10/10 Excellent
David T.
30 Jul 2018
A wonderfully isolated villa with character, marvellous views, plenty of space and wildlife!
We were a party of eight looking to relax and explore some of the parts of Tuscany and Umbria that we had not seen for a few years. The villa was an excellent base. We rarely drove for more than an hour and a half to any of the hill-top towns that we had on our list. On days when we didn't set off for a lunch in Pienza, Assisi, Cortona etc, we relaxed in and around the pool, barbecued in the grounds and went for walks along long-forgotten tracks through the surrounding woods.
We only needed to use the formal bedrooms to sleep in leaving much room for quiet retreats in the remaining living rooms. It took a couple of days for each of us to work out the best combination of sleeping with shutters and windows open or closed - this was mid-July - but once cracked we all slept peacefully.
The biggest thrill of the stay was the regular visits from a family of wild boar. Around ten of them would wander through the gardens chomping away at fallen plums and anything else they could find to eat. The challenge was finding a place to watch them from without frightening them away.
Having four pianists in the group meant that the grand piano was quite a bonus (thankfully spared from the risks of less-accomplished hands, sticky fingers and other hazards and so in very good condition).
Michelangelo and his local team were most helpful and responsive to any requests.
Another challenge for us was deciding where to eat each day - with so many choices. The favourite for lunch was the tower on top floor with its panoramic views. This also tied for the best place for pre-prandials with sitting around the 150-200 year-old mulberry tree in the front garden. And for supper it was either the dining room with windows and shutters wide open or the near end of the long row of "beer keller" tables beside the barbecue.
And on clear nights we finished things off by star gazing. There was so little light pollution that we could even make out Saturn's rings with a pair of binoculars.
We would thoroughly recommend this villa as a way to get away from it all and explore the region.
David T.
Stayed 11 nights in Jul 2018
