In a house in the Niccone valley - which runs from the Tuscan town of Mercatale di Cortona into Umbria and the upper Tiber valley - this villa rental in Italy is private but not isolated.
The nearest shop is 1km away in the hamlet of Mengaccini, and the area has a lot to offer. As well as the stunning scenery dotted with medieval towns and castles, there is horse riding, tennis, cycling and, on the lake, ferry trips to islands, swimming and sailing. Family-run restaurants and pizzerias are found in every village.
This villa rental in Italy is on an easterly facing hillside. The swimming pool measures 24 x 10 feet and a barn gives daytime shade; this is equipped with trestle table, chairs and barbecue. The pool has a safety fence. A loggia (or terrace) by the house entrance has a sun awning and a dining area.
The house has two double bedrooms, a twin bedded room and bathroom (shower). The front half of the house is one open-plan room with a built-in kitchen at one end and a sitting area in front of the fireplace with wood stove at the other. On one side is a large dining table.
The kitchen has a gas hob, electric oven, washing machine, dishwasher and fridge/freezer. You are perfectly private here; the owners have an apartment at the other side of the building on the ground floor where they stay when in Italy. In some circumstances this apartment is also available to the guests renting the main house. It is never rented separately. Please ask for prices.
The official price for this villa rental in Italy is in Pounds Sterling, please contact your hosts for US Dollar and Euro equivalents. These are given for easy reference only and should be confirmed. Easter to 28 May, £600; 28 May to 2 July, £700; 2 to 23 July, £950; 23 July to 27 August £1,290; 27 August to 3 September, £950; 3 to 24 September, £700; other dates, £600. Bed linen, towels and pool towels are provided. There is a £300 booking deposit per week; the rest within six weeks prior to arrival.
There are plenty of local markets. Umbertide market every Wednesday morning is an opportunity to see the town at its liveliest. The excellent fruit-and-vegetable market occupies the main piazza in the historic centre while clothes, linens, handbags, shoes and household goods are a short walk away. Other market days include Camucia on Thursdays, Tuoro on Fridays and Cortona on Saturdays.
Local festas (festivals) include the Corsa dei Ceri in Gubbio, each 15 May. This mad race up the slopes of Monte Inginio always draws a huge crowd. And there are a number of other events within easy reach of this villa rental in Italy.
The Infiorata at Spello, on Sunday 29 May this year (2005) commemorates Corpus Domini. The streets of Spello are decorated with the most elaborate pictures made only from fresh flower petals. The designs are laid down through Saturday night ready for Sunday morning when the Priest leads a procession through the town over the floral displays. Park early.
The Festival dei Due Mondi is the Spoleto music festival, from the end of June through the first weeks of July. A long-established and renowned cultural festival, it has performances of dance, poetry and music in the historic town of Spoleto.
Umbria Jazz in Perugia (8 to 17 July 2005) is a vibrant and world class jazz festival, increasing in popularity every year. In previous years James Brown and Miles Davis have been in the line-up. For nine or ten days the night-time streets are thronged with people. It is a very exciting time to visit the city whether you have a ticket for a particular performance or not. There are many free events.
The Preggio Music Festival runs from the end of July, through the first two weeks of August. For more than 20 years the medieval hilltop village of Preggio has held a festival including chamber music, choral pieces, piano recitals and song recitals. Preggio sits high above the Niccone valley, 15 minutes from Mercatale and 15 minutes from Umbertide.
The Montone Film Festival is a very popular and successful film festival operating for one week every July. The setting is the small, beautiful medieval hilltop town of Montone. Many films are shown in the town's atmospheric piazza. The festival is a week of screenings, workshops and forums. It is attended by directors and actors including, in previous years, Colin Firth, Terry Gilliam and Ralph Fiennes.
The majority of villages in the area around these villa rentals in Italy hold annual summer festivals of varying sizes. A personal favourite is the Mercatale di Cortona festival, generally a week long with cene (dinners) cooked and eaten in the village square every night. Dancing, small theatrical shows and dance troupes entertain the crowds. The festa's high point is on Ferragosto, the national bank holiday on 15 August, when the midnight firework display gives a noisy close to the night.
Each 16 August, the Palio in Siena sees a mad horse race around the central Campo and other medieval fun and games.
