Location: Spoleto, Umbria, Italy, Europe (Two hours from Rome by car, 40 minutes from Perugia)
Accommodations: House, 2 Bedrooms, 3 Baths (Sleeps 4)
Casa Cristina
Only 5 miles outside historic Spoleto, nestled in a hidden valley in the foothills of the Apennine Mountains, lies the tiny village of Vallocchia. A village of approximately twenty homes, it is a quiet and friendly outpost where one can enjoy the peace and beauty of the mountains. Vallocchia offers a serenity and a way of life long forgotten in most parts of the world today.
The house itself, located in the heart of the village, offers the utmost privacy. The house was originally an old farmhouse/tower that was lovingly restored by an Academy Award winning Italian art director a decade ago. The top floor of the tower is the master bedroom, with the second bedroom a floor below, at street level.
The kitchen and living room are on the ground floor (one floor below street level) and both open onto their own terraces. Only Gioia and A.D., the village horses grazing in the pasture, impede the idyllic view of this stunning valley and the mountains surrounding it. In the basement is a third bathroom with shower and laundry facilities. The kitchen and bedrooms are connected by a circular staircase. The house has thick walls that keep it cool in the summer. You can also opt to close the shutters to keep out the heat of the day and then open them to let in the cool evening breezes.
Vallocchia offers many wonderful hiking opportunities, from treks to the nearby ancient chestnut forest - Vallocchia is legendary for its chestnuts - to spectacular hikes up into the mountains offering breathtaking views of this glorious mountain region. Also, the beautifully preserved medieval town of Spoleto is just ten minutes away by car. Here, one is centrally located for day trips to all the wondrous history, art and nature Umbria has to offer.
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Air Conditioning: The house has thick walls that keep it cool in the summer. You can also close the shutters to keep out the heat of the day and then open them for the evening breezes.
- Washer
- Dryer
- Linens Provided
- Covered Parking: The vine covered car park can hold two to three cars.
- Wood Fireplace: Located in the kitchen, the fireplace can also be used for cooking.
- Wood Stove: There is an outdoor wood-burning oven for cooking located on the property (there is also a Weber grill for outdoor cooking).
- Beds
- King Bed: Two twin beds with top-of-the-line American mattresses makeup a king size bed. This bedroom is at street level, with its own private bathroom (toilet, shower, and bidet).
- Queen Bed: The master (upstairs) bedroom also has a top-of-the-line American mattress and its own private entrance from the street. Also with private bathroom, including a toilet, shower, and bidet.
- Entertainment
- Cable/Satellite TV
- VCR
- Video Library: For both adults and children
- CD Player
- Stereo System
- Music Library
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen
- Cooking Utensils Provided: The kitchen is a fully equipped cook's kitchen with All Clad cookware and Franke appliances.
- Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
- Microwave
- Ice Maker
- Outdoor Features
- Deck/Patio: Two delightful terraces and a small yard make up the outdoor living spaces.
- View/Location
- Mountain View: Sublime, unobstructed valley and mountain view.
- Communications
- Telephone
- Computer w/ Dial-up Internet: There is NOT a computer at the house, but you can bring a laptop and connect to the internet via dial-up by getting an access number with a 39-0743 area code.
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed
- Smoking Not Allowed: Feel free to smoke on the terraces
- Activities (on site and nearby)
- Shopping
- Sightseeing
- Restaurants
- Rafting
- Swimming
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Hiking
- Antiquing
- Live Theatre
- Museums
- Horseback Riding
Rate Details (In Euros)
April €825/week .. May-Oct €900/week .. €3200/month.
Rates are inclusive of all utilities.
Rent does not include a €60 final cleaning fee.
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Owner's Profile
Owner Description
Year Purchased: 1999
We always wanted to give our daughter a second language and fantasized of doing it in Italy. One day the stars aligned, making our dream a possibility. Three weeks later we came upon Casa Cristina. It seemed too rich an experience to not make the leap. And what a leap it was. We were city folk unused to the quiet rhythm of nature but, looking for adventure, it didn’t make sense to trade one city for another. And so we came to this historic mountain hamlet for a full year and fell in love. Our neighbors immediately embraced us. When the moving van couldn’t make it through the narrow pass by Mimma’s house, Lando called Aleandro in from the field. They hitched a flatbed up to Aleandro’s trailer and made several trips, depositing all of our belongings onto the car park. Thus began what has been a decade of experiences rich beyond recounting. Pictured here is our daughter just before we took her down to Spoleto for her first day of school at the age of nine. She is now in her second year of college and working on her fourth language. Sharing our life and home here with other adventurous travelers has been a wonderfully rewarding experience.
Kristine, John & Eleanore
Why the Owner Chose Spoleto
After visiting friends in the area for many years, we came to view this part of Italy as home.
Property Photos
- The back terraces - Umbria Accommodation
- Kitchen - Umbria Accommodation
- Living room - Umbria Accommodation
- Kitchen Terrace
- Living Room Terrace
- Street level bedroom
- Master bedroom
- Gioia & A.D. from the terraces
Guest Comments (8)
First (8) of (8). View all comments
Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #113166
There have been 7035 visitors to this page since the counter was last reset in 2006.
