Casa Fontana faces South

Cypressa Studio with separate Kitchen

Tamarisk living/kitchen

Prices Currency Conversion

Rental periods	Mimosa	Tamarisk	Cypressa
5 January - 4 April 2008	£327 / 474 euros	£287 / 416 euros	£297 / 431 euros
5 April - 24 May 2008	£357 / 518 euros	£327 / 474 euros	£337 / 489 euros
25 May -20 June 2008	£299 / 377 euros	£287 / 357 euros	£ 297 / 367 euros
21 June -5 September 2008	£399 / 599 euros	£387 / 559 euros	£397 / 567 euros
6 September - 24 October 2008	£357 / 499 euros	£327 / 469 euros	£337 / 489 euros
25 October - 19 December 2008	£327 / 469 euros	£287 / 399 euros	£297 / 429 euros
20 December - 2 January 2009	£397 / 576 euros	£357 / 518 euros	£367 / 532 euros

Notes on prices
Prices are for the property per week in UK Pounds and euros. Discount for long lets - please call

Mimosa (Sleeps 2/4.1 Bedroom)

A large patio ensures privacy for outdoor wining and dining or just sitting with your feet up. Indoors Mimosa is decorated in traditional Umbrian style, hand finished by local craftsmen. Its oak beams, terracotta tiles and white walls are complemented by stylish interior furnishings. The lounge area has two deep armchairs that convert into comfortable beds and a dining table with four chairs. The kitchen is fully equipped with everything from dishwasher to salad crisper. To help you set up your self catering arrangements, your fridge and cupboard will contain breakfast basics and some condiments, though we also offer a full shopping service if you wish to get stocked up prior to arrival. The bedroom has a large built in wardrobe and a substantial chest of drawers. We can provide a double or two single beds, please indicate your preference. The bathroom has a shower so spacious that we jokingly call it ‘the honeymoon shower’, a basin, a bidet and a lavatory. Plenty

Tamarisk (Sleeps 2/3.1 Bedroom)

Situated in a 5 acre olive grove with large shared pool. Through the French doors the apartment affords a magnificent view over the classic Umbrian landscape of fields, forests and hilltop towns. Tamarisk is part of a converted farmhouse, decorated in a traditional style with white walls, beamed ceilings and terracotta tiled floors. Tamarisk is a one bedroom apartment. Fully equipped kitchen. Fully equipped modern bathroom on the ground floor of a recently refurbished farmhouse. It is attractively and comfortably furnished throughout. The first area is a living / dining room with a well equipped kitchen section. The bedroom has a large, comfortable double bed and a walk-in wardrobe. In addition, there is plenty of drawer and shelf space. Lighting is varied, and can be adjusted to suit reading or intimate dinners. Thick walls ensure that the apartment is pleasantly cool in the summer and, with the help of individually controlled central heating, cosy and warm.

Cypressa (Sleeps 2/3. Studio Apartment)

Cypressa is a large studio that sleeps two, in double or single beds according to preference. An extra guest bed or cot can be provided by arrangement. All mod cons are available: a large and comfortable seating area, a dining table and chairs, chests of drawers and a large built in wardrobe. The separate kitchen is well equipped with implements and crockery besides dishwasher, fridge, microwave, kettle, toaster and coffee maker. The shower room is equipped with a bidet, lavatory and a separate section with a wash basin. One of the most charming features of Cypressa is its private outdoor dining area a structure we call, for lack of a better word, the gazebo. The vine covered edifice offers splendid views of distant hillsides that are thickly covered by forests, with olive groves and vineyards on the lower slopes. No wonder the region is called Umbria Verde, or Green Umbria! The rich vegetation all round attracts a colourful variety of wildlife.

Notes on accommodation
Plenty of towels (including pool towels) are provided as well as bed and kitchen linen, freshly changed weekly. On the day of your arrival you will find a complimentary bottle of wine and an invitation to join us for welcome drinks. We shall be delighted to help you with tips and suggestions, such as forthcoming local events, to help ease you into a successful and happy holiday.

Accessibility
The grounds are terraced, very peaceful but not manicured to give shelter to wild flora and fauna. Suitable footwear is recommended, especially above pool level. Not suitable for wheelchairs. Very accessible for people who walk with difficulty (eg my mother-in-law). Car parking next to apartment Cypressa. Close for all others.

Outside
The pool is set on the first terrace behind the house and is a good size at 5x12m and 1.6m deep at the far end. Semicircles of Roman steps allow easy, shallow access to the water. There is a pergola with table and chairs for poolside refreshments (there is a cool-bag and plastic utensils in your flat). Plenty of loungers, cushions and shades make the pool the centre of recreation in the summer. You are truly part of nature here – do not be surprised if you are joined by a thirsty butterfly or a swift during your swim! Your apartment is part of Casa Fontana, a converted Umbrian farm house that sits in five acres of olive groves. We have not yet been able to make an exact count but we think we have somewhere in the region of two hundred olive trees. That’s a lot of Martinis! The grounds are a series of terraces, climbing ever higher to provide increasingly panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. There is a copse of oaks that give shelter to wild.

