Location: Spoleto, Umbria, Italy, Europe (50 miles to Rome/10 miles to Assisi/10 mins walk to station) View Map
Accommodations: Apartment, 2 Bedrooms + Convertible bed(s), 1 Bath (Sleeps 4)
Please contact me directly re availability - the chart is NOT accurate. I will get back to you ASAP.
NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED : booking secured with credit card details, not debitted except in circumstances of cancellation or no-show.
CREDIT CRUNCH RATES + DISCOUNTED OFFER !!
10% discount off the 2nd week of a 2 week booking OR a 30% discount off the 3rd week of a 3 week booking OR a 50% discount off the 4th week of a 4 week booking.
For bookings longer than 4 weeks, each subsequent week attracts an additional discount of 5%.
This is a limited offer and may be withdrawn at any time - however, I will guarantee this offer for 2 weeks from the day I reply to your enquiry. This offer overrides discounts offered in the Booking Information sent to you in response to an enquiry.
Terrazza Bella, with Broadband/WiFi internet access, has a large, pretty garden/terrace - unusual in the historic centre of Spoleto.
When choosing an Italian city apartment, beware! The older they are, the darker and gloomier they are. Often they have only one window and light is provided artificially.
Not so with Terrazza Bella! Full of natural light and cleverly structured to accord with contemporary taste, it has a big window and two sets of glass double doors in the sitting/dining room + glass single doors from both bedrooms, leading directly onto a long balcony, overlooking the mediaeval pedestrian streets below. Great views all round!
This glamorous, light, airy apartment is at the top of a significant 14th Century Roman building. On the official tourist map of Spoleto, the Rocca dei Perugini is one of 33 listed buildings in Spoleto. Originally built in the 6th Century as the stronghold of Perugia to watch over the citizens of Spoleto, whom the Perugians, alias "the Barbarians," had just conquered, parts of it were irreparable and so had to be gutted. Hence, the entire centre of this ancient building has been replaced by luxury modern apartments that cannot be seen from the outside - very clever and very beautifully designed. Terrazza Bella is at the top.
The views from the kitchen/dining room and the terrace are of the hilly countryside, dwellings scattered around, and nearby roof-tops. The views from the adjoining balconies of the bedrooms are of the mediaeval pedestrian streets below, harking back to the days when Spoleto was a Latin colony and Roman community.
The large sitting/dining room is fantastic when its big window and both sets of double doors are wide-open onto the terrace since the terrace becomes an extension of the room and the two spaces become as one, a very pretty living space, indeed.
The entrance to the apartment is through a wide Roman stone passage with a luxury all glass business centre on the left and those in-built small glass alcoves displaying small luxury items on the right. A few metres along this passage is a lift or stairs, which take you up through the centre of the building to our apartment.
So, staying in this historic building, one has all the advantages of contemporary, open-air living while still experiencing what it's like to live in the most ancient and beautiful part of Spoleto.
Porta Fuga, the cobbled lane that Terrazza Bella is in is pedestrian as are many of the tiny streets immediate to the apartment - this means that you can meander at ease through the ancient streets past flower shops, wine and truffle shops, many boutiques and shoe shops, bars and cafes and, of course, a myriad of interesting restaurants - cheap and expensive (though nothing here is really expensive compared to other city prices) - up to the famous La Rocca and the Duomo.
Terrazza Bella is handy for the train station and the bus station for those of you who may not wish to hire a car since you can get to practically anywhere in Italy by train or bus from Spoleto - the timetables are comprehensively spelt out on the internet. Though, if you prefer to have a car, it is possible to park in the lanes, a few minutes walk away. Or, you can hire a secure car-parking space right outside the elevator to the apartment for €50 a week.
There is a 50-metre local pool with picnic areas and a bar, 10 minutes bus ride away. And, the local tennis courts are 10 minutes walk away, on the other side of Piazza Mercato and the park.
Staying in Spoleto is like staying in a fairy-tale castle, peppered with piazzas, sprinkled with bars, restaurants, and shops amidst a maze of tunnelled, cobbled lanes and alley ways, all leading skywards to the famous Rocca and the aquaduct and, some of the best views in the world. This whole surreal setting is akin to a stage-set in the making, fringed by mountains, olive groves, and vineyards, and a mixture of mediaeval monasteries, towns, cities, and tiny hill-top villages - all beckoning a visit ! However, for me, Spoleto is the ultimate temptress. Once under her spell, you are lost forever in her beauty. You must use all your will-power to leave this place, even for a short while. It is, quite simply, the most captivating city in Italy, never mind Umbria, Venice being on a par - the difference being that Venice has the water and Spoleto has the mountains. Nonetheless, like Venice, Spoleto has a history to be reckoned with.