This listing was first published here in 2006.
Date last modified - November 02, 2009
Positive Rating
Dear Kristine Words cannot describe our delightful stay at Casa Cristina. We were lucky enough to witness the birth of spring in the budding trees and flowers of Umbria and were in awe of the blanket of freshly fallen snow on our final day Thank you for sharing your beautiful home in Vallocchia. Our memories are priceless. Kindest regards,
Positive Rating
Kristine, Thank you for all the written instructions around the casa__it made our stay very comfortable. We duly read all of your restaurant recommendations, but alas enjoyed eating our dinners at home in your cozy kitchen. One of the highlights of our trip in Umbria, was stumbling on a wine fair at Montefalco. We purchased our wine bibs (to hold our glasses), and made the rounds of all the wineries, sipping the Mantelfalco Rosso and sagrantino as we went. At the fair we were introduced to Lorenzo from Terre di Trinci and were invited to visit him at the winery. All of us are past board members of the American wine society ( 3 past presidents) and were happy to take up his invitation…….
Positive Rating
Kristine, We did not get much time to enjoy the hammock, as we did not spend any daytime at your casa. Each day we did a trip to each of the surrounding towns and villages. We returned each night to cook dinner (usually on the kitchen fireplace) and drink some of the local wines. As there were four of us your casa suited us perfectly. We loved the drive up and down the winding road to Spoleto. We were in Italy for 23 days and our stay in Spoleto was the highlight. I loved the dart game in the living room. I departed as the reigning champion.
Positive Rating
Received by e-mail: Hello Kristine, We have returned from Italy to a very cool and rainy North East of England after a wonderful stay in the delightful Casa Christina. We found the home , the village and the mountain ,valley and woodland view absolutely enchanting. Spending time in the hammock together, with hot sunshine and a cool breeze was totally heavenly. We will never forget the atmosphere of peace and tranquility. We were very curious as to the history of the village and especially the way in which Casa Christina had been transformed to what it is now. Despite trying to spot a boar from the terrace for the 10 days we only heard their snorts from a distance. We did however spot a porcupine below the terrace close to the horses feeding area...quite a sight. Myself and Jill would like to thank you for making the process of booking and enjoying our holiday so easy and letting us share the beauty of your house for a few days. Kind regards, Jill and John
Positive Rating
From our guest book at the house: We had a wonderful stay at Casa Cristina. We were surprised by how spacious the villa was and how comfortable our stay was. The washrooms and kitchen were immaculate and we spent as much time possible on the terrace. We highly recommend cooking on the kitchen fireplace. We rarely ate out as one of our party was a chef who was able to use local ingredients to create a series of spectacular meals. The beds were heavenly. We had the best sleeps of our holiday. We also enjoyed afternoon siestas in the hammock and lounge. The only distraction from our peaceful slumber was the playful nuzzling of the village dog and cat. (The latter of whom we nicknamed “Giovanni”). While we’re disappointed with leaving, we look forward to a return visit. Ciao from four rested and relaxed Canadians!
Positive Rating
From our guest book at the house: Your villa was heavenly and Bianca was perfect. We were very tired when we arrived as we were coming from the airport in Rome and she was so nice - we will never forget her, especially our first double kiss upon arriving. She is a jewel. My nephew rated your villa simply the best for cooking of all we have ever rented as you had great appliances and quality cookware. Thanks again, Ray
Positive Rating
From our guest book at the house: Dear Kristine now we are back in Switzerland. We loved the days in Vallocchia and the beautiful surroundings, especially our hiking in the Sibilian Mountains. We appreciate your restaurant recommendations and like to send you a new favorite: The restaurant in the Abbezia San Pietro in Valle (near Ferentillo – Valnerina), sophisticated Umbrian cooking, with a nice wine list. We are looking forward to come back soon and see springtime in Umbria.
Positive Rating
From our guest book at the house: Dear Kristine, The highlight of our trip has been our week in Vallocchia. Your home could not have been more wonderful. The house was filled with light and gentle breezes. We had lots of fun cooking dinner while listening to opera and then afterwards enjoying our meal on the terrace. The wild strawberries were amazing. We also liked reading and doing watercolors in the mornings. We had three great dinners in the garden at “ al Palazzaccio.” We mentioned your names and just as you said, they took wonderful care of us. The Italian dinners were also very warm. We had fun exploring various hill towns--old favorites and new ones. Norcia was a nice surprise and the drive to Sibilini (sp?) was spectacular. We were blown away by the view as we came over the high ridge and caught our first glimpse of the velvety green of the valley, only to discover that it was actually carpeted by wildflowers. We also saw a baby boar (half the size of the cat!) one morning just after leaving the village. It ran out of the woods and squealed as it trotted around our car. We wanted to get out but did not want to encounter its mother! Our 18 year old son Sam loved our time here as well. We are all quite sad to leave. Thank you so much. It is a very special place… we hope to return some time.