Beautifully Restored 16th Century Refuge With Infinity Pool And Stunning Views

About Sarah Murray

We are a family of six from Ireland - parents, Ed and Sarah and our kids; a girl of 15, a 12 year old boy, and 8 year old twin boys. Italy, Umbria and Geppa in particular have loomed large in our lives for the past number of years. We discovered the Valnerina, the beautiful and historic mountain valley where Geppa is situated back in 2005 when we were looking for a location for our wedding. Having married in the wonderful Abbey of San Pietro just down the road from Geppa, we fell in love with the area and were drawn back the following year for a holiday that soon turned into a house hunting expedition.

Why Sarah Murray chose Vallo di Nera

Some people search for years for the right home. Luckily for us, we found Geppa almost immediately and were instantly hooked on the place. At the time we first saw it in 2006, Il Convento was a shell of a building that had not been inhabited - apart from a few sheep - for centuries. Working together with a very talented team of architects and builders, it has now been transformed into a beautiful and singular family home over four stories. Along the way we encountered many frustrations, delays and complications and learned a lot about the Italian way of doing things, particularly their great pride in craftmanship and buildings that will endure for centuries. If this sometimes means that things happened at a slower pace than we were used to, then this was small price to pay. The restoration took just over three years and was eventually completed in 2010. Since then we have hosted guests from far and wide and have been delighted to see them also fall in love with this unique place, a refuge from the intensity of the modern world. There are endless ways to enjoy your time in Geppa: excellent restaurants, major historic locations like Assisi, all forms of outdoor activity and cultural events all year round. But what we love most is how Geppa seeps under your skin after a few days, so much so that the world you have left behind becomes a distant memory. That is what draws us back again and again and we are sure it will soon weave its spell on you as well!