House of Schools
House Belsito is the name of a social cultural organization, celebrating the often forgotten knowledge of the local. As the name already suggests, it all started with 'a House on a Fine Place; therefore called Belsito, and the views are truly spectacular. This house is available to us all. House Belsito has in fact several roles. In this text we prefer to focus on the role as a so called House of Schools, where mainly students can disconnect in order to be able to connect to the local and where they can for instance be confronted with the layered histories of the ancient city of Arpino.
What we offer
Schools from all over the world and from all areas of expertise are welcome to experience the monastic qualities of House Belsito, complemented with the vibrant village life of Arpino.
- Visits
Werkplaats Typografie Arnhem September 2025
MAPs of Frank Mohr Institute Groningen October 2025
As organizers we enjoy to give free range in how to make use of the venue and of course in how to program your stay. Exciting study trips can be made to the surrounding landscape of hills, mountains and meadows, olive groves, local farms, medieval towns and monastries, and of course to the eternal capital of the ancient world; Rome and to the Greek city of Neopolis or Naples with its daunting shadow of the vulcano Vesuvius looming in the distance. Both Rome and Naples are by car about an 1.5 hour away from Arpino.
House Belsito can also give suggestions for a possible program and especially when you like to make use of local connections, there is a whole network of local collaborators available. And we can definitely support you organizing different hands-on activities, walking tours, visits to sites of interest, local museums, attending festivals.*
The Venue
House Belsito has one rather large room on the ground floor, which can be used for a variety of functions; it is equiped with a library and individual work stations and it can also function as a collective workspace. House Belsito can host exhibitions and presentations, meetings, discussions and workshops. And not to forget food-events or dance-parties.
Adjacent and enveloping the complete ground floor is an outdoor area suspended over the valley, that extends the ground-floor into the wide open. Also located on the ground floor is a kitchen and dining area, fitted out for preparing and enjoying meals, drinks and snacks for groups in different sizes. Next to the kitchen is a big terrace and the entrance to a secluded sunken garden, with herbs, walnut and olive trees and regional plants. And there is a workshop space with an enormous table. On the first floor there are a number of small guestrooms, each with their own bathroom, with possible single and double occupation; most of them with a balcony overlooking the valley and city of Arpino, while some are overlooking our small and cosy street.
Budget
House Belsito is legally an Associazione and one can participate in or visit an event by becoming a member for a modest fee, which for most users will be included in the total fee. For workshop groups and student groups, we ask these members so called donations for using the facilities (including wifi, heating, hot and cold water, sheets and towels, kitchen equipment) and for our possible help in programming your stay. The total up-keep of the venue is dependent on these donations.
An estimation of the donation for a stay of one week with a group of say sixteen people including our assistance and the memberships is around 5000 euro, while the possible costs of our close collaborators* is currently between 150 euro and 300 euro for a half-day.
Getting there/here - see also Contact
Arpino lies in the province of Frosinone and is located close to the Abruzze Mountains. You can reach Arpino by train, bus and car, (and of course by bike or on foot). Travel time from either Naples or Rome is around 1.5 hours by car; bus and train take more time, since you will have to change trains or buses along the way. Be aware of the different departure time schedules for weekdays, sundays and holidays. Other cities close to Arpino with a bus and/or train connection are Frosinone, Sora and Roccasecca, while you can of course fly in from Rome or Naples.
*House Belsito, being a true believer in the power of networks, collaborates closely with Bacco di Bosco of Camilla Linnaks Passani and with visual artist Yeb Wiersma and cultural entrepreneur Maria Mastroianni. A more extensive list of partners can of course be shared when necessary.
Farmer & land-steward Camilla Linnaks Passani
Independent / Owner Bacco del Bosco · from dec. 2022 · based in Fontana Liri, close to Arpino. She and her team are regenerating a total of 16Ha of land in the heart of the Appenini mountains. Implementing almost forgotten pastoral systems in a mixture of olive, fruit and nut orchards, while promoting native, ancient breeds of plants and animals. Linnaks Passani is a great listener, presenter and communicator, naturally assuming and gravitating towards a facilitator role within in/external group dynamics. To us she represents a complimentary partner and this farm is a great place for experimentation, while the functionalistic environment of House Belsito tends to stimulate reflection. And happily she is also an avid foodie with personal interests in food preservation techniques (jams, chutnies, fermentation). She is a true forest wanderer and a grateful gardener.
