Posto Del Sole/from 1150 euros/wk. Sleeps 12

Private pool (15 mts by 7mts) EXCLUSIVELY yours ! 

Large fabulous 16C stone cottage consisting of 3 self-contained apartments/very quiet environment) – 8 miles to central Spoleto, above Bazzano, on the side of Spoleto, close to Assisi - excellent location for sight-seeing.

This sunny, "Hanzel and Gretel", 16C stone cottage, stands on a hillock, in an open space, deep in the woods. Its elevated position allows it to embrace sublime panoramic views of olive groves, tiny hill-top villages, mountains, orchards and vineyards. And, immediately from your front door, you step into a maze of easy paths that meander in every direction up and down the mountains as well as to the neighbouring villages.

For anyone with mobility problems, the terrain immediate to the house, is easy walking territory.

Internet access available via a dongle with 10 euros credit/week – signal cannot be guaranteed but there is a strong signal at Villa Marianna, 1 miles along the lane, where you can use your computer inside or outside, free of charge on WIFI. However, my Iphone works on WiFi at places in the cottage so you should be OK.

Valico Dei Peregrini - 8 miles from central Spoleto /car necessary
Arrival/Departure dates flexible, subject to availability. 

4 sitting/dining rms, 3 with fitted kitchens/4 dble bedrs/4 shower rms/4 WCs. Sleeps 12.
3 of the 4 sitting/dining rooms can be converted into extra bedrooms, by request.

The upper floor consists of 1 huge, self-catering apartment (160 sq mts)  :
2 large double bedrooms
2 large living/dining rooms, each with a fully fitted kitchen - can be used as bedrooms, by request
2 shower rooms/2 WCs
1 large verandah that both apartments open onto

The lower floor consists of 2 large, self-catering apartments (85 cms + 75 cms) :
2 large double bedrooms
2 large living/dining rooms, one of which has a fully fitted kitchen, the other of which can be used as an extra bedroom, by request.
2 shower rooms/2 WCs
1 utility room

Deep in the woods. I feel like Gretel, out of the Grimm fairy tale. Except, there is no wicked witch to get me and, Hans is busy welcoming guests in nearby Spoleto. High in the Umbrian hills. Wild. The sun pierces the misty air. Dark and sparkling lights confuse me. I do not recognise the path. Trees and bushes cast black, spiky shadows on the dappled foliage. Broken branches, stones and boulders catch the light and scatter it everywhere. Stabbing my eyes. In bright strips, I glimpse violet, yellow and purple flowers, spot-lit in the sun's sharp rays. The sky is deep blue.

At once, I come across a clearing and, before me, a vast chasm is filled to the brim with foaming white mist. Here, above the clouds, butterflies flutter through the dappled haze, young foxes screech for food, a robin watches me with his large beady eye, the air resounds with a medley of bird-song and, I am still to the core. Within seconds, I see fragments of my world below unfurl in a torch-lit golden splendour. And, out of this burning mist, appears an old stone house, shrouded and glittering in the early morning light of an Umbrian day-break.

Welcome to Posto Del Sole : Country House! This is how it revealed itself to me, many years ago.

Posto Del Sole : Country House is above a small village called Bazzano Superiore, one of the most sought after villages to live in, on the periphery of Spoleto. Now, a beautiful restored Umbrian farmhouse, lovingly converted into 3 self-contained apartments, 1 of them super large, the 2 others, smaller, opening onto a  large, shared verandah.

This is a house that has seen centuries of life, a house that sits amidst the dreamiest of atmospheres. Large windows in every room bear testament to the natural environment that pervades every sunbeam and shadow in the house. A fire-place in every room, this is a house to experience in winter or in summer. At any time of the year, this part of the mountain is a joy. And, Posta Del Sole stands in a clearing on a hillock and is sun-lit all the time.

Posto Del Sole : Country House is a large, stone cottage that is cool on the hottest of days, thanks to the hugely thick stone walls.

It has been immaculately restored, attention having been paid to the tiniest of details. Antique cupboards and doors, riddled with worm-holes, have been carefully and lovingly preserved, restored and polished, the ancient cupboards having been bastardised with old glass panes.  Absolute works of Art. And, absolutely, no worms !

