Rom/Pass/from 450/590 euros/wk. Sleeps 2/6

LA PASSIONATA -

120 sq mts - 4 miles from central Spoleto in 16C Convent with terrace and garden/stunning panoramic views from 6 large arched windows/huge stone fire-place - log fires are great in winter (unlimited logs, central heating, hot water etc included in the rate) – sleeps 4 (2 double bedrooms : 1 with large double bed + 1 loft space with twin beds/chaise, sofa-bed in sitting area for alternative sleeping) - 1 bath/shower room (3/4 sized tub)/WC – car essential) - very unusual/unique experience/beautiful apt. 60 steps to entrance. 

LA ROMANTICA -

70 sq mts - 4 miles from central Spoleto in 16C Convent with terrace and garden/extra wood-burning stove in kitchen (unlimited logs, central heating, hot water etc included in the rate)  - sleeps 2/3 (1 double bedroom with large double bed/2 single beds dressed as sofas in small sitting room) - 1 shower room/WC – car essential) - unique experience/beautiful apt - stunning views from 2 wall-sized arched windows/panoramic from bedroom and garden/hills from kitchen. Nearest shops, bars and restaurants 2 miles. 50 steps to entrance. 

Nearest shops, bars and restaurants 2 miles.

Broadband/WiFi internet connection available for your computer.

BAZZANO : 4 MILES FROM SPOLETO HISTORIC CENTRE /car necessary. 
Arrival/Departure dates flexible, subject to availability.

One of the most impressive features of La Passionata and La Romantica are their huge arched windows, all of which embrace absolutely stunning views. Neither apartment intrudes on the privacy of the other in any way. And, each apartment has its own terrace with garden furniture for added privacy.

With free WiFi internet access, , this very pretty part of a 16C Convent was sensitively converted into 2 elegant apartments, while retaining its original features. The private entrance, by way of its original and impressive iron gates, leads to the heart of the Convent where the library and the prayer rooms used to be – hence its 8 huge arched windows through which the nuns would contemplate the stunningly natural beauty all around. 

La Romantica and La Passionata are totally independent of each other, sharing only the large garden and the utility room, where there are bikes for your use and 2 washing machines (you have your own ironing faciliities). And, neither can you be seen by each other, when you are on your individual private terraces.

A car is necessary because the public transport is unreliable and limited. However, there is free parking at the train station, from where you can get to practically anywhere in Italy. And, by bus, there are a myriad of really interesting journeys you can take from little local rides around the hills, visiting a diversity of hill-top villages, to places as far afield as Castelluccio and Norcia - spectacular rides ! 

1 double bedroom + 1 loft twin bedroom.

Note that in the loft bedroom, the 2 beds can be joined. However, this room is not suitable for people with mobility problems or very tall people because it has a low, sloping ceiling + a narrow spiral staircase. It is best suited for teenagers !

1 bath room with 3/4 sized tub/hand held shower + WC.

Sleeps 4. Can sleep 2 persons in large sitting rm, privatised by a decorative curtain.

A large, open-plan apartment of 140 sq.mts, is both sensuous and splendid. This spacious apartment, with its beamed and domed ceilings, has 2 double bedrooms – 1 double on the ground floor with a casement window overlooking the gardens and 1 twin in the loft space with a sloping roof and a sky-light - a fully equipped kitchen/breakfast room built into the rocks, an awesome L-shaped, open-plan dining/sitting room with its own 16C fresco as a centre-piece - the artist, Lo Spagna, also has work in the duomo in Spoleto and the Vatican, a huge 16C stone fireplace and 1 bathroom. The main “wow” factor, however, are the 6 huge arched windows on two sides of the dining/sitting room that overlook the spectacular countryside, the gardens and that evoke a feeling of intimacy with the natural beauty surrounding you. 

There are 60 steps up to La Passionata. The steps are shallow, wide and there is a hand-rail most of the way. So, they are quite easy to negotiate !

You can park outside the Convent, free of charge. Or, you can park very easily, just a 1 minute walk up the lane, in the piazza of the church.

Bazzano is a wholly Italian enclave and heaves with a history reflected in many of its wondrous old buildings, its awesome church and its grand palace nestling amidst the olive groves. Bazzano is famous locally for its walking territory. Albeit untouched by tourism, it's a little more sophisticated than its neighbouring villages, particularly regarding its small country roads that meander up and down the surrounding hills and join the upper part of Bazzano with its lower part. Strolling back down to the Convent with the stunning panoramic views changing at every twist and bend in the road and enjoying a glass of cold Orvieto at the end of your walk can best be described as a dream-like experience. 

It is a 10 minutes drive to Spoleto train station from where you can get to anywhere in Italy. And, the Italian train-service is fantastic and so cheap ! For instance, Venice is best to visit by train - it takes 5 hours. Or, Naples, which takes about 3 - 4 hours.

There are 2 very economically priced restaurants  that are within biking distance from the Convent – between 1 and 2 miles - a wonderful bike-ride (bikes are included in the rental) on beautiful country lanes that weave through olive groves and poppy fields. Here you can often spot the occasional celebrity enjoying an evening away from the bright lights and the intrusive lenses of the paparazzi…and the prices are the same as any other country trattoria, their owners valuing their less wealthy local customers just as much. 

