Farmhouse in Secluded Mountain Setting with Stunning Views
Bordering the Furlo Gorge National Park, 30 Minute Drive to the Coast
Sleeps 5/6 (3 Bedrooms + Spacious Studio)
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It is 19 years since we were seduced by a ramshackle Ca Rosa glowing in the pink sunset of a May evening, and it has lost none of it's magic, although now it is completely restored. It retains many typical Marchigiani features and is now a comfortable home, rather than a sophisticated villa. The large farmhouse kitchen has been modernised using local stone and wood. The sitting room houses a piano (and music!), a DVD and CD players and plenty of games for relaxing moments. The house melds into the outside surroundings by means of a large covered loggia, with a long table for meals or for just sitting to absorb the ever changing panorama over the valley to Acqualagna (the National Truffle Capital) and beyond to the Apennines. If relaxing in the garden is not active enough, there are wonderful walks, mountain bikes to hire, horse riding and 2 amazing rivers within 20 mins, with pools and cascades. The Roman port of Fano is 30 minutes away - enjoy its sandy beaches and fine seafood.
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| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 28 April 2012 - 21 July 2012 | £650 | 7 | ||
| 21 July 2012 - 8 September 2012 | £700 | 7 | ||
| 8 September 2012 - 13 October 2012 | £650 | 7 |
Changeover day
Changeover day is usually a Saturday, but we can be flexible to accommodate cheaper midweek flights, so do please ask. Arrival after 4pm and departure 10am to allow for cleaning, which is included. Minimum stay is usually 7 nights, but again do ask.
Accommodation
| Bedrooms: | First floor: double bedroom with original fireplace and door to the garden. Single bedroom with French doors to the garden. 2nd floor: Open-plan studio - divan, sofa and desk, with a fine view. Walk through to twin room, which also has a door to garden. |
| Bathrooms: | Ground floor: wet room with shower, wc, bidet and wash basin. First floor: bath, shower, wc, bidet and wash basin. |
| Kitchen: | The hub of the house is the big well equipped farmhouse kitchen with an open fireplace and large table. Fitted with a double sink and work surfaces, both made in local stone, it is a joy to cook in! 4 ring hob, oven and big fridge/freezer. |
| Utility Room: | This a general storage space for wine, shoes, the hoover, clothes rack etc and for the washing machine. |
| Living Rooms: | The spacious lounge has comfortable seating with a large coffee table A piano and music, a TV, DVDs & a CD player are there for your enjoyment. There are CDs and DVDs, board and card games to borrow. French doors lead to the garden. |
| Other: | We have an extensive range of books and heaps of maps and information about local places of interest. We recommend shops, restaurants and bars, as well local walks, pools, beaches and directions to the best spots for river swimming. |
| Cleaning/towels/ linen/maid service: |
There will be loo paper, soap, and cleaning materials etc and tablecloths and tea towels. You can bring your own linen and towels or we can provide them. It costs £18 per person, per set of bedlinen and towels. Cleaning is included in rent. |
| Amenities/Facilities: | hob/stove oven fridge/freezer washing machine iron/ironing board tv room fans cot barbecue |
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Notes on accommodation
The house is built into the mountain and is on three floors, so there are steps which may not prove easy for the very young or infirm. We have a stair gate and travel cot.
We have bedroom fans for very hot weather, although the thick stone walls keep the house cool. Anti mosquito mesh can be pulled down in all the bedrooms and the studio. The three bedrooms have the advantage of a second door, with immediate access to the garden. There is an open fire in the kitchen and a gas stove, but no central heating.
Accessibility
The house has a good tarmac road from the village, with great views of the gorge on the way. There's a 'white' road to the top of Monte Pietralata, above. Regretfully, the house is not wheelchair friendly. A car is essential, but there is also a good bus service locally and a railway station 45 minutes away. There is a daily return coach to Rome from Acqualagna - you can be there for coffee! Ancona and Rimini airports are 1 hour by car and Bologna 2 hours. About 4 hours from Rome by car.
Outside
Our garden consists of pots, climbers and a flowerbed near the house and grass leading to a raised area, with a swing seat, table and chairs. We have two acres of land round the house but, with no fenced borders, so you are free to roam up or down the mountain into the National Park. It is truly stunning countryside with the wildlife, (including a pair of golden eagles that nest in the gorge), protected from hunters. You can view the nest from higher up the road above the house and on a fine day see Urbino and the coast.
A stage of the Giro di Italia took place in the locality 2 years ago - coming through the Furlo Gorge - proof of the challenging cycling to be had. The extensive white roads are perfect for mountain biking.
We have a barbecue and the large covered loggia makes it possible to be outside in all weathers. Although we do not have a pool, there is one in the village (a 20 minute walk) and plenty of others nearby, or try the spectacular river pools or the beach.
Coast/Beach
It is 40kms to the Roman port of Fano, with its sandy beaches to the north and south. There are stretches of 'free' beach, but generally there are concessions with a bar, umbrellas etc and each with their own special character. It is worth an hour's drive to the Conero Peninsular near Ancona, with pebble beaches nestling under the white cliffs. Walk to a good and informal fish restaurant for lunch and as you leave visit Sirolo, perched on the clifftop, for an ice-cream and the view.
