Become an intern at La Macchina Fissa
Since 1996 and the founding of our association, over 100 interns have played a vital role in the life and growth of Reading Retreats in Rural Italy. Interns are also known as helpers, assistants, or volunteers.
They have come from all walks of life ranging from gap-year students to retirees – and from several different countries.
They have been students, alumni, or faculty at universities including College of the Atlantic, Dublin Institute of Technology, Georgetown University, St. John’s College, Harvard University, National University of Ireland, Oxford University, Stanford University, Saint Mary’s University, Swarthmore College, University of Western Ontario, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, George Mason University, Fordham University, Lake Forest College, Middlebury College and Cardiff University.
Intern Requirements
Interns must be multi-skilled and friendly. They should know how to be social and get on with people, as there will always be guests, locals and friends around. Knowing Italian is not necessary, but would help with everyday work and communication. English is normally the house language most guests have in common.
A passion for something such as cooking or gardening will come in handy, as you will be expected to work very hard at various activities while at La Macchina Fissa; preparing meals, looking after guests, cleaning, weeding and watering the garden, running errands, arranging events, some physical labour and helping with marketing and paperwork.
Interns usually work six hours a day, but are encouraged to take one or two days off a week to see a little more of Italy. Mantova is less than 30 minutes away, and Venice, Verona, Bologna, Milan, and the lake region are all possible day trips.
Applying to be an intern
There is no specific starting date or time frame for internships, but nearly all helpers stay from one to three months. There is no application form. Please e-mail your resumè with cover letter to info@lamacchinafissa.com . You will hear from us within two weeks of sending your information.
Accommodation
Interns often work together and sometimes have to share rooms, depending on how many guests we have and the rooms available. There are four bathrooms shared by everyone in the house. Lunch and dinner are communal.