Of course, while you are in Umbria, you must sample the most famous Italian dish of all….tartufo ie truffles. Umbria is the centre for truffles…black truffles are common all around here and the white truffles are a little further afield, towards Norcia.

The Convent and its surrounding area is perfect for those who wish to savour the atmosphere of a bygone era in a relatively unspoilt and beautiful part of the world while, at the same time, having the world’s major Italian tourist attractions on your own door. Sufficiently off the beaten track to have remained relatively undiscovered and, therefore, it is unusual to see other tourists here. Yet, you still have easy access to all the main attractions.

Local shops and many trattorias are all within minutes to half an hour by car or bus. Eating out in the summer months is highly recommended. It would be difficult to pay more than 16 euros for a 3 course meal with as much wine as you can drink in the local eateries. Of course, the more “flash” places in Spoleto and the more touristy places can cost more. However, all pizzerias tend to cost much, much less. Eating al fresco on a warm evening with the sun setting behind mountains silhouetted against a pink-streaked, azure blue sky takes some beating.

La Passionata and La Romantica are to be most appreciated by those who love walking in woods and mountains and enjoying the beautiful scenery which looks up to the mountains and over the surrounding valleys. In the surrounding woods and olive groves, there is a diversity of wild-life: foxes, black squirrels, wild boar, porcupine etc. and many different species of birds, including nightingales. Occasionally, especially at night or of an early misty morning, these animals can be spotted on the roads leading to Bazzano. 

For further info re Spoleto (4 miles away - 10 mins drive), please see :
http://www.umbriaholidayrentals.com/general-information/spoleto.html

For further info re the surrounding Umbrian areas + weather :
http://www.umbriaholidayrentals.com/general-information/umbrian-areas-around-spoleto--weather.html

Our large private pool is available for your use at any time, free of charge, from May to Sept. It is 3 miles away at Villa Marianna, one of our country villas, where 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 note that the last 1.5 miles is a flattened dirt road, NOT a strada bianca (full of boulders) ! So, it is easily driveable, albeit a bit bumpy in parts !

Please click on :

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

Bazzano is in the middle of Italy - just slightly to the left, between the Appenines and Sibbiline mountains. A drive into these mountains is a must ! The nearest ocean is the Adriatic, which is 2 hrs by car. Also by car, it's 8 mins to Sploleto, 90 mins to Rome, 20 mins to Assisi, Bevagna, Montefalco and Trevi, 40 mins to Perugia, Spello and Orvieto, 2 hrs 30 mins to Florence, 3 hrs 30 mins to Naples, the Amalfi coast and Pompei. Castellucia, the famous Gran Piano (with fantastic natural flower displays across this gigantic plain at Easter) is just over 1 hour! It is 1hr 30 mins Lake Bolsena and  2hrs to Lake Trasimeno.

All these drives take in fantastic scenery from beginning to end ! Though, in my view, the drive to the coast takes some beating as it heads up past Norcia along the famous Valnerina and on to the Gran Piano – this is a drive through heaven!! And, you MUST eat in the tiny hick town of Castellucia that sits on a hill in the middle of the Gran Piano. Italians come here from far and wide to taste the speciality lentils, faro and white truffle. While the restaurants look nothing from the outside, they are wonderful inside, all with spectacular views. Indeed, many very seasoned travellers have described the Gran Piano as being the most beautiful area in the world. It is outstandingly beautiful !

About an hour away is the Piediluco lake which was famously painted by that great impressionist, Turner. Here, also, there are many bars and restaurants. Indeed, for the serious swimmer, there is an Olympic sized pool next to Piediluco lake. On the lake itself, there are all the usual boating facilities (though speed-boats are not allowed) and sun-bathing areas. 

For those who prefer to explore places only accessible on horse-back, there are riding stables close by and day-long pony treks can be arranged across the mountains at special rates. Treks also take place on full-moon nights. At Marmore Falls, the largest in Europe – about an hour away, there is white-water rafting. And, rock-climbing and hang-gliding is on offer in the hills.

The Convent is in a tiny hamlet....

On one side of the Convent is an olive grove. Up the lane is Bazzano’s main and very beautiful church. On the other side of the Convent live an Italian family. So, at any one time, you may hear roosters crowing, Italians chattering and bells ringing – a cacophony of Mediterranean sounds. At other times, silence ! Living in the Convent is not like living in a make-believe picture postcard version of Italy. What you are about to experience is as real as it can get. 

The local Italians, all of whom are very friendly, will be fascinated by you. So, best learn the odd word such as, “Piacere" ie “Pleased to meet you” to show willing ! English is not spoken around Bazzano. It is spoken occasionally at the posher restaurants in Spoleto and, of course, increasingly so in the more touristy places such as Assisi and Perugia. But, unlike Tuscany, where English is spoken everywhere, Umbria has retained its Italian identity and has remained authentically Italian.

CLICK ON :
http://www.umbriaholidayrentals.com/discounted-rates-.html

Please note that this offer might be discontinued at any time........