About Us

Scriblum Writers' Retreats and Rentals emerged in part from the activities of The Parmenideum Philosophy Society based at Elea in the Cilento, southern Italy, which holds regular international conferences on philosophy. Elea is the ancient former home of the philosophers Parmenides and Zeno, c.550 BCE, now just a pile of rubble, though its influence on western thought has been incalculable, preceding and influencing that of Athens. Those who know these philosophers will recall that they queried the universe - what is it, where did it come from and why does it exist, and so on. The Parmenideum has tried to pick up on that theme, holding conferences asking these admittedly probably unanswerable questions. But we also enjoy more down to earth and practical philosophical engagement, the most recent being a conference on Immanuel Kant's approach to lying (basically, don't) and before that a conference on whether, as John Stuart Mill claimed, it is better to be an unhappy man than a happy pig. The conclusion to that conference is probably Mill is right, but what is absolutely necessary is to avoid being both an unhappy man and a pig.

Though a separate entity to the Parmenideum, Scriblum seeks to provide a similar opportunity for the pursuit of learning and creativity in a land that has a long history in such endeavour. And also in many other lands around the world. We aim to provide writers, scholars, artists, composers and musicians access to property owners with suitable accommodation located in stimulating environments, many of whom express a preference for renting to people creatively engaged. Owners are encouraged to offer accommodation at favourable rates, in recognition of the demands of a creative life. i.e., one often inhabiting financial borderlines! And they also may recognise that by doing so they are helping to contribute to the maintenance and growth of creative work in general. For those coming to Italy, be assured that it is steeped in the creative tradition, and so most Italians appreciate its value. We hope that many owners will join our network. Where you see the writer icon, this owner has stated that they preferentially welcome writers and others involved in creative projects, and will consider preferential rates.

Our policy is to provide our service free to writers and artists, and only to request a nominal fee for our service from the owner for each successful booking.

We hope that you will be able to find an ideal and rewarding location to pursue your work, and offer our assistance in any related matter. Please contact us if you experience difficulty with using the site, communicating with owners or booking accommodation. Also consult our terms and conditions regarding use of the site and payments and bookings made via the site. Owner terms and conditions for rentals (if they have any) are stated on the pages for individual properties, and are independent of Scriblum.