The Space: Tropea, overlooking the Coast of the Gods, has been drawing people to its shores as a refuge since North African migrants established it as their home in late antiquity (the subject of an excellent 2024 publication by Lucia D’Amore). Today, we pay homage to that spirit by offering “The Arches” of Tropea as a refuge for selected artists who wish to create in a time of uncertainty and conflict. Perched high on the town’s portside cliff overlooking the Gulf of Sant’Eufemia, the space is a covered sandstone arcade made up of 7 arches and a long, wide space in which artists can make art in peace, among the swifts, crows, and gulls of the cliffside. Artists accepted into the residency will be given morning-to-evening access to the arches during their stay.
The Mission: The Artist Residency at the Arches, a project of TROPEArte administered in collaboration with Studio Italiano Tropea, is dedicated to promoting art, culture, history, peace, and tolerance in Tropea, Calabria, and beyond. In addition to being founded by North African migrants, the town of Tropea has been a refuge to many peoples throughout history, including citizens rejecting the arbitrary edicts of princes, and vulnerable minorities fleeing persecution during iconoclastic crackdowns, the Inquisition, and the Second World War. It has also been home to great local artists, such as Tropea’s Albino Lorenzo, dubbed “The Last Impressionist,” and an inspiration for others artists, including M.C. Escher and Eduard Bäumer.
The Details: The Artist Residency at the Arches emphasizes simplicity and artistic freedom. For artists 18 and over who are accepted into the residency, we offer the Arches as a space in which to paint and create art, optional accommodations (both rooms and studio apartments/ flats), and optional workshops and excursions (details forthcoming). The key is to simply let artists be artists in a beautiful historic space, while offering opportunities to do more, should one so choose.
- Base Price: The base residency fee is €2,100 per week, which includes 6 full days of residency (concluding on the morning of the 7th day), total support, our local network assistance, logistics, and round-trip transfers to/ from the nearest airports in Calabria (Lamezia and Reggio). You may choose as many weeks as are on offer (see the Calendar below).
- Accommodations: Accommodations are optional (not included in the base price), but recommended, as the TROPEArte team can arrange lodgings best suited to an ideal artistic experience in Tropea. If you wish for us to arrange your accommodations, prices start from €495 per week for a room (without breakfast), while a studio apartment/ flat with a kitchenette (self-catering) starts at €695 per week. All accommodations we provide are located in the historic center of Tropea. The “group palazzo,” Le Terrazze, is located in the heart of the old town, just a minute walk from the Arches (and an 8-minute walk down to the beach), and includes a large terrace with stunning views of the sea and coastline, as well as the suggestive rooftops of Tropea. Rates are for a 7-night stay and may increase in the future depending on the desired season and the number of additional guests (if applicable). For special requests, premium accommodations, or more specific solutions, we are happy to help find your ideal stay.
- Fee and cancellation policy: If an artist is accepted into the residency, they will be able to reserve their spot by paying the base residency fee of €2,100. Cancellation is allowed up to 30 days prior to the start of the residency, in which case 80% of the fee will be refunded. For cancellations made less than 30 days before the start of the residency, no refund will be provided due to the difficulty of filling a vacancy so close to the start date. This policy also applies to any accommodations arranged by the TROPEArte team.
- Itinerary: The residency runs on a weekly schedule, though artists can participate for as many weeks as they like, consecutively or otherwise. Below is the weekly itinerary.
- Saturday afternoon/ evening arrival, check in to accommodations
- Sunday morning orientation/ welcome gathering
- Sunday – Friday residency
- independent painting, creativity
- excursions/ cultural activities (optional)
- sunset social hour (optional)
- Friday evening closing reception
- Saturday morning, check out from accommodations, departure (if staying only one week)
Application: To apply for the Artist Residency at the Arches, please fill out the application form below, including your choice of week (or weeks – up to four for 2026) for your residency at the Arches. For example: “I would like to stay for Week 1 and Week 2, but if there is no availability, I can do Week 3 and Week 4.” If you are accepted into the residency, you will receive an email from the TROPEArte: Accademia degli Archi and Studio Italiano Tropea team with details and clarifications on session selection, lodging, payment processing, etc.
Calendar
2026 Residency Calendar
TROPEArte is currently open to applications for its Artist Residency at the Arches for the October 2026 period. Artists can apply for as many weeks of the residency as are available.
Week 1: October 3-10, 2026
Week 2: October 10-17, 2026
Week 3: October 17-24, 2026
Week 4: October 24-31, 2026
