Fully restored from a grain barn in 2006 using traditional building methods and materials, the house is beautifully appointed with chestnut beams, traditional fireplace and handmade terracotta tiling throughout. A stylish kitchen contains everything to give you a home from home experience, opening out onto an open plan living and dining area, making cooking a sociable experience. The dining table seats 8 and looks out over the 2 balconies of the first floor, which open fully to let in the evening breeze and views of the surrounding hills. There is a sofa, double sofabed and an armchair, so comfortable relaxed seating for 6 adults. Steps from the main entrance take you down into a private garden, where there is outdoor seating for 6 and a barbecue. The house sits on the edge of a small hamlet, opposite the surrounding fields and hills. There are wonderful walks in the hills and around nearby lake. The house is a fantastic base for exploring the towns and sights of Tuscany and Umbria.
Stylish Barn Conversion near Medieval Hill Towns of Anghiari and Arezzo
- House
- Bedrooms3
- Sleeps6
- Bathrooms1
- Half Baths1
- Min Stay7 nights
House in Manzi, Nr Anghiari, Arezzo Province, Tuscