhikkhu Mettānanda
Introduction to Vipassana Meditation in the tradition of Mahasi Sayadaw
This retreat is suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators, it is in Italian and English and includes alternating sessions of sitting and walking meditation, regular individual interviews and Dhamma talks every evening. All participants will be asked to respect the Noble Silence and take the eight or five precepts (see explanations on the website).
Arrival is between 2pm and 5pm on the first day; departure is after lunch on the last day.
Bhikkhu Mettānanda is an Italian monk, ordained as a Buddhist Theravāda monk in 2011 in Myanmar under Chanmyay Sayadaw by Sayadaw U Indaka (Chanmyay Myaing Sayadaw). He began practicing Vipassana intensively in 2009 at Panditarama Lumbini. His main meditation teachers are: Sayadaw U Vivekananda (Panditarama, Lumbini), Sayadaw U Indaka (Chanmyay Myaing, Yangon) and Bhante Pemasiri (Kanduboda, Sri Lanka). From 2016 to 2019 he helped Sayadaw U Rajinda (SMC Singapore) by teaching in the youth cultural program, samanera program and youth meditation retreats. In 2018 he started conducting Vipassana meditation retreats at Santisukharama Meditation Center in Kota Tinggi, Malaysia. He is co-author of a book published in Italy on the life and teachings of the Venerable U Lokanātha the first Italian Buddhist Monk.
Retreat fee: 245€
June 21 - July 6
Bhante Gavesi
Satipatthana Vipassanā meditation retreat in the Mahasi tradition
The retreat is open to all and is in English with Italian translation. It includes alternating sessions of sitting and walking meditation, regular interviews and Dhamma talks every evening. All participants will be asked to respect the Noble Silence and take the eight or five precepts (see explanations on our website). It is possible to participate in a shorter period, for a minimum of 10 days, provided you start with the group and only in case there are still places available two months before the beginning of the retreat. If you are interested in this option please contact the secretary at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Arrival is between 2pm and 5pm on the first day, departure is after lunch on the last day.
Bhante Gavesi is a Malaysian Bhikkhu who is currently based in Penang. He was ordained by the late Sayadaw U Pandita of Panditarama in Myanmar in the year 2001. He has led several retreats in Penang, Kuala Kubu Bharu, Kota Tinggi, Melaka, Kuching, Sabah and other places in Malaysia. He also spreads the Dhamma in the USA, Europe, Indonesia and Nepal. Presently, he is the Spiritual Advisor of Peace House in Penang.
Retreat fee: 525 €
August 1-10
Massimo Bonomelli
Assistant: Marcella Bagnoni
Satipatthana Vipassanā meditation retreat in the Mahasi tradition
The retreat is open to all and includes alternating sessions of sitting and walking meditation, regular interviews with the teacher and evening Dhamma talks. During the retreat the Noble Silence will be respected, and participants will be asked to take the five or eight precepts (for more information see the website). The retreat will be both in Italian and English, with translation.
Arrival is between 2pm and 5pm on the first day, departure is after lunch on the last day.
Massimo Bonomelli has deepened his Vipassanā practice under the guidance of Bhante Sujiva, for whom he is also assistant and translator, and his Sámatha practice with Alan Wallace. He is a yoga teacher and counsellor and leads mindfulness and meditation groups in various parts of Italy. He is also a trainer for operators that lead awareness groups in prisons, as part of the Liberation Prison Project Italy.
Marcella Bagnoni is a Vipassanā and Mettā meditator according to the tradition of Mahasi Sayadaw. She has been practicing for some years under the guidance of valid Dhamma teachers, both monks and lay people, including the Ven. Bhante Sujiva, her reference teacher from whom she received authorization to train as a Dhamma teacher, Brother Dassana and Ayya Virañani. She collaborates with Pian dei Ciliegi as a translator, a retreat manager and as an assistant to some teachers. She co-leads meditation retreats with other teachers in Emilia-Romagna. Her approach includes the two practices of Vipassanā and Mettā and the benefits resulting from their mutual support.
Retreat fee: 315€
August 10-20
Jan de Wurstemberger & Henrich Dahm
Assistant: Marcella Bagnoni
Satipatthana Vipassanā meditation retreat in the Mahasi tradition
The retreat is open to all and includes alternating sessions of sitting and walking meditation, regular interviews with the teacher and evening Dhamma talks. During the retreat the Noble Silence will be respected, and participants will be asked to take the five or eight precepts (for more information see the website). The retreat will be in English, with Italian translation.
