Italy accommodation - Monastery San Silvestro Vacation Apartments, near Cortona, Tuscany

Italy accommodation - this ancient monastery offers vacation accommodation in spacious, traditionally furnished apartments not far from Cortona, Tuscany. With a large swimming pool and garden, and easy access to horseriding and water sports (Lake Trasimeno is just over the border in Umbria), this is an excellent spot for a family vacation.

Apartment Tuscia sleeps 4+2. With two double bedrooms, a bathroom with shower, a large living area with a double sofa-bed, and a corner kitchen, it sits on the second floor of the monastery. On entering the living area, originally a dovecote, there is an arched window facing out onto the magnificent gardens below and breathtaking view in the distance. Tuscan style furniture from the 1800s is complemented by a cosy fireplace. A double sofa bed sits opposite the corner kitchen, tiled in terracotta. The larger bedroom is furnished with a queen-size double bed, the smaller with twin beds, with all interior decorations and upholstery in Florentine design. The apartment has a television, and air conditioning in all rooms.

Apartment Fesulae sleeps 2+3, and has a double bedroom and a bathroom with tub. On the ground floor, it has a lovely entranceway directly off the outdoor gallery. A large comfortable living area has a Tuscan-style rustic kitchen, working fireplace, open-faced stone wall and a double sofa bed. A large bedroom with double bed has a small dressing room with wardrobe and a bathroom with tub.

Apartment Corito sleeps 2+2, with a double bedroom, a bathroom with tub and kitchenette. The ground floor apartment has a large living area with an original, working, stone fireplace.

Apartment Roselle sleeps 6+2 and has three bedrooms, a bathroom with shower, a bathroom with tub, living area with corner kitchen, and a wide hallway study or den. Set on the second floor, Roselle was originally the church. Its main feature is a carefully restored tie-beam roof and rose window. Arched antique windows in the living room look onto the outer gardens and countryside, and there is a corner kitchen and a single sofa bed. The master bedroom has a queen-size double, a TV, and ensuite bathroom with shower. There is a queen-size double in the second bedroom and a double sofa bed in the smallest.

Apartment Etruria sleeps 4+2. It has two bedrooms, a bathroom with shower, a bathroom with tub, and a living area with kitchen corner. Though recently restored, Etruria has kept its original characteristics. It has its own entrance with a small porch leading to the gardens. The antique original wooden door opens onto an antique stone staircase leading up to the living area. The master bedroom is completely furnished in Tuscan pieces from the 1800s, and this apartment has the monastery's original open-faced stone fireplace. The other bedroom, also a double, is decorated in the same style.

Apartment Florentia, sleeping 4+1, is specifically designed and furnished for elderly guests or people with disabilities. It has two bedrooms, a bathroom with shower, and a living area with kitchen corner. This ground floor apartment has its own entrance from the garden. Originally the monastery's wine cellar it retains the original arches and beams. The two large bedrooms and the living area (where another bed can be added) are comfortable and cosy.

The 12m swimming pool is situated in front of the house in a private garden. There are two showers and plenty of room to sunbathe. You'll find horse riding five minutes away, and surfing and sailing five minutes away on Lake Trasimeno. Golf is available at Perugia and Antognolla, 30 to 40km away, and there is tennis five minutes away in Cortona.

[ local map | map of Tuscany ]

There is a wealth to see within easy reach, with lovely churches and Etruscan relics nearby. Southward, you will find Passignano sul Trasimeno, a lovely village on the northern banks of Lake Trasimeno. And nearby lies the little Renaissance town of Montepulciano, and Pienza - another renaissance town with stunning views of the Val d'Orcia. Florence, Siena, Spoleto and Orvieto can all be reached within the hour; Arezzo and Perugia are just 30 minutes away.

Then there is marvellous Cortona itself. This lovely town is one of the twelve that made up the ancient Etruscan Federation. Located high on a hill above the Valdichiana, it has spectacular views towards Lake Trasimeno, Monte Amiata and Castiglione Fiorentino. Long a centre of art it is still noted for its architecture and museums, most notably the Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca and the Duomo, and is packed with quaint shops, good restaurants and pretty streets.

Please contact your hosts for full details on booking, deposit, price and cancellation procedures. Water, gas, electricity, hot water, linen and towels are included in your rental. Also available (please request at time of booking) are help with cooking and cleaning; specialist catering, such as the Italian menu, organic and vegetarian menus; babysitting (English/German speaking); Italian lessons; Shiatsu, Reiki and Prana healing treatments, and basic yoga lessons for groups of up to six; a beautician and dermatologist. Guests should arrive on 5pm on Saturday and vacate before 10am on the day of departure.

With so much to see and do, you'll want to contact the owners of the Monastery San Silvestro to find out more. And they'll be delighted to help - simply click below for details.