Visual artist Yeb Wiersma
The practice of Yeb Wiersma—embracing multimedia, olfaction, writing, education, and curation—draws inspiration from ecofeminism, archival collections, folklore, botany, and daily life, examining what it means to be human and to thrive in this world. Who is allowed to flourish, and why? What forces shape our bodies and souls as we navigate an era defined by artificial intelligence, overstimulation, and ecological loss? How do we nurture our connections—to one another and to the land of which we are a part? These questions lie at the heart of her practice, opening space to imagine a more intimate, reciprocal bond between us, all sentient beings, and Earth.
Cultural entrepreneur Maria Mastroianni
Maria can truly be called a cultural entrepreneur. Next to her involvement in a diversity of projects which is typical to her practice, she also operates as a tour guide and a translator (Italian- English) and we like to be part of all these practices. She is born and bred in Arpino and a true historian, which sometimes makes it difficult for us to mystify even a little. You could call her an opener of diverse and many times marginalized fields of knowledge.
Program by Marcel van Kan - head of MAPs, Materials in Artistic Practices - Master education at Frank Mohr Institute of Academie Minerva Groningen
INVITATION: MAPs Study Trip year 2, immersive Journey through Southern Italy
Join us on an unforgettable MAPs Study Trip, an immersive, hands-on exploration through the ancient and contemporary materials, landscapes, and cultures of Southern Italy. Starting at the fiery slopes of Mount Vesuvius, we’ll journey through Pompei and Herculaneum, where the echoes of Roman life meet contemporary reflections on time, transformation, and decay.
This road trip will weave through Naples, a city alive with contrast, creativity and contemporary daily life before arriving at the historic town of Arpino. Here, in the beautiful setting of House Belsito (https://www.housebelsito.it/en/house), we’ll spend time together walking, reading, writing, drawing, cooking and making, reflecting on how materials and stories shape both land and life.
Expect a dynamic blend of creative writing, material exploration, community gardening, harvesting, and local food tasting. We’ll consider the relationships between farming, religion, romanticism, and artistic practice, while staying rooted in the changing landscapes of the region’s ecosystems. From volcanic soil to sheep farms, Roman ruins to contemporary living, this journey invites you to reflect deeply, with your hands, mind, and senses.
MAPs invites students to connect with one another and with place: through conversation, curiosity, and creativity. Come prepared to explore, to get mesmerized, to slow down, and to dive in. Pack your sketchbooks and journals and let the road carry us. This is not just a trip. It’s an artistic pilgrimage.
Dates and details: When: 11-18. October
Where to stay:
Napels: Napoli Centro Casa Vacanza, 65 Via Salvatore Tommasi, Naples, Italy
Arpino: House Belsito (lgbtq+ friendly), 20A Via Caio Mario, 03033, Arpino (Fr), Italy
Saturday 11 October
11.30h – 14.00h Flight Amsterdam to Napels
15.00 – 16.00h drive to hotel and check in Napels
16.00 – 17.00 installing hotel
17.00 – 20.00 investigate Napels
Suggestion: https://www.madrenapoli.it/en/collection/
Sunday 12 October
10.00 – 14.00h Climb Mount Vesuvius
15.00 – 18.00h Herculaneum or Pompei
Monday 13 October
10.00h Departure to Arpino
13.00h Arrival House Belsito
Welcome by Guus Beumer, owner of House Belsito
14.00 – 15.00 installing
15.00h – 16.30h Shopping village (Via Guiseppe Cesari, local supermarket in Arpino five minutes from House Belsito)
16.00h – 17.30h late afternoon walk with artist Yep Wiersma to get in touch with surrounding
Consider: try to reach the highest point of the village to oversee the context, for instance the Montecoccioli or the San Michele Arcangelo.
