This romantic hideaway is the perfect place for lovers, young and old, or anyone seeking a very special place from which to view the unforgettable Tuscan and Umbrian countryside. Poised on a high hillside, the house has spectacular views of rolling hills and valleys, looming castles, and cultivated fields,a landscape that could only be Italy.
Restored in the mid-nineties, the house has a dramatic, luminous two-storey living room with picture window imbedded in a lovely stone wall, which rises like a natural sculpture on the south western interior of the house. The dramatic master bedroom is located up a staircase with hand-crafted wrought iron balustrade, and has views on four sides. It is furnished with an antique, painted armoire, massive hand made chestnut bed, beechwood blanket chest and desk with phone and electrical jacks suitable for computer use.
An efficiently designed kitchen, complete with granite counters, chestnut cupboards, old style china cabinet and antique oval walnut table, has French doors that lead to an outdoor stone terrace and grape arbor, ideal for outdoor dining and gazing at the view.
A beautiful and efficient wood-burning stove, double-glazed windows, and heated towel racks in the bathroom make this a particularly cozy retreat for the colder months. Perfect for a couple, the house also has a fold-out sofa in the living room, which can accommodate a child.
Medieval Italian farm houses, or case coloniche, were complete worlds unto themselves, small, self-sustaining communities where extended family groups grew their own food, bartering their agricultural surpluses for precious manufactured goods available in the towns. The houses and outbuildings grew as the families grew and as agricultural production required, producing a pragmatic architecture that is nevertheless astounding for its craft and beauty. This harmony of proportions is still very much apparent in Casa Carina, originally designed as a barn for storing the wheat, once a key element in the extended agricultural estate that comprises the Altabella holdings.
Summary of features:
Accommodation: 1 double bedroom/1 bath / fold-out sofa (sleeps 2+)
Fully equipped kitchen with modern appliances and dishwasher
WiFi and VOIP phones are available (small fee for unlimited use). Guests can also connect to the internet via their own laptops or phones.
Full-size bath tub and shower, bidet, pedestal sink, heated towel rack
Central heating and washer and dryer
Beautiful ceramic wood stove
Double-glazed windows and screens for year-round use
Furnished with antiques and pieces built by local craftsmen using old designs
Attractive linens and towels
Good mattresses and reading lights
Stone terrace, herb and flower gardens, suitable for outdoor dining and lounging
Personalized Italian cooking lessons and/or serving at home, available upon request
Elegant 18 meter by 7 meter infinity swimming pool
