In nature
Moments with the animals
The animals of the estate as companions on a path of wellbeing, relationship and growth — in the silence of the Tuscan countryside.
At Biofattoria L’Upupa the bond with animals is not only educational: it is also care and wellbeing. Our donkeys, gentle and sensitive animals, are the protagonists of donkey therapy — assisted activities designed to accompany children, families and people in fragile situations in a simple, profound experience.
Donkey therapy is an activity assisted by the donkey: through the relationship, the care and the walk together with the animal, it fosters calm, self-confidence, listening skills and contact with nature. It is not a medical treatment, but a path of wellbeing and relationship, gentle and respectful of everyone’s pace.
For children and families looking for an authentic experience; for groups and schools; and for those going through fragile moments who can find in animals and the countryside a help to regain serenity.
Sessions take place by reservation, individually or in small groups, guided and tailored to the participants. Activities are available all year round and each path is agreed together: write or call us to tell us what you are looking for.
The activities with the donkeys take place here on the farm, in the countryside between San Giovanni d’Asso, Buonconvento and Montalcino. If you are coming from further away, these are the distances — and you can stay the night rather than do it all in one day:
The last stretch is a gravel road, so allow a few extra minutes.
The activities with the donkeys are run by Andrea Bassetti and Silvia Sardano, both holding the Italian Certificate of Suitability as Donkey Handler (Coadiutore dell’Asino), obtained in 2018.
The certificate is issued by CSAPSA, with scientific and teaching supervision by SIUA — the School of Human-Animal Interaction, under chapter 9.4 of the Italian National Guidelines for Animal Assisted Interventions (State-Regions Agreement of 25 March 2015), assessed by the CRN IAA and approved by the Ministry of Health.
Silvia Sardano is also a psychologist, with years of experience as an educator working with children and young people with disabilities: she designs and leads the activities for children.
We mention it because it matters: the animal handler is a role defined by Italian national guidelines, and not every farm offering animal activities has trained staff. Ours are educational and relational activities, not medical treatment.
Group sessions are open to everyone, respecting each person’s pace, needs and differences: caring for the donkey, walking slowly together, learning through experience. Individual sessions are arranged around the person.
For information and bookings write to fattoriadidatticaupupa@gmail.com or call Silvia — +39 339 129 1878.
Not everyone who comes here is looking for a wellbeing programme. Some are simply on holiday in the Val d’Orcia with children, and want an afternoon that isn’t another museum.
For them the activities are the same, with a different intention: you get the animals ready, you brush them, and then you walk together through the fields around the farm. This is not sport trekking — you go at the donkey’s pace, which is slow by nature, and you stop when stopping is needed. Anyone expecting distance and elevation will be disappointed; anyone expecting an hour of Tuscan countryside at an animal’s rhythm will not.
It works best with children who cannot sit still and with adults who cannot put their phone down — opposite reasons, same result. Booking works like everything else here: group sessions on Saturday, 2:30–4:30 pm, or by appointment on other days.
Guests staying in the farm apartments can arrange times more freely, and see the donkeys outside the sessions too: they live here, we don’t take them away at night.
Yes, always. Group sessions are on Saturday from 2:30 to 4:30 pm; individual activities are arranged by appointment. Write to fattoriadidatticaupupa@gmail.com or call Silvia on +39 339 129 1878.
No. If anything, people who have never had any often do better, because they arrive without expectations. Sessions are always led by a qualified handler.
Yes. Activities for younger children are designed and run by Silvia Sardano, a psychologist with years of experience as an educator working with children and teenagers with disabilities.
There is no fixed length, and that isn’t an evasive answer: it adapts to who turns up. Some sessions stay entirely inside the paddock and that is perfectly fine; others turn into a long walk. The Saturday group session runs the afternoon, from 2:30 to 4:30 pm.
Yes, activities run all year round. The donkeys live outdoors and cold weather doesn’t stop them; the walk just gets shorter.
It depends on the activity — group or individual, a single visit or a longer programme — so the cost is agreed when you write to us. You’ll know before anything is booked.
No, and it is worth repeating here: these are educational and relational activities, not healthcare services, and they do not replace any medical or psychological treatment. Our handlers hold the Donkey Handler (Coadiutore dell’Asino) certificate, a role defined by the Italian national guidelines on Animal Assisted Interventions — not a medical qualification.
From Siena yes, it is 40 km. From further away it is better to stay the night: the last stretch is a white gravel road, and driving straight off again takes half the point out of the day.
Tell us what you are looking for: we build the right path together.
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