Arrival is between 2pm and 5pm on the first day, departure is after lunch on the last day.
Jean-Marie ("Jan") de Wurstemberger's beginnings as a Buddhist student lie in the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, in the mid-nineteen-nineties. His teachers at the time included Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the Dalai Lama. In a conversation Lama Zopa one day advised him to "above all, just sit". Soon after, the unexpected encounter with the Theravada monk and experienced meditation teacher Bhante Sujiva was to give this advice a very specific and incisive form: Vipassana. Since then, Jan has been practicing insight-meditation under Bhante Sujiva’s guidance for over 20 years. In German speaking countries, Jan is also active as Bhante's translator in retreats and was co-translator of Bhante’s standard work on insight meditation: "Tree of Wisdom River of no Return". In his professional life, Jan works in Switzerland as a teacher, counsellor and systemic coach of teenagers, their families and of young independent adults.
Henrich Dahm’s dhamma journey started in 1989 in Nepal, when he was introduced by Sayadaw Jhanapurnika, a senior disciple of Mahasi Sayadway, to Vipassana meditation. Since then he has practiced and explored different meditation techniques under the guidance of distinguished teachers like Sayadw U Pandita, Sayadaw U Janaka, Achaan Buddhadasa, Thich Nhat Hanh, etc. His practice took a new turn when he started to practice full time under the guidance of Bhante Sujiva. Most recently, he spent time in Burma giving him the chance to deepen his understanding of the Burmese Satipatthana method in practice and theory.
Marcella Bagnoni is a Vipassanā and Mettā meditator according to the tradition of Mahasi Sayadaw. She has been practicing for some years under the guidance of valid Dhamma teachers, both monks and lay people, including the Ven. Bhante Sujiva, her reference teacher from whom she received authorization to train as a Dhamma teacher, Brother Dassana and Ayya Virañani. She collaborates with Pian dei Ciliegi as a translator, a retreat manager and as an assistant to some teachers. She co-leads meditation retreats with other teachers in Emilia-Romagna. Her approach includes the two practices of Vipassanā and Mettā and the benefits resulting from their mutual support.
Retreat fee: 350€
August 20-31
Piero Urban
Satipatthana Vipassanā meditation retreat in the Mahasi tradition
The retreat is open to all and includes alternating sessions of sitting and walking meditation, regular interviews with the teacher and evening Dhamma talks. During the retreat the Noble Silence will be respected and participants will be asked to take the five or eight precepts (for more information see the website). The retreat will be both in Italian and English, with translation.
Arrival is between 2pm and 5pm on the first day, departure is after lunch on the last day.
Piero Urban graduated from the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy of the University of Bologna with a thesis on "Yoga and sound: observations on states of consciousness". He has been active as a Yoga teacher for 25 years and has been a consultant for the Municipality of Turin, in the context of social and health assistance activities for the disabled over 14 years of age. He has been practicing Vipassanā meditation since 1993 and trained under the guidance of teachers from Eastern and Western backgrounds, monks and lay people. For over 20 years Ven. Bhante Sujiva has been his reference teacher, deepening the practice with him during long intensive retreats of Vipassanā and Mettā. He is his translator in retreats and has received authorization from him to teach. He was also a teacher in ethical-professional training courses and at the F.A.R.O. Hospice of Turin.
Retreat fee: 385€
September 27 – October 6
Gautam Verma
Satipatthana Vipassanā meditation retreat in the Mahasi tradition
The retreat is open to all and is in English with Italian translation. It includes alternating sessions of sitting and walking meditation, regular interviews with the teacher and Dhamma talks every evening. All participants will be asked to respect the Noble Silence and take the eight or five precepts (see explanations on our website).
Arrival is between 2pm and 5pm on the first day, departure is after lunch on the last day.
Gautam Verma is a Vipassanā meditator of Indian origins and has been practicing for many years under the guidance of distinguished Dhamma teachers, besides doing long periods of solitary retreat. He’s been collaborating with Pian dei Ciliegi as a translator during interviews with English speaking Dhamma teachers. He’s been an assistant of Bhante Bodhidhamma since 2017, from whom he’s been authorized to offer Dhamma teachings. He has also been authorized to teach by Ven. Vivekananda, Hannes Huber and Beate Gloeckner.
