Villa Caterina

A long private road leads up through the hills. Close to the summit a drive leads down to the house with glorious views to East, South and West.

There is ample car parking in a an area above the gardens and house from which a short walk leads down past the cottage across the garden to the main house

Doors lead out from 3 sides of the house enjoying the magnificent panorama below and across the hills.

Main Villa 

Ground Floor

The formal entrance door on the west side of the house enters into a raised open plan Entrance Hall the full width of the house with French windows leading straight out the other side.

A large bricked arch frames the view and entrance down two steps into the

Sitting/Living Room which occupies the Southern end of the villa. At its end generous glass doors open to a terrace enjoying the best of the Southerly views. Three other French windows open to the gardens to east and west. Traditional stone floors and massive ceiling beams characterise its traditional character, otherwise flooded with natural light. There are two comfortable sofas, chairs and a large wood burning fire place making it a room relatively cool in the summer but warm in the winter. Two steps descend from its South Eastern corner into the

Kitchen/Dining Area a colourful and ornate Italian styled kitchen. The comfortable Dining area has a table capable of seating 10. The main part of the kitchen has French doors at its southern end leading out onto its own dining terrace shaded by a pergoda.  French doors also lead onto the same terrace accessed from the sitting room giving a lovely choice of dining/eating/relaxing areas in shade or sun and immediately accessible to the house.  The kitchen is well equipped with fitted units incorporating a double sink, gas cooker (5 rings) and large oven with extractor hood. Also a full height fridge/freezer, coffee making facilities and microwave. There is also a breakfast table with seating for 4.

Two steps from the Entrance Hall lead up to

Bedroom 1 (The Yellow Room) with twin beds and a door leading to the garden and views to the morning sun. Note this room does not have air conditioning.

Bathroom 1 adjoins with shower, washbasin and WC

Stairs from the entrance hall ascend to the:

First Floor:

All bedrooms have air conditioning, traditional stone floors and exposed roof timbers.

Stairs from downstairs lead straight into an upstairs Sitting Room with sofa, chairs, open wood burning fireplace and flat screen Panasonic ‘smart’ TV with a DVD player and selection of DVD’s.  There a small library of books for the enjoyment of guests. A door on the eastern side leads to external stone steps that descend to the garden on that side.

A short passage leads to Bathroom 2 with a shower, WC and washbasin. Adjoining this is Bedroom 2 – ‘The Blue Room’ with a Queen size double bed and windows facing North and East.

A short passage leads from the South side of the upstairs Sitting Room to Ensuite Bathroom 3 with shower, bath and WC and Bedroom 3 ‘The Master Bedroom’  a beautiful double bedroom with king size double bed and magnificent views to the South and East.

The Cottage

A short walk up the garden leads to a separate small cottage called ‘Shai’s Cottage’

This self contained cottage is accessed over and through its westerly facing terrace/seating area, shaded by its own vine clad pergoda through large glass doors into the main open plan:

Living Room /Kitchen Area. This main room has a comfortable ‘sitting room’ end to it with a sofa (which can open to form a queen size double bed)  a woodburning stove in one corner and a sony music system. At the eastern end of the downstairs living area is a

Kitchenette with units incorporating a sink, fridge microwave and coffee making facilities.

A door leads into the Bathroom 4 with WC, shower and washbasin.

Wooden stairs lead up to a mezzanine/First floor Double Bedroom 4 occupying a third of the floor with a Queen size double bed and windows in all directions.

Caterina’s custodian, Adrienne lives separately and discreetly in another small dwelling which is called Casa Maria is of course outside the letting.

Villa Caterina is located in the stunning rural countryside of Umbria which is characterised by dramatic forested hills, interesting and unspoilt architecture and natural beauty.

There are local shopping facilities at Pierantonio, (20 mins), including a bakery, butcher, grocer, pharmacy, post office, bank and a couple of bars.

The nearest supermarket is in Umbertide (30 mins), located on the river Tiber, with a number of good walks and an excellent choice of restaurants. There is a market once a week at Umbertide, as well as many other local market towns notably Arezzo (1 hr 20 mins),  Gubbio (44 mins) and Camucia (48 minutes)

Gubbio, (44 mins) is one of Umbria’s most perfect medieval hill towns. There is a Basilica high above Gubbio which makes for an enjoyable and impressive walking destination.

The nearest town/cities of size are Perugia (20mins) to the South and Florence (2 hrs 10 mins) to the North.

The closest airport to the Villa is in Perugia (25 mins). There are also airports at Siena (1hr 30 mins) Florence (2hr 8 mins), Pisa (3hrs) and Rome (2 hrs 30 mins).

The closest train station is also in Perugia.

There is an extensive House Information book with further details of all mentioned below.