Subsequently, Spoleto is becoming more and more in demand with those in search of "a truly Italian" experience, love to be surrounded by beauty and who wish to base themselves in the centre of Italy because, from Spoleto, you can get to practically anywhere else in Italy easily and cheaply within minutes to a few hours.
To date, it had always been too expensive to stay in Spoleto and holiday-makers were forced to find apartments outside of Spoleto and drive in. However, we have changed all that. We have "unlocked" Spoleto, having launched several beautiful apartments in central Spoleto at rates competitive with our "out of town" apartments, making Spoleto affordable for you, at last !
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Washer
- Linens Provided
- Off Street Parking: you can hire a Private Car Space next to the elevator for €50/week
- Elevator
- Beds
- King Bed: please note that both bedrooms lead directly onto a balcony overlooking the pedestrian, cobbled lane of Porta Fuga through glass doors and, therefore, are lit during the daylight hours by natural light. This is in contrast to most Italian inner city dwellings that rely on artificial lighting because of small windows or none at all.
- Twin/Single Bed (2) : a 3rd single bed, dressed as a sofa-bed, can be erected in the sitting room for a 5th person, if requested.
- Crib: please order a Crib in advance (no extra charge)
- Entertainment
- Cable/Satellite TV: SKY SAT TV with channels in English, inc News.
- DVD
- VCR
- Video Library (3) : a selection of videos and DVDs to choose from.
- CD Player
- Stereo System
- Music Library: a mixture of music CDs to suit all tastes
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen: the Fully-fitted Kitchen contains a Large Refrigerator/Freezer, an Oven, a Hob, Four Top Burners, Lots of Cupboards, Work Surfaces, a microwave, a toaster and a Dishwasher
- Cooking Utensils Provided: everything, including Kitchen Towels, is provided, also, we provide a Welcome Pack... Tea, Sugar, Coffee, Wine, Pasta, Rice, All the Condiments, Olive Oil, Bread, Milk, Etc.
- Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
- Microwave
- Catering Available: you can arrange for a local person or restaurant to deliver food to you or to cook for you at home. Or we can arrange a "cucina contadino" with our private chef at Villa Marianna, one of our private pool properties 7 miles away - all local produce, often including truffle and meat, very reasonable prices and spectacular views.
- Outdoor Features
- Charcoal BBQ Grill
- Deck/Patio: quite a large garden/patio with pretty roof-top and hill views - please order Sun Loungers in advance (no extra charge) - only one is left usually because our guests do not often use them, there is Garden Furniture to seat six people.
- Balcony: the Double Balcony, off which are the two bedrooms, is walled and open at the top, in the wall are Large Portholes with Railings, at certain times of the day, depending on the position of the sun, it is possible to sunbathe here in complete privacy
- View/Location
- Mountain View: the Mountains are in the far distance, closer are the hills that immediately surround Spoleto and these can be seen from the terrace, along with the nearby roof-tops below. Also, there are pretty mediaeval street views from the balconies of both bedrooms.
- Communications
- Cell Phone: we can provide a Cell Phone for a Refundable Deposit of €100 and that works on a SIM Card i.e. a pay-as-you-go card that you buy from any TIM Shop, of which there are several in Spoleto as well as at the train station, you should book the phone in advance.
- Broadband Internet: this facility is available, free of charge - however, we are technically illiterate and so we cannot help you set up your own computer - to date, all our guests have managed to do this successfully on their own !
- WiFi (Wireless Internet): this facility is available, free of charge - however, we are technically iliterate and so we cannot help you set up your own computer - to date, all our guests have managed to do this successfully on their own !