Travel
Airports : Ancona and Rimini 1 hour by car. Bologna 2 hours. Rome Fiumicino 4 hours by car. Train stations - Fano on main Milan to Bari line. A car is essential at the house, but there are good bus and train services too. Calais to Furlo is almost exactly 1000 miles by road. We have done the journey often and can suggest routes.
Distances
Furlo village is 2km down the hill and has 3 bars, a very exclusive restaurant, a hotel with a pool, and a large riverside park. The main road bypasses the village, leaving a beautiful walk through the gorge. The ancient abbey (seen from house), is perfect for a piadina and wine beside the river. The renaissance jewel of Urbino is 18kms, Gubbio 48, Ravenna, Assisi, Perugia, Arezzo and the spectacular caves at Frassasi are a day's visit. However, there are many medieval hilltop towns nearby.
Further details
Acqualagna is a 10 minute drive and despite being the National Truffle Capital, is small, unassuming and friendly. There are summer truffle festas and the main festa is over three weekends at the end of October and November - then the town is vibrant! (let us know if you are interested in a b & b visit at that time of year).
Acqualagna has at least 6 good value restaurants to enjoy traditional marchigiani dishes and of course truffles.
Thursday is market day, but there is a market to be found every day in other local towns. There are good shops, banks and plenty of fiestas celebrating some aspect of Italian cuisine or culture - usually both! For retail therapy, visit the many factory outlet shops.
Good mountain roads make it easy to enjoy the flora and fauna, especially the carpets of flowers. In May & June there can be spring flowers and budding leaves at the foot of the mountain and near the top, the narcissus and crocus still abounding. This trip can be combined with a visit to a fine monastery at the foot of Monte Catria. Each season has its delights from wild asparagus in our garden, to the fungi and truffles.
The Marche is a largely undiscovered region rich in natural beauty, art and architectural treasures, museums, good food and such welcoming people - all the joys associated with Italian life, but with less tourists.
Booking notes
Please check availability and then e mail us. On confirmation of dates, we ask for a 25% deposit, with the balance and a £100 security deposit, paid by bank draft or cheque, 8 weeks before the start of your holiday. The security deposit against damage or breakages will be refunded, if all is well, two weeks after the end of your stay. For foreign currencies we take the exchange rate at the time of booking.
For only 2 or 3 people renting we will make a discount - please ask!
Guest comments
'A wonderfully tranquil spot. The smells, the tastes, the sounds of the Marche, we have dipped out toes in the water - mille grazie.' Pam from Shrewsbury.
'Ca Rosa has proved the perfect place for our honeymoon with its wonderful sense of peace, quietness and beauty. We have visited Urbino (fascinating) and Ravenna (amazing mosaics) and the Uffizi Gallery. So many thanks.' Adrian and Marie Dorset.
'The views, hilltop towns and culture are wonderful, but what I will remember are the smells of Ca Rosa - the wild mint and white rose on emerging from the green room. Above the street lights and beneath the stars - fireflies sequin the hillside.' Jill from Bristol.
'I had a grait holedai. I lite ver swoomun pohl and my is lolee verei much.' Joshi aged 5 from Wingham.
'I have had a great week - jumping into rivers, building dams, driving to Sirolo which was brill, going to a rock concert and lots more.' Henry 13 Hurstpierpoint.
'Lazy, hazy beautiful bliss!' Pippa, Leeds.
Owner profile
About the owner
We live in Sussex, (England) and, now retired, aim to spend 4 or 5 months a year at Ca Rosa. We have been accepted into this small mountainside community - a diverse and generous bunch, often speaking in dialect! Writing this as the sun sets, we reflect on our good fortune in finding a second home in the beautiful, unspoilt region of Le Marche and the huge pleasures and frustrations we have encountered as we restored it.
Why the owner chose a home in this location
We had often mused about the romantic notion of a house in Italy - but one with no doors or windows, with a collapsed roof and a tree growing inside, that had been abandoned since the quarries closed 40 years ago - yes!
We were seduced by the pink Furlo stone and bought it (in 1991)after one visit on a May evening - no property details or surveys - hoping there was water. So began our happy association with Monte Pietralata,which constitutes one side of the Furlo Gorge, through which passes the old Via Flaminia linking Rome with the port of Fano.
So the house is secluded, but not isolated, with a good access road. The views are spectacular and the countryside lush. Our land is unfenced and above us is the mountain - a paradise for nature lovers with golden eagles nesting in the gorge.
Unique benefits of the property
Ca Rosa is in an area of outstanding natural beauty, now a National Park. This week we lay in bed and saw deer grazing - including our geraniums!. The wild boar pass through and we consider it a privilege (mostly!) to share our life with so many protected species of plant and beast.
We are great lovers of Italian food and our small local town Acqualagna is the National Truffle Centre, so there are many good restaurants locally.
The area is rich in art and architectural treasures - nearby is the renaissance jewel of Urbino. Assisi, Perugia, Ravenna and Arezzo are all day trips.
Finally, there is the beach, the rivers or the pools for cooling off and a comfortable and peaceful home to return to - what more could we want?
For booking and further information
Property Ref IT2616
Jill Kingsbury
Tel: (UK) + 44 (0)1903 784 867
Tel: (Italy) + 39 3397 210 269
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Property Ref IT2616
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