Villa Caterina’s custodian, Adrienne, lives independently in a small cottage on the property and will be available throughout your stay for any needs and requests you may have.  She happy to help you discover Umbria and can assist in planning the following activities at or from the Caterina.

Massage & Bodywork

Private / group yoga classes

Pizza night with a pizzaiolo using Caterina’s wood burning oven

Walking - There are a variety of local paths and routes from Caterina (all detailed in the house) to suit all ages and states of fitness.

Eating Out – a list of local recommendations can be found in The House Information Book.

Lago Trasimeno - (20 mins) - in addition to offering various water sport activities, towns such as Passignano and Castiglione del Lago are most appealing and the islands of Maggiore and Polvese can be accessed by short and enjoyable boat rides. Isola Maggiore features the ruins of a castle and church which make for an enjoyable visit.

Markets - The best local market is probably Umbertide on a Wednesday. The market is in the old centre of Umbertide. The market is on Wednesday approx. 7am-12pm.

All markets are morning only.

Tuesday:        Pierantonio, Gubbio

Wednesday: Umbertide,

Thursday:      Citta Di Castello

Saturday:       Perugia

Golf - The Antognolla Golf Course is set amidst the 600 hectare Antognolla Estate. This championship golf course offers golfers of all abilities the opportunity to play on an expertly designed course, giving a true test of skill and judgement. The driving range is the perfect place to warm up before a round or just for working on your short game. The driving range is available for keen golfers seven days a week.

Riding - There are a number of riding stables where you can book a riding lesson or go for a ride in the countryside.

Canoeing - on the Tiber at Citta di Castello. Hire a Canadian canoe at Citta di Castello Canoe club. A great family day out.

Excursions to:

Gubbio (20 mins) - in addition to offering various water sport activities, towns such as Passignano and Castiglione del Lago are the most appealing and the islands of Maggiore and Polvese can be accessed by short and enjoyable boat rides. Isola Maggiore features the ruins of a castle and church which people always enjoy visiting.

Assisi - (30 mins) The birthplace of St Francis, Assisi is a must for any trip to Umbria and Italy. It is hard not to be awestruck by the magnificence and sheer grandeur of the Basilica. Above Assisi is the Eremo di Carcere (Hermitage), which is an old monastery built near the caves that were used by St Francis and contains the tree where he preached to the birds.

Perugia – (25 mins) The region’s capital city Perugia is just 20 minutes away and offers a wealth of cultural activities that include opera and the famous Umbria Jazz and Eurochocolate festivals. Other spectacular hilltop towns include Cortona and Preggio, the latter with its annual classical music festival

Montone - (20 mins) This town is one of the unspoilt gems of Umbria and the perfect place for a wonderful night out.  Arrive in time to enjoy the sunset from the top of the town and take in the beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. Then a drink in the delightful town square before heading to one of many good restaurants in the town. The town often hosts events including a film festival, an archery tournament between the different quarters, and dancing in the town square.

Florence, Tuscany (120 mins) Day trips to Florence are easily manageable, either by car or train. It takes c 2 hours to drive to Florence. Alternatively, it is possible to take a train from Terontola station, where you can take advantage of free parking and cheap train travel to take a relaxing journey into the city, arriving 5 minutes walk from the Duomo.

Wine tasting - Umbria is an exciting wine region with numerous grape varieties grown only here on account of the unique climate and soils. The valley below Caterina was once predominantly vineyards which were abandoned in the 1950s as people left the countryside for the cities, now being replanted again. Vineria del Carmine (5 mins) in the next door valley, is a cellar door for the wines produced from the vineyards in the valley. This 16th century building has been restored to provide the perfect area for the sommelier to explain the history of the valley and talk you through the wine tastings.

Thermal Baths - There are several thermal baths in Tuscany, the nearest are Rapolano Terme and San Crescentino dei Bagni. At Spa Hotel Terms San Giovanni there is a very nice spa hotel that offers packages for family day entries into the 4 thermal pools.

Frasassi Caves - The caves are open all year round and a visit can last approx. one hour. The caves consist of an immense cavern and a series of large chambers, tunnels, wells and labyrinths that snake for 13km.  Stalactites formed over thousands of years have entwined themselves to create stunning reflections on the surface of the water and take on bizarre shapes.

Marmore Waterfalls - These spectacular waterfalls are located close to Terni in Southern Umbria. They are 165 metres in height and are the tallest man made waterfalls in the world. The Cascata delle Marmore were created by the Romans when they diverted the Velino river over the cliff into the River Nera.

Perugina Chocolate Factory and Museum - Chocolate lovers can take a trip to the nearby Perugina chocolate factory, visit the museum and take a guided tour of the factory. The tours lasts approximately 1hr and must be booked in advance.