The Brunnenburg Experience

In the spring of 2008, 13 students spent three months living, working and studying at Brunnenburg, a 13th century castle in Dorf Tirol, Italy.

Now an international study center and agricultural museum operated by the family of poet Ezra Pound, Brunnenburg is located in an autonomous province in northern Italy, a place where Italian and German influences weave together to create a distinct culture.

GMC’s block course took advantage of this heritage by integrating hands-on experience with classroom lessons on agriculture, food production and consumption, natural sciences and literature.

Afternoon Tea with
Mary de Rachewiltz
Being a ruin it had one advantage: We could afford it. Juvenile recklessness of course: little did we suspect how much it would cost us over the years in worry, work and money. But for the moment we had our tower. A Roman tower of our own.

- Mary de Rachewiltz, writing about Brunnenburg Castle in her memoir Discretions

Mary and her husband Boris purchased Brunnenburg Castle after World War II. Her father, Ezra Pound, lived at the castle from 1958-1962, and the castle now hosts an extensive collection of Pound literature and memorabilia. For the block course, Mary conducted a class on Pound's work.

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Brunnenburg Work Days
Wednesdays are Work Day at Brunnenburg Castle, a time when classes stop and manual labor begins. Students do a variety of chores: They weed the vineyard, feed the pigs and other livestock, plant seedlings, even help to build the occasional stone wall or livestock pen. In the process, they learn a few things about agriculture, history, land use, and the virtues of hard work.

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Food, Culture & Land: Brigitte de Rachewiltz
The kitchen at Brunnenburg Castle served as the jumping off point for a course on food, culture and land. Led by instructor Brigitte de Rachewiltz, students explored food sources and traditions while learning to cook. And meal time was a cultural experience not to be missed.

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Student Perspectives
From rock climbing to zoo-hopping to touring southern Italy, students had many adventures outside of the classroom during their time at Brunnenburg Castle.

They also learned about the region's culture and returned with some interesting new perspectives on life in their home country.

View an audio slideshow.