18.00h cooking
19.00h dinner
20.30h introduction participants with Linde Ex
Tuesday 14 October
08.45 – 09.00 reflections (day opener) Guus Beumer and Breakfast
10.00 – 12.00 Walk with regenerative farmer Camilla Linnaks Passani
12.30 – 14.00h Lunch optional together with Camilla. Eventually with local products.
Plot visit and walk with goats accompanied by Camilla
14.30 – 17.30h Working on the farm of Camilla
18.00h Cooking
19.30h Dinner
Wednesday 15 October
In consultation with Guus:
08.45 – 09.00h Reflection Guus Beumer and breakfast
10.00 – 12.00h Visit printer and typographer Sandro Cellupica at Arpinate Stampa srl.
12.30 – 14.00h Lunch at Il Ciclope
Alternative: Walk via graveyard to restaurant Il Ciclope (check opening hours)
14.30 – 17.30h Walking a historical tour of the city of Arpino with Carlo
Thursday 16 October - Jules van den Langenberg - tutor MAPs
Join for a day trip with a focus on communal life, gardens and religious tourism. Curator Jules van den Langenberg introduces three nearby religious buildings with (semi)active communities, and we read a text together at each location. These neighboring century old institutions around House Belsito offer different strategies and possible sites for us to debate what contemporary programming in and around sacral architecture and uncomfortable monuments could entail.
08:45 day opening with Guus over breakfast
09:45 departure with Jules van den Langenberg to Abbey of Casamari: https://casamari.altervista.org/english/
10:15 visit with introduction Jules on gardens, church and plot of the active abbey community
11:15 short reading about the Farm at Black Mountain College: https://www.artbook.com/9781954957114.html#:~:text=Through%20deep%20original%20research%2C%20The,all%20collapse%20in%20the%201950s
11:45 departure to historic pharmacy of the Certosa di Trisulti: https://insideinside.org/project/pharmacy-certosa-di-trisulti/
12:00 have self organized lunch on board of bus independently
12:30 visit with brief introduction Jules on herbal medicine, plant based healing, monastic science from the Benedictine apothecary: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-11/segreti-musei-vaticani-antica-spezieria-santa-cecilia.html
13:00 short reading on The Parliament of Plants and Studio Rhizome by Celine Baumann
13:30 departure to Montecassino Abbey: https://abbaziamontecassino.it/carisma/vocazione-monastica/
14:00 self organized discussion time and writing/listening/drawing hour during drive
15:00 visit to historic site and buildings of abbey with introduction to renovated monastery, pilgrimage and leisure visitors in a work-pray landscape
15:15 independent visit to local museum and sacral architecture
16:15 departure to cemetery viewpoint
16:30 brief stop over for view from Polish cemetery and reading about dark tourism and neo-heritage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM00KDFhsV4
16:45 departure back to Arpino, self organized discussion time and writing/listening/drawing hour during drive
18:00 arrival in Arpino
This schedule is tentative as opening hours and visit possibilities might shift due to the harvest feast season and local masses. The approximate driving time in total is about 180 minutes. Tip: we will travel through hills and curvy roads to reach the locations, bring medicine to avoid motion sickness. Tip: prepare and bring lunch and fruit snacks for journey, we eat in the bus in between location visits. Tip: bring water, we do not stop at cafe’s or sit down for food or drinks in order to make the most of the day. Tip: consider a donation to the heritage sites, not obligated; very much appreciated. Tip: stay close to each other for a smooth visit and keep an eye out for the person sitting next to you in the bus as we depart from every location.
Friday 17 October
10.00 – 12.00 Visit Museum Umberto Mastroianni in the Castle on top of the Falconara hill of Arpino with a guided tour by Maria Mastroianni
14.00 – 16.00 shopping
18.30 – 22.00h Closing event: Collective gathering with drinks and snacks in House Belsito with presentations by the participating students; with artist Yeb Wiersma, farmer Camilla Linnaks Passani and translator and guide Maria Mastroianni attending as honored guests.