In the old days, the Umbrian kitchen centred around the fire-place. However, this house is so ancient that the original fire-places were too dilapidated to retain and the kitchen, as we know it today, was non-existent. And, we decided that you wouldn’t want to cook on the fire, as was the way of the traditional Umbrian farmer ! So, we fitted new kitchens, all streamlined and fitted with hobs, ovens, microwaves, washing machines and fridges. And, we replaced the old fire-places with 4 superbly designed, super-modern fireplaces – one in each sitting/dining room. Made of the most contemporary of local materials, a kind of white chalk, then, impregnated with a diversity of local marbles, stones and bricks, the fire-places give the effect of blocks of Montelimar, really unusual and the kind of design only the Italians could come up with, totally in keeping with the spirit of this old house, built of the same marbles, stones and bricks. 

The grounds of the house open directly onto the common area of the private mountain, offering miles and miles of stunning walks, all of which are marked and signposted. Just a few metres in front of the house is a pool, part fed by mountain streams – cold ??? No-one has ever complained as such ! It is fenced in order that small children can be discouraged from wandering into the pool area, unsupervised.

You reach this fairy tale cottage either via Bazzano Superiore or directly from central Spoleto. when you approach directly from Spoleto, it is a good road for 90% of the way. When approached via Bazzano, there is a 2 mile dirt track at the end that has been flattened to make it easily drivable. A private, 1 mile drive-way leading to Posto Del Sole is also a flattened, drivable dirt road, NOT a road full of boulders and stones. Also, easily driveable. 

A tarmacked road starts at the gateway of Vista Del Mondo, a mile away from Posto Del Sole, which leads to a main road, about a half a mile away. From here, there is very easy access to Orvieto, Assisi, Perugia, Trevi, Foligno, Bevagna, Montefalco, Norcia, Castelucia and the Gran Piano. Rome is just over 1 hour by train. And, of course, the jewel in Umbria's crown, Spoleto, is less than a 20 mins drive. So, you could be driving on the Valnerina within 20 minutes, from where you can easily go to Norcia and the Gran Piano or to the Adriatic, passing a myriad of hill-top towns on the way. Or, in the opposite direction, you could be in central Spoleto in 20 minutes.

Whichever way you choose to go, Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto, Trevi, Foligno....is about a 45 minutes drive. The territory you pass through is mind-blowingly beautiful. After all, the Umbrian countryside is what dreams are made of. And, if you want a bit of the action, then, you can always try Rome, a mere 1 hour and 20 minutes by train from Spoleto.

So, for those who love to walk, this place is sublime. Or, you can hire bikes in nearby Spoleto.  Great mountain biking territory. The many, many tracks, criss-crossing each other, upwards and downwards over the mountains, seem to go on forever.This is St Francis territory so you will be following in his foot-steps, reminders everywhere, with monasteries and sanctified spots scattered hither and thither in the woods, from Rieti to Assisi !

Spoleto is akin to a giant, fairy-tale castle. Sprinkled with bars, restaurants and shops, peppered with piazzas, Spoleto sits magestically amidst a maze of tunnelled, cobbled lanes and alley-ways, all leading skywards to the famous Rocca, the aquaduct and, some of the best views in the world. A surreal setting, a stage-set in the making, fringed by mountains, olive groves, vineyards, mediaeval monasteries, towns, cities and tiny hill-top villages - all beckoning a visit, Spoleto is truly a temptress. Succumb to her beauty and you must use all your will-power to leave. Quite simply, Spoleto is the most captivating city in Italy, never mind Umbria, Venice and Florence, being on a par.

Venice has the water. Florence has the Uffici.  Spoleto has the mountains. All three have a history to be reckoned with. All three bedazzle us with their rich cultures, their European, aristocratic connections and their sheer beauty. But, Spoleto has the upper hand for the world traveller. It resists tourism with its associated inflated rates and tacky goods on sale ! You are invited to visit Spoleto, but, not as a tourist. You will be welcomed like a long lost member of the family ! Treated like a king. And, you will pay the same rates as all the locals, especially when you pay attention to all our recommended restaurants, bars and gelaterias.

Read more about Spoleto by clicking on :
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Please note that this offer might be discontinued at any time........