Volunteers
Food and accommodation in exchange for agreed help caring for the place and supporting its activities.
Explore this pathMISSANO · MODENA APENNINES
One village,
many ways
to belong.
A place to live, care and grow together. An intergenerational community in relationship with the land and the wild.
Find your place Explore the village over time
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A seventeenth-century rural estate.
A new story to build together.
24 haof land to care for
~7 haof woodland and wild land
~600 mabove sea level, in Zocca
OUR DIRECTION
Care becomes part of
everyday life.
We envision a village where personal wellbeing, the quality of relationships and the vitality of the landscape can grow together.
Our mission is to make care an everyday experience: integrating body, mind, emotions and the spiritual dimension through professional expertise, practices, nature and shared life. A place of exploration where talents are valued and other ways of living can be tried.
Those who enter into a relationship with Akupara can have a tangible experience and take home simple, meaningful tools for caring for themselves.
The compass of our values
Care for the personRespect for lifeRelational responsibilityInner growthEcological sustainabilitySimplicityCooperationTalents for the common good
Thich Nhat Hanh’s Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings are the project’s cultural reference. The Community Agreement turns this direction into shared commitments about living together, caring for spaces and relationships. The emerging cooperative model is also inspired by the values and agreements of Les Pas-Sages.
THE NAME WE CHOSE
Akupara.
Stability
beneath change.
Deep roots.
An open horizon.
In Indian tradition, Akupara evokes the cosmic turtle that supports the world. In our project it becomes the image of a village that offers roots and support, while people, relationships and landscape change and grow over time.
Akupara therefore represents:
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Stability beneath change.
- 02
The land that sustains life without owning it.
- 03
The patience of natural processes.
- 04
Continuity between generations.
- 05
A quiet strength that supports rather than dominates.
Learn more about the name
The Monier-Williams Sanskrit–English dictionary also associates Akūpāra with the turtle that supports the world. This image of patient support is the inspiration chosen for the village. Read Monier-Williams · Akūpāra entry ↗
FROM WHAT IS TO WHAT COULD BE
Preserve its character.
Open new possibilities.
Main façade and garden
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The village’s main façade and a possible garden arrangement, with paths, flowers and spaces to gather.
Choose a space and drag the slider to compare. The two bedroom visions and the two farmhouse visions are alternatives for the same room, not different spaces. The design images show one possible direction: they are not completed work or final technical plans.
FOR THOSE CHOOSING PATH 04 · SHARE AN EXPERIENCE
Services for sharing
an experience at Akupara.
Three tangible ways to encounter the village, without necessarily beginning a residency or collaboration path.
Integrated care
Individual and residential journeys connecting professional expertise, body practices, awareness and nature.
Discover our approachCourses, retreats and experiences
Opportunities for learning and exploration: health, personal growth, art, crafts, sustainability and connection with the land.
Explore the envisioned spacesHospitality and village life
Stay, work and slow down within a real community. Private spaces, coworking, conviviality and landscape.
Explore the envisioned spacesThe services are under development. They will begin as the spaces are restored; care activities will be provided by qualified professionals in suitable settings.
A PROJECT TAKING SHAPE
The village,
over time.
Choose a phase and explore the goals
for spaces, community, land
and the cooperative path.
ROADMAP 2026 — 2036Indicative timeline · updated structure
GOALS BY THEME
Spaces and infrastructure
Community
Land and activities
Cooperative
EXPECTED OUTCOME OF THIS PHASETimings are indicative and depend on resources, the suitability of the spaces and the project’s real sustainability.
Explore through
Map of relationshipsSelect a place to explore it
Function planned in this phaseLater developmentPhase to be definedSelected space
The map represents functions and relationships: the positions are illustrative. It is not a site plan of the village.
THE PHASE MILESTONEThe next step depends on resources, the suitability of the spaces and the project’s real sustainability.
IMAGINING LIFE, INSIDE AND OUT
The vision
takes shape.
Warm materials, light and simplicity.
Spaces to be together, rediscover quiet
and inhabit the landscape. Select an image to explore it.
The images illustrate Akupara’s design vision and one possible transformation of the spaces: they are not photographs of completed work or final technical plans.
LAND · WILD NATURE · AUTONOMY
Regeneration means
bringing life back.
We do not simply want to cultivate part of the property. We want to rebuild fertility, biodiversity and relationships capable of nourishing the place over time.
Permaculture is the framework through which we see water, soil, plants, animals and human presence as one system. From this, in stages, will grow a therapeutic garden, an agroforestry system and production aimed at increasing food autonomy.
A therapeutic garden
An accessible, sensory space where growing food becomes part of care journeys, intergenerational encounters and everyday village life.
Agroforestry and preserves
Trees, shrubs and crops work together to protect the soil and diversify harvests. Over time we want to process part of the produce, directly or with authorised partner workshops.
4 hectares of chestnut grove
The chestnut grove and other woodlands are resources to care for: chestnuts, biodiversity and firewood for village use, through responsible forest management and in accordance with regulations.
BEFORE, AFTER AND INTENDED USES
The property as a
living mosaic.
One side is more productive and therapeutic; the other remains open for larger events. The woodland is a presence to expand and care for.
Therapeutic garden and agroforestry
On the side best suited to cultivation we envision gardens, an orchard and agroforestry systems. It will be a productive, educational space and part of care journeys.
The areas shown on the photograph indicate the intended relationship between functions, not cadastral boundaries or an executive plan. Positions, surfaces, access and capacities will be defined through surveys, soil analysis and technical assessments.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR · LAND STEWARDSHIP
Someone who wants to
care for the land.
We are looking for a person, couple or small group with experience—or a serious path already underway—in permaculture, horticulture, agroforestry or rural management.
- Design and tend the therapeutic garden and agroforestry system
- Organise harvests, preservation and future products
- Care for the chestnut grove, woodlands and reforestation
- Move the village towards greater self-sufficiency
- Share knowledge with residents, guests and the local area
The role, form of collaboration and any residency path will be shaped together and remain distinct.
Let’s talk about collaboratingTHE FOUNDING TEAM
Two journeys,
one shared direction.
Ilaria Redaelli
Counselling and work with human relationships, especially romantic ones, together with strategy, sustainability and regeneration.
Dr Biagio De Luca
Physician, physiatrist and osteopath. He practises integrated medicine with a person-centred approach.