Named after the mountain on which it stands and dating back to the late 1700's, Villa Bastiola was originally a Casa Padronale, an Umbrian farmhouse built by landowners who would have farmed the surrounding land. Built with stones from the local area, the Villa is rectangular in shape, with dark green wooden shutters, in keeping with Umbrian traditions.

Built on three floors, the ground floor would have been used to house the cattle and the original mangers can still be seen in the Legnaia (wood store) today.

The first floor was the living area for the family. The warmth of the cattle would have come up through the floor and helped to provide heat during the long winter months. An arch of terracotta bricks that was once above the main door is still intact and is today part of the shower cubicle in one of the bathrooms!

A fantastic fireplace, made of pietra serena, dating back to the origins of the house dominates the living room and would once have been the centre of family life providing warmth and heat for cooking food. During the wintertime, smoke from the fire would have flavoured the grapes, which hung from the beams as part of the process of preparing Vin Santo (Italian sweet fortified wine).

Original oak and chestnut beams are still visible in the living room and the bedrooms, together with terracotta flooring and a wooden ladder staircase to the second floor (now closed off).

The second floor provided sleeping accommodation for the family and is now accessed by a separate staircase built into the drying tower attached to the house. The owners, Marco and Sally Ann, live in the second floor apartment and are delighted to welcome guests to their Umbrian home. They are on hand to provide information about the area, the best restaurants, where to go, what to see and to make sure that guests enjoy their holiday to the full!

Villa Bastiola sits in a hectare of land, with a grove of olive trees, fruit and walnut trees and a stunning view over the Upper Tiber Valley. Villa Bastiola represents a beautiful example of living history in Umbria...