view previous photo

view next photo

 

Location: Preggio, Umbria, Italy, Europe (30 Minutes East of Cortona; 45 Minutes North of Perugia)

Accommodations:  House, 6 Bedrooms + Convertible bed(s), 4 Baths (Sleeps 13)

LA PIETRA is a classically restored stone farm house situated on a high hillside with panoramic southwestern views across the hills, woods and farmlands of Umbria and Eastern Tuscany. The house, which is located on a 150 acre estate, can be rented singly or in conjunction with other of the ALTABELLA houses (LA QUERCIA--sleeps 8, CASA CARINA--sleeps 2, CASA CIELO --sleeps 9) which are within a ten minute walk of LA PIETRA. The property includes an elegant 18 meter by 7 meter swimming pool. Guests may hire our cooks for classes (pasta, cheese, bread-making, and grilling over an open fire) and/or sumptuous meals prepared at the house.

Like all the ALTABELLA houses, LA PIETRA was for centuries the dwelling of tenant farmers who worked the lands of the Sant Andrea di Sorbello castle, an outlying Medici aligned fortress, whose origins date back to the ninth century. Like the castle, the house was constructed over time and probably served both as a military surveillance tower and an agrarian house for the peasants and their animals.

LA PIETRA was carefully restored in the early nineties using the old materials - stone, terra-cotta, and massive chestnut beams - merging gracefully with the spectacular landscape that surrounds it. While recalling an earlier way of life, the house in its current form offers beauty mixed with considerable modern comfort, both a base for travel to a score of lovely hill towns and a place to relax and recreate.

To provide guests with maximum flexibility in their accommodations, the house has been divided into two independent floors, each with a well-designed country kitchen opening on to terraces for lounging and outdoor dining. On the upper floor, the house has three double bedrooms (one with king-size bed, one with double, and one with two singles) and two bathrooms.

The cook's delight country kitchen has a long oak dining table, fashioned from the antique beams of the original house. With its high ceilings, pointed stone walls, and raised hearth fireplace, the large living room provides a beautiful setting in which to gather, to cook over the coals, and to contemplate.

The upstairs living room leads out to a a covered loggia, with some of the best views in central Italy - a place to read, to eat, to sip wine, and to watch the weather and light change throughout the day.

The ground floor consists of a second country kitchen (ideal for summer cooking), a combination living room/master bedroom suite with raised hearth fireplace, two additional double bedrooms and two bathrooms.

There is a dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer on both floors of the house.

Outside terraces on three sides expand the living space of the house, providing different vantage points from which to enjoy the view. An organic vegetable garden on a terrace below the house and close-in herb and flower gardens are an added country luxury.

The ALTABELLA pool is 18 meters by 7 meters, large, and elegant, with an infinity edge that opens out on to lovely views and gardens. Designed for exercise as well as cool relaxation, the pool is located within a stone and lawn terrace above its own private meadow, the perfect location from which to relax after a day of sightseeing in the score of beautiful hill towns within easy reach of LA PIETRA.

Standing on the loggia and terraces of LA PIETRA, with their commanding views towards the once fortified hill town of Preggio, one can imagine the role the property may have played in the integrated defense system that grew up around the Sorbello castle, standing guard on the confines of Tuscany and the Papal States. Today the house retains the outlines of its rugged history in a landscape largely unchanged since medieval times.

Guests will be met at the house by our English and Italian speaking manager, who has lived in the area for 13 years and who will provide you with information regarding local events, special sights, restaurant, and shopping advice and who will be available throughout your stay to help make your time on the Altabella hillside an unforgettable pleasure.

Vacation Rental Features

• Features
• Rate Details
• All Photos (8)
• Back to Top

• Activities
  • Hiking, Biking, Golf, Horseback Riding, Shopping, Restaurants, Cinemas, Museums, Sightseeing, Swimming.
• Amenities
  • Fireplaces, Phone, CD Player, Full Kitchen, Microwave, Dishwasher, Refrigerator, Cooking utensils provided, Linens provided, Washer, Dryer, Pool (shared), Charcoal Grill (BBQ).

Rate Details (In Euros)

• Features
• Rate Details
• All Photos (8)
• Back to Top

Personal Currency Assistant™

HIGH SEASON 2006 Weekly Rates (May 27-Sep 02):
5 Double Bedrooms, 4 Bathrooms .................... €3900/week.
6 Double Bedrooms, 4 Bathrooms .................... €4200/week.
MID  SEASON 2006, Christmas & New Years (Apr 29-May 27; Sep 02-Oct 28):
3 Double BR/2BA .. €2100/week. | 4 Double BR/4BA .. €3100/week.
5 Double BR/4BA .. €3400/week. | 6 Double BR/4BA .. €3700/week.
LOW  SEASON 2006 (Jan 02-Apr 29; Oct 28-Dec 18) - ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED.
All Rates 15% Lower Than Mid-Season;

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.

• Credit Cards Accepted:

• 
• 

Property Photos

• Features
• Rate Details
• All Photos (8)
• Back to Top