Retreat fee: 315€
October 25 – November 3
Hannes Huber
Satipatthana Vipassanā meditation retreat in the Mahasi tradition
The retreat is open to all, in English with Italian translation, and includes alternating sessions of sitting and walking meditation, regular individual interviews with the teacher and Dhamma talks every evening. All participants will be asked to respect the Noble Silence and to take the eight or five precepts (see explanations on the website).
Arrival is between 2pm and 5pm on the first day; departure is after lunch on the last day.
Hannes Huber is an experienced Austrian Dhamma teacher. He began meditating in 1985 with Godwin Samararatne of Sri Lanka and has long experience of retreats in the Mahasi tradition with Ven. U Pandita and Ven. U Vivekananda, by whom he was authorized to teach. He reports the teachings of this tradition very faithfully while offering an accessible approach to the Western mentality, thanks also to his training in psychosynthesis with the teacher Sascha Dönges. He teaches Vipassanā meditation in Austria and other European countries and is an MBSR trainer.
He is the spiritual guide of the Pian dei Ciliegi Meditation Centre.
Retreat fee: 315€
November 4 -24 (first period) and November 24 – December 15 (second period)
Ayya Virañani
Intensive Satipatthana Vipassanā meditation retreat in the Mahasi tradition
This retreat is reserved for experienced meditators who have completed at least two retreats under the guidance of either Ven. Ayya Virañani, or teachers from Pian dei Ciliegi or other teachers in the Mahasi tradition. It is in English with Italian translation. There is a daily program, with alternating sessions of sitting and walking meditation, but meditators are free to modulate their practice individually. There will be two scheduled weekly interviews with the teacher, with the option to request additional ones by signing up, and Dhamma talks will be offered two evenings a week. It is necessary to participate in at least a complete three-week period.
Arrival is between 2pm and 5pm on the first day; departure is after lunch on the last day.
Ven. Vīrañāni began to practice meditation in 1979. In 2003, after several years spent working at the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts, USA, and training in the Thai Forest tradition, she began a four-year period devoted to intensive practice in the Burmese lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw. She took permanent ordination in Burma with Sayadaw U Pandita on New Year 2006, and now resides at the Chanmyay Myaing Meditation Centre north of Yangon. She teaches loving kindness and Vipassanā meditation retreats in Burma, Europe, and Australia. In 2008 she co-founded Metta In Action, a charity devoted to offering Burmese people in need the means and skills to help themselves. She is passionate about the Dhamma, about nature, and about using both to help others rediscover the intrinsic goodness in all beings.
The retreat fee is 30€ per day instead of 35€, divided as follows: 600€ (first period), 630€ (second period), 1230€ (whole period). It is possible to apply for partial sponsorship from the Pian dei Ciliegi retreat fund for a maximum of 400€.
SOME USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR RETREATS
- To join a retreat you must be a member of the association “Pian dei Ciliegi” (by applying through the website, after logging in) and pay the yearly membership fee (25 euros).
- The participation fee for the retreats is 35 euros per day for room and board; the fee should be considered as a free contribution by members to support the Association, and covers the expenses of the organization and management of the Centre. It’s possible to ask for sponsorships, or give a contribution based on one’s financial possibilities, but this should be agreed upon with the manager, prior to the retreat.
- There is no reimbursement of the fee in case of cancellation or anticipated departure once the retreat has started.
- The Dhamma teachings are offered free of charge, but we encourage participants to show gratitude with a donation to the teacher.
- Before arriving at the center, please make sure you have carefully read our Rules & Regulations sheet.
- You can find more information about our retreats and how to reach the centre on our website piandeiciliegi.it
- From our website you can also download audio files of meditation instructions, guided meditations and Dhamma talks from our past retreats.
- You can listen to Dhamma talks also from our YouTube channels “Centro di Meditazione Pian dei Ciliegi” and “PDC Meditazione Online”
What to bring
- Comfortable and warm clothing, enough for the duration of the retreat (for long retreats you can use the washing machine for 5 euros)
- Sheets for a single bed or sleeping bag (we can provide them for 5 euros)
- Towels and personal toiletries
- A torch
- House shoes.
- Notebook and pen
- Medicine if needed
- Personal meditation cushions or benches (however these are also available at the centre)
- A silent watch for checking the time during the day, since telephones should be swiched off.