T O R R E D E L F I N O
Bioregional Storytelling Lab
Invitation & Vision
TorreDelfino invites partners, patrons, and co-stewards to participate in creating a thriving commons where ecological education, imagination, creativity, and the land itself generate enduring value for generations.
Bioregionalism is a place-based way of living and learning that aligns culture, economy, and care with the ecology of a specific landscape.
What is TorreDelfino?
TorreDelfino is a bioregional storytelling lab where artists, farmers, educators, and researchers work with the territory of Mount Etna and Alcantara Valley to create new stories, practices, and cultural tools for ecological regeneration and community resilience.
Regenerative Education
Hands-on, land-based learning in permaculture design, ecological stewardship, and cultural transition for learners of all ages.
Cultural Regeneration
Artist residencies, storytelling, and collective rituals reactivate traditional knowledge while opening space for new creative practices.
Transformative Hospitality
Participatory immersions, harvest gatherings, and retreats invite guests into cycles of land care, food production, and celebration.
Why This Matters
Living Prototype
A model for how bioregional regeneration can integrate education, culture, and economy in practice.
Mediterranean Innovation
Weaving ancestral land practices with regenerative technologies to renew Mediterranean ecologies and cultures.
Community of Practice
Nurturing future stewards, educators, and creative leaders for the ecological transition.
The Name: TorreDelfino
A wordplay between Torre delle Fine (Tower at the End) and Tower of the Dolphin. The "tower" is a 53-year-old pine tree planted by previous steward Carlo, now 30 meters tall—the tallest in the area, overlooking the valley.
At the end of what? That depends on us. It could be the end of private property and exploitation, or the end of humanity itself — as a shared value: sensitivity, intelligence, and understanding, but also as a species: the end of the human animal on Earth.
At TorreDelfino, we choose from the heart, love for the planet and attunment to natural cycles, sharing wisdom and earth-based solutions for planetary fourishing.
Vision & Mission
Vision
Create a living learning campus where regenerative agriculture, orchards, vineyards, and community wellness spaces function as open classrooms—restoring eco-cultural heritage while hosting a school of transition design and a multimedia storytelling lab that amplifies voices from the Earth.
Mission
Cultivate a new generation of land stewards, cultural weavers, and system changers capable of regenerating ecosystems, communities, and economies through learning, imagination, and applied practice.
Three Core Spheres
The learning campus integrates ecological, inner, and cultural dimensions of transition:
Ecological Imagination
Art Media Lab for Cultural Transition powered by LIOS Labs
  • Impact storytelling for regenerative futures
  • Eco-poetics & storytelling
  • Cultural regeneration labs & festivals
  • Community art projects & exhibitions
Inner Transformation
Psychosomatic Technologies for Holistic Health and Belonging
  • Eco-somatics & deep listening
  • Rituals & seasonal ceremonies
  • Myth, dream & symbol work
  • Grief & joy practices
Land Stewardship
Hands-on Permaculture Practice
  • Regenerative agriculture & agroforestry
  • Permaculture design & bioregional thinking
  • Water wisdom & circular systems
  • Biodiversity & rewilding
Campus Ecosystem
Three terraced areas with stone houses restructured using regenerative and bioclimatic principles, natural materials, and renewable energy:
1
Lower Terrace: Plant Lab
Earth / Matter
Applied research & processing space with kitchen lab, distillation systems, greenhouse, composting station, herbal garden. Connects directly with vineyard, olive grove, and orchard.
2
Middle Terrace: Art Studio
Air / Voice
Cultural heart with media & sound lab, solar-powered, adobe space. Elevated position for creative research, music, storytelling, and residencies.
3
Upper Plateau: Wellbeing Lab
Fire & Water / Body
Open-air somatic space with wooden yoga platform, yurt for ceremonies, hot tub and sauna. Overlooks valley for sunrise rituals and inner work.