Coast/Beach
‘Cuore verde d’Italia’ or the ‘Green Heart of Italy’ is how Italians call Umbria. Here the harsher, drier landscape of Tuscany gives way to forest covered hills and mountains, the lower slopes dotted with vineyards and olive groves. The whole of the region seems like one great natural park, where human architecture has not so much intruded on the landscape as enhanced it. It is still very much the landscape you can see in the paintings of the great Renaissance artists, from Perugino to da Vinci.

Golf
2 golf courses within 30 mins. Lanborghni lakeside 9 holes
Perugia - city outskirts 18 holes (favourite of our neighbour).

Skiing
Monte Sabiasio behind Assisi has skiing. About 45 mins by car.

Special interest holidays
Good for walkers, ramblers etc. 3 tracks pass the casa. Many markets tracks in district. Appenines 45 mins / 1 hour away. Similarly for bikes - rental shop 20 mins away by car. Good for sketching and painting - guests and friend find inspiration and concentration here. Food and Art Tours 31/5 - 7/6 & 6/9 - 13/9 Phone Edith on 07710 317 337 for details. Olive picking activity-learning-gourmet Autumn breaks.

Travel
We are approx 40 mins from Perugia airport (RyanAir via Stansted). Also only 2 hours drive from 7 other airports with direct flights from the UK - Rome Ciampino, Rome Fiumicino, Pisa, Florence, Bologna and Bologna Forli and Ancona. With Hertz and Avis Car hire in Chiusi and good train services from Rome and other cities. It is possible to avoid the motorway driving. Car: It is essential to have a car when staying at Casa Fontana.

Distances
Main line Station Chiusi 30 mins. Nearest Supermarket, bar, resturant -2km (also Aqua Centre). Tavernelle 3km - 4 supermarkets, 4 bars, 6 cash machines, selection of shops, open market Monday. Lago Trasimeno 20 mins. Panicale 15 mins Attractive walled town with recommended restaurants. Assisi and Orvieto 40 mins. Sienna and Spoleto 90 mins. Rome and Florence 100km Motorway (A1) each -good trains from Chiusi about an hour each. 2 golf courses within 25 mins.

Further details
Covering an area of 128sqkm, Lago Trasimeno is the fourth largest lake in Italy within a 15 min drive from your apartment. There are some breathtaking views of its green blue waters from the high hills surrounding much of the lake. A popular pastime is to take a small ferry to one of its islands for lunch. For the more active, the lake offers a variety of water sports, such as sailing, wind-surfing and diving. The centre of these activities is the lakeside spa town of Passigano. There are various beach resorts dotted around Trasimeno, the best being on the uninhabited island of Polvese.

The countryside around the lake is harmoniously shared between nature and agriculture. There are thick forests above the vineyards and olive groves which remain untouched except for the locals foraging for mushrooms, herbs, wild asparagus and other bounties of nature. They teem with wild boar, rabbits, and song birds of all kind. Even the rare porcupine and hoopoe bird can be glimpsed on occasion. There are many paths crisscrossing the area, suitable for gentle walks or long hikes. Mountain biking is popular, though you need to be super fit to cope with the steep climbs!

This is a wonderful centre for discovering art and architecture. In fact, according to a recent UNESCO survey, some 20% of the world’s cultural heritage is within a hundred km radius of the Trasimeno area! Florence, Perugia, Siena, Arezzo, Assisi, Orvieto, Gubbio, Spoleto, Chiusi, Cortona are all a comfortable daytrip from here. Apart from some of the best in medieval and Renaissance architecture, you can see works by such outstanding artists as da Vinci, Michelangelo, Piero della Francesca, Signorelli, Perugino and many others. Those interested in good quality cuisine at reasonable prices will enjoy trying out the many excellent restaurants in the Trasimeno area. Most offer traditional cuisine, with dishes such as wild boar salami, truffles grated over fresh pasta, or crisp lamb on a bed of ruccola.

Booking notes
A non refundable deposit of 30% is required on booking. Full payment is to be received six weeks before the rental date. At that point you will receive your Welcome Pack containing directions, practical suggestions and a What’s on list. Cancelation less than 6 weeks before start - refund only if we get a rebooking.

Guest comments
‘The accommodation is very well presented and the location is stunning’ -Nina and Tim, Bromley

‘We loved everything. Adjectives fail me!’ -Claire and Michelle, London

‘Great location, great accommodation and great hospitality; what more could you want?’ -John and Jenny, Whalley

‘We would love to return for more of the same.’-Hank and Daphnis, Spokane, WA, USA

‘Your beautiful home in its idyllic setting has given us a wonderful week.’ -Hector and Aileen, Paisley

‘We are sad to leave this beautiful part of Italy and hope to return one day.’ -Alma and Kevin, Port Melbourne, Australia

‘Casa Fontana is a perfectly lovely bit of Umbrian paradise’ -Marjorie and Seth, New York

‘After researching the internet for weeks and looking at hundreds of villas across Europe we found ourselves here at Casa Fontana and loved every moment. The remoteness and beauty of this home is breathtaking yet not too far from anywhere to have great days out.’ -Danny and Charlotte, London

This advertiser joined Owners Direct in December 2007,
and has advertised this property with us since December 2007.

Property Ref IT1771
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