Saturday 18 October
09.00 – 10.00h Reflection on week by Guus Beumer and Marcel van Kan
10.00 – 12.00h Clean up and last Walk in village
12.00 – 15.00 departure and travel to Naples
16.00h Airport check in for departure
18.40h Flight Naples to Amsterdam
Extra
Additional listening tips for short podcasts during the driving time:
12:00 Untold Story of Black Mountain College with curator and editor David Silver on the David Zwirner podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/the-untold-story-of-black-mountain-college/id1400997563?i=1000699734600&l=en-GB
14:00 The Botanical Mind: Queer Nature with landscape architect Céline Baumann on the Camden Art Audio:
17:00 Dark Tourism plus selfie sticks equals moral outrage by host Sana Qadar on the All in The Mind podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/dark-tourism-selfie-sticks-moral-outrage/id73330911?i=1000660647139&l=en-GB
Thanks to:
Jules van den Langenberg, Marcel van Kan, House Belsito Guus Beumer, Cathelijne Engelkes, Frank Mohr Institute, Academy Minerva, Jose de Lange, Menno Conner, Dorothea Vermeulen
Extra info on Naples trip
Vesuvio
The role of Vesuvius in ancient art
Throughout the centuries Mount Vesuvius has been the protagonist of several artworks, imposing itself as a symbol of Neapolitan culture. The first works depicting Vesuvius date back to the 1st century A.D. where we can admire the mountain before the many eruptions modified its structure. Later, in the 18th century it was used in topographical representations or as an exercise in style. For example, Gioacchino Toma studied the variations of light during the day by painting Vesuvius at different times of the day, similar to what the French painter Cézanne did.
The 17th and 18th century and the Grand Tour
Starting in the 17th century the Grand Tour spread, which was the practice of young artists to travel through Europe, especially in Italy, to increase their artistic knowledge. Thus, Naples became one of the main destinations and Mount Vesuvius one of the most painted subjects, especially after the eruption of 1631. Many, indeed, were the paintings representing the volcano in eruption, among the most important we recall “The eruption of Vesuvius in 1782” by Pierre-Jacques Volaire and “Erupting Vesuvius” by William Turner. The majority of these paintings analyzed the eruption of Vesuvius from an emotional point of view, showing the charge of the explosion and the lava with bright and vibrant colors. However, in the 1800s, we have the opposite trend and Mount Vesuvius was mainly represented as a background image in paintings of the Gulf of Naples.
Herculaneum
For many people, Herculaneum is a more interesting place to visit than Pompeii. Surrounded by volcanic rock, its location gives you a far clearer idea of the magnitude of the volcanic eruption. While roofs in Pompeii collapsed under the weight of falling ash, only a few centimetres of ash fell on Herculaneum, causing little damage. Subsequently, there was a succession of six flows of boiling mud (a mixture of ash and gases) which then solidified. These gradually buried the city's buildings from the bottom up, causing relatively little damage. The good state of preservation of the site is due to its rapid filling by these flows, which prevented the buildings from collapsing. The high temperature of the first flow carbonized wood in the buildings and extracted water from it. Restoration work is ongoing, and while a lot of the timbers have been replaced, there is still much of the original timberwork present, albeit badly charred. Finally, the volcanic rock, or tufo, that covered the site for 1700 years formed an airtight seal. As a consequence there are many well-preserved buildings, many with the upper stories still intact, and some excellent frescoes and mosaics on both walls and floors to be seen. Herculaneum really gives you an idea of how ancient Romans lived.
Pompei
Largely preserved under the ash, Pompeii offers a unique snapshot of Roman life, frozen at the moment it was buried, as well as insight into ancient urban planning. It was a wealthy town of 10,000 to 20,000 residents at the time it was destroyed. It hosted many fine public buildings and luxurious private houses with lavish decorations, furnishings and artworks, which were the main attractions for early excavators; subsequent excavations have found hundreds of private homes and businesses reflecting various architectural styles and social classes, as well as numerous public buildings. Organic remains, including wooden objects and human bodies, were interred in the ash; their eventual decay allowed archaeologists to create moulds of figures in their final moments of life. The numerous graffiti carved on outside walls and inside rooms provide a wealth of examples of the largely lost Vulgar Latin spoken colloquially at the time, contrasting with the formal language of classical writers.
