Vista Del Mondo/from 1000 euros/wk. Sleeps 12

SLEEPS 12 PERSONS 

Full-time access to 120 sq mt pool, a few minutes walk down the lane - large fabulous 15C stone cottage divided into 2  self-contained, semi-detached halves, each with its own private entrance + staircase – smart/mountain location with stunningly beautiful views.

Very tranquil environment

7 miles from central Spoleto, above Bazzano, on the side of Spoleto towards Assisi, so, an excellent location for sight-seeing.

LOCATION : Valico Dei Pellegrini - 7 miles from central Spoleto/car necessary. 
Flexible arrival and departure dates.

Vista Del Mondo:Country House consists of 4 self-contained apartments - 2 on the ground floor + 2 on the upper floor (each side of house has own staircase joining an upper apartment to a lower apartment).

One of its most impressive features is the spectacular location, with sweeping views on either side of its ridge, plus acres of private land.

In total, Vista Del Mondo:Country House consists of :
4 double bedrooms/4 shower rooms/4 WCs/4 sitting-dining room, each with a galley kitchen. Sleeps 12. 
3 of the 4 sitting/dining rooms can be converted into extra bedrooms, by request. 
Only 1 of the 4 kitchens is fully equipped. The other 3 are equipped for light snacks. More can be fully equipped, by request.

By request, the villa can arranged with up to 7 double bedrooms + 1 sitting/dining room.

Each of the bathrooms in each of the 4 apartments is in a corridor that is independent to both the bedroom and the sitting/dining room. So, you can access a bathroom, without disturbing anyone. However, to access the main bedroom of each of the 4 apartments, a sitting/dining room would need to be walked through. Usually, the converted bedrooms are used by the children, who do not require the same level of privacy as the adults. When children are placed upstairs in the converted bedrooms, this works well, leaving the adults to party away downstairs, knowing the children are safe upstairs !

Internet via a dongle is available but the signal cannot be guaranteed (10 euros/credit/week). However, just a few minutes down the lane, is our Villa Marianna, where there is Wifi, free of charge.

Each side of the house has its own main entrance lobby, opening onto the front gardens. And, each side has its own private stair-case that runs between the upper and the lower apartment. This works particularly well for larger groups with children because the children can be safely put to bed in the upper apartments, while the parents can continue to “party” downstairs.

Except for 1 of the bedrooms that has curved stone walls and French windows, all 4 of the apartments are very similar in terms of their interiors and decor and, have beautiful, polished beamed ceilings throughout, fabulously paved floors, immaculately restored, stone walls and large windows to embrace the stunning scenery all around. Yet, at the same time, each apartment is quite unique in terms of its aesthetic value. Just the 2 ground-floor apartments have fire-places. 

Vista Del Mondo was originally a hermitage, where it is believed St Francis stayed on his regular pilgrimages between Assisi and Rieti. Centuries later, it was a ruin ! Now, it is an immaculately restored, large, stone cottage, 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 !

The original old doors seem to hang drunkenly from their frames. At the same time, everything is in perfect working order. You will be amazed at the standards that the excellent crafts men have achieved with these apartments, skills gained after years and years of restoring, churches, monasteries and honed to perfection.

Just 2 minutes walk down the lane, at Villa Marianna, our large private pool (120 sq mts) is available for your use at any time, free of charge, from May to Sept.  

At Villa Marianna, we offer speciality lunches.....truffle, pasta and pizza dishes, made from our fresh, home-grown produce, subject to demand.

And, every Wed, we are offering a tiny farmer's market, where our home-grown produce will be on sale...or, you can pick your own from the fields !

Please click on :
http://www.umbriaholidayrentals.com/site/mountains/item/villa-marianna-pg-13.html

The only concession to modernity with respect to the furniture are the kitchens – all streamlined and fitted with hobs, ovens, microwaves, washing machines and fridges.

Further, the Umbrian kitchen tends to centre around the fire-place. However, non-Italians do not tend to use the fire for cooking anymore ! Consequently, there are 2 beautifully restored stone fire-places in both the ground floor apartments, should the urge to cook on the fire take you !

The grounds open directly onto the common area of the private mountain, offering miles and miles of stunning walks. And, what better place to start with than La Forca, which passes the side of the house and is the oldest pilgrim track in Umbria, ending in one direction in Rieti and in the other in Assisi.

Indeed, Vista Del Mondo, an ex hermitage, marks one of the most ancient religious sites in Umbria. A plaque, erected to signify this spot and tell a little of its history, was presented by the Mayor of Spoleto and, at the same time, a holy stone, placed at the spot, was blessed by the Bishop of Spoleto in a commemoration ceremony in October, 2008, attended also by the Mayor of Spoleto, all the dignitaries, the Press….and us.

The soft breezes, the rustle of trees and bird-song make up the music of this mountain top retreat.

On top of its own private mountain, above the clouds, immersed in deep blue skies, mountains above and below, rolling pastures all around and the most stunning walks that go on for ever and ever ?

It is for this reason that film-makers flock here for inspiration. However, Vista Del Mondo differs from most other rental properties in similar locations insofar as how many properties sit atop their very own private mountain and are at the end of a good road, where our guests’ cars will be the only cars on the road for miles since the latter part of the road is also private ? Very few indeed ! So, no struggling on stony roads strewn with boulders, in constant fear of a punctured tyre and insufficient lingo to summon the local mechanic for help, should the worst occur!

For those with mobility problems, the immediate terrain around Vista Del Mondo, and the pool at Villa Marianna, is flat. However, venture further afield and the terrain is rugged.

Staying in Vista Del Mondo is to stay in a magical, mystical place, absolutely teeming with memories and stories of love and devotion to God. Whether or not you are a believer, you cannot fail to be moved by the atmosphere of this most wondrous of places that is, seemingly, on top of the world.

Surrounded by the most spectacular of landscapes, steeped in history, you will follow in the footsteps of the pilgrims, who have trodden these paths since time began as they journeyed from 1 holy city to the next, stopping to pray at every shrine along the way.

At at the gate-way of Vista Del Mondo, marked by a huge, holy stone, is the famous point of Valico dei Pellegrini ie the highest point that St Francis and the pilgrims reached on their journey between Assisi and Rieti. This “St Francis” trail is 70 miles long and is the most ancient religious trail in Umbria. Indeed, there are many, many marked pilgrim tracks that lead for miles, criss-crossing each other over the mountains that seem to go on forever. Fantastic, if you enjoy rambling or hiking !

Furthermore, this same road leads directly to all the Umbrian “hot-spots”. 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. Rome is a mere 1 hour and 20 minutes by train from Spoleto. Further, it is a mere hop, skip and a jump to Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto, Spello, Gubbio, Todi, Trevi, Montefalco and Bevagna.

Whichever way you choose to go, Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto, Trevi, Foligno…. are all well within a 45 minutes drive. And, the territory that you pass through is mind-blowingly beautiful. After all, the Umbrian countryside is what dreams are made of.

A 20 minutes drive from Spoleto historic centre, on a good road that winds its way up through the most heavenly scenery, leaving the tiny fairy-tale city sprawled below, fringed by its mountains and a scattering of olive groves and ends up as a private road, ensuring the utmost privacy.

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.

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This offer may be discontinued at any time....