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed
- Kid Friendly
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities (on site and nearby)
- Golf
- Tennis
- Shopping
- Sightseeing
- Restaurants
- Rafting
- Kayaking
- Boating
- Swimming
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Rock Climbing
- Fitness Center/Gym
- Antiquing
- Cinemas/Movie Theaters
- Live Theatre
- Museums
- Horseback Riding
- Other Activities
- wine tasting, olive oil tasting, truffle trails, art galleries, churches, historic buildings and monuments
Rate Details (In Euros)
OCT 2009 ............ €690/week
NOV 2009 ................... €590/week
DEC - MARCH, 2009/10 ....... €490/week
APRIL 2010 ................. €590/week
MAY - OCT 2010 ............. €690/week
Bookings on a daily basis attract an extra supplement
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Map & Owner's Profile
Spoleto Historic Centre/Luxury/Large Terrace + Balcony/Views
Year Purchased: 2004
Why the Owner Chose Spoleto
One evening, sitting in a tree-house, drinking whisky, I met a travel writer, who described an Italian ruin he was selling. We agreed a deal. We shook hands on it.
It was my 1st trip to Italy. It took several years, a divorce and a new husband to restore the rat-ridden hovel in 10C San Mamiliano, the oldest inhabited village in Umbria. It became our dream-home. We joined a house-swop agency. 10 requests a day to swop. Too many ! The start of an adventure. Il Castello became a holiday rental, while I lectured Philosophy back in Kent.
Spoleto, the most magical place on earth, is a short drive from San Mamiliano. 20 years ago, it was unknown, closed and forbidding. A rich and snobbish place, not welcoming to strangers, except if your initials were HRH ! Then, an Italian family from Assisi opened a new restaurant and a bar. While the Spoletini spluttered into their spaghetti, other "outsiders" followed suit. Overnight, Spoleto was launched onto the world stage. The wraps were off. Spoleto was no longer Italy's best kept secret.
We introduced the 1st holiday rental apartment, Terrazza Bella, an immediate and runaway success, followed by a diversity of other holiday rentals, all beautiful....villas, pool properties and apartments, in and around the historic centre of Spoleto : a wondrous myriad of tunneled and arched lanes, ancient monuments, churches and cathedrals, Spoleto is peppered with shops, bars and restaurants, offering the best wines, truffles and ice-cream, teaming with Italians, young and old, decked out in Dolce & Gabbana or grunging in street fashion, the males, strutting like peacocks, preening their hair in the shop-windows !
At the top of this tiny, fairy-tale, walled city, is the famous Roman aquaduct, a bar besides it, overlooking mountains, valleys and churches. Cross this dizzyingly high bridge and you are in the mountains. Charm, hob-goblins, mysticism, saints, religion, aesthetics... Creation in all its glory. This is Spoleto.
The Unique Benefits at this Apartment
Terrazza Bella, with a very pretty terrace that overlooks hills and roof-tops.... and a balcony from both bedrooms that looks down onto the mediaeval streets, is in the heart of the historic centre of Spoleto, known as "il Borgo" ie the village. A pedestrian area, it is packed with shops, bars and restaurants.
You do not need a car because it is only a 10 mins walk (or a short bus-ride) to the train station, from where you can get to practically anywhere in Italy.
Il Ponte, the famous Spoleto aquaduct, is 15 minutes walk up a hill.
There is a choice of tennis courts, fabulous pools, fishing, horse-riding and white water rafting in the area.
But, if you just want to relax, you need never leave the terrace with its pretty hill views....just sit and snooze amongst the flowers and shrubs with a good book.
Owner's Map of Spoleto
In a past life, I was a Philosophy lecturer, living in London, England. I bought an old ruin in San Mamiliano, Umbria, nearly 30 years ago, blind ! Or, more to the point - mad !!!
Property Photos
- Terrace with pretty views of hills and roof-tops - Spoleto, Italy Apartment
- Sitting/dining area with SKY SAT TV and Eng lang doc/film/news channels - Spoleto, Italy Apartment
- Fully fitted kitchen area - leads directly onto terrace and with pretty views - Spoleto, Italy Apartment
- View from dining area of terrace, hills + roof-tops - table extends to seat 6
- Another view of the terrace/pretty views of hills and rooftops
- Terrace with pretty views all round.
- Terrace with very pretty hill views.
- 1 of 2 dbl bedrooms - 2nd is twin/glass doors in each, both open onto balcony
- Both double bedroom + twin bedroom lead onto balcony overlooking pedestrian st.
- Pedestrian, mediaval street, immediately below bedroom balconies
- Street below bedroom balconies + entrance to apt on right through Roman Arch
- Pedestrian, mediaval street, immediately below bedroom balconies - in Winter !
- Mediaval, pedestrian street, immediately below bedroom balconies - in winter !
- Pedestrian, mediaval street, immediately below bedroom balconies - in Winter !
Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #104668
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This listing was first published here in 2006.
Date last modified - November 02, 2009
