A beautifully tended Umbrian estate ideal for gatherings of family and friends

Accommodation

With its central stone courtyard and wide vine-draped covered terrace this hamlet is a wonderful location for a group of friends or relatives to enjoy each other's company around dining tables set to enjoy the view and laid with local treats. At the same time, however, accommodation in three separate ancient buildings provides the restful privacy one occasionally desires. In the large ivy-covered stone farmhouse there are actually two spacious apartments. The ground floor, entered from the shaded terrace that spans the building, has a open plan sitting/ kitchen/ dining room large enough for the whole group to gather, a bathroom, and 2 bedrooms - a double and a twin/double - each with independent access to a stone walkway leading up the central piazza. The top two interconnecting floors, accessed from a door on the piazza, contain a large eat-in country kitchen, a spacious living room with small panoramic balcony, and 3 double bedrooms, 1 twin/double bedroom, 2 bathrooms with separate showers and 1 ensuite shower room.

Also off the central court is an ancient olive mill, the top floor of which has been converted into a studio apartment for two. The door from its furnished covered terrace leads directly into a cleverly laid out room that encompasses a sitting/dining area, a galley kitchen and a screened off double bed with an adjacent bathroom. Lastly, for the couple that doesn't mind taking a few more steps for a bit more privacy, a path leads up past the pool area to a two-storey cottage at the top of the property by a very rarely trafficked road. A door from its sunny patio opens to a double bedroom with ensuite shower room, while an open staircase from the bedroom leads up to a cosy living room overlooking the pool and a galley kitchen with a small dining table.

While bedrooms and bathrooms may vary somewhat in size, all accommodations are furnished with attractive country antiques, quality soft furnishings, good fittings and the extra touches that reflect the attention of a considerate hostess and one who appreciated the traditional chestnut beams, bricklaying, and stonework that merited preservation.

Local area

Tucked into the folds of a wooded hillside and gazing down at a village that has weathered more than six centuries, one might be tempted to let the world slide by. But there are good reasons to venture out, even if only to visit the beautiful Romanesque Abbey of S. Savatore, which just happens to sell wine and olive oil and house a popular restaurant. Shops, restaurants and all amenities are within 1/2 hr. in the ancient market town of Umbertide or in the medieval walled village of Montone, the latter famed as the home of Braccio da Montone, one of Italy’s most audacious 'condottieri', or mercenaries. Perugia, the capital city of the region and a lively university town, may have a history that dates back to the Etruscan Iron Age, but it is modern host to the Umbria Jazz Festival in July and the Eurochocolate Festival in October.

Other Umbrian towns, Gubbio, Spello, Todi, Spoleto or St. Francis' Assisi, or Tusan favorites Arezzo and Siena, are also within reach and celebrate everything from truffles to crayfish, a swift horse or a good bottle of wine, at times in full costume. When muscles want stretching, there are tennis courts and golf courses in the vicinity and, only 40 minutes away, Lago Trasimeno, Italy's 4th largest lake, surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and ancient castles and offering sailing, fishing and sandy beaches. For those for whom shopping is a delight, there are weekly village markets, the nearby town of Deruta, a haven of Tuscany's famed colourful ceramics, and the large Valdichiana Outlet Village, awash in designer brands. Yet with Penny's roses to smell, a borrowed dog to walk, a cooling pool and cocktail hour on the horizon, certain hours may be spent closer to home.

Features

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