Rooted Plant Guardians
  • 0.5 ha vineyard (80-year-old Nerello Mascalese)
  • 55 century-old olive trees
  • Mixed nut orchard (walnut, hazelnut, almond)
  • Fruit trees (apple, plum, quince, stone fruit)
  • Wild herbs (artemisia, sage, rosemary, wild rose)
  • Diverse wildlife (geckos, bees, birds, pollinators)
  • Water retention basins & swales
  • Herbal spiral mandala garden
Learning with the Seasons
The Living Curriculum evolves with the land, following seasonal and lunar cycles (13-moon calendar):
1
Spring
Planting & Renewal
Designing, sowing, visioning
2
Summer
Growth & Inner Work
Cultivation, care, embodiment
3
Autumn
Harvest & Celebration
Sharing, expression, gratitude
4
Winter
Preservation & Rest
Reflection, stillness, dormancy
Learning Model
Community Apprenticeships
Local elders, farmers, and craftspeople as teachers
Action Research
Each participant develops a "regeneration prototype"
Embodied Learning
Movement, silence, song, and manual work integrated daily
Intergenerational Learning
Children, adults, and more-than-human participants together
Economic Sustainability & Impact
Revenue Streams
  • Tuition from courses, retreats, residencies
  • Farm products (wine, oil, herbs, preserves)
  • Cultural events and festivals
  • Consulting on regenerative design
  • Local partnerships and collaborations
Community Impact
  • Job creation in rural regeneration
  • Revitalization of traditional knowledge
  • Strengthened local supply chains
Four Dimensions of Impact
1ha
Ecological
Land under regenerative management with 30% increase in pollinators, 100% organic cultivation
200+
Social
Annual participants in workshops, 10 local jobs created, 3 seasonal community events
6
Cultural
Residencies and gatherings annually, 20+ traditions revived, annual harvest festival
60%
Economic
Income reinvested into land regeneration and education, year-round operation
Economic Roadmap: Phase I Funding (Years 1–5)
Establishing TorreDelfino as a self-sustaining regenerative campus requires strategic investments and targeted funding, enabling full operation by Year 5.
1
69k Euro Invested to Date
Land acquisition, initial land care, and roof restoration completed.
260k Euro Expected Grant Funding
Targeted EU grants for female startups and agricultural innovation.
100k Euro Co-funding Needed
Private, partner, or investor co-funding to unlock grant funds.
429k Euro Total Phase I Budget
Comprehensive budget covering all investments and operational needs.
How Phase I Funding Will Be Used
Grant-funded Components (€260k)
  • Construction & structural renovations
  • Regenerative agriculture infrastructure
  • Equipment for Plant Lab, Art Studio, Somatic Lab
  • Land restoration, planting, biodiversity pathways
  • Educational programming & community outreach
Co-funding Priorities (€100k)
  • Additional construction & materials not covered by grants
  • Skilled labor (bio-architects, permaculturists)
  • Team salaries (program coordinator, land steward)
  • Legal & administrative setup for school pathway
  • Program development & initial operations
Long-Term Vision
TorreDelfino is the first phase of a larger Earth Education Project—a living model for regenerative transition uniting ecological learning, cultural creation, and psychosomatic well-being.
Phase I (Years 1–5)
Establishment
Restore 1-hectare site, launch seasonal programs, develop Plant Lab, Art Studio, and Somatic Lab. Create financially self-sustaining campus.
Phase II (Years 3–8)
Bioregional Expansion
Scale to 4–6 hectares, develop circular local economy, strengthen partnerships, host international residencies. Position Etna as regenerative hub.
Phase III (Years 5–10)
Heliogenic School
Establish primary and secondary school with holistic curriculum combining land-based learning, arts, and inner development. Nurture ecologically conscious citizens.
Let's co-create!
We invite you to explore TorreDelfino further and join us in building a regenerative future.
Get in touch!
Connect with us to explore collaboration and shared visions.
Access more detailed concept
Dive deeper into the evolving roadmap of TorreDelfino.
Get to know the Founder
Jo is a passionate steward and leader of ecological innovation, cultural transition and social architecture. Among other initiatives, she is a co-founder of LIOS Labs and Oslo Project.
"The tower at the end becomes the beginning—where we attune to natural cycles and the wisdom that flows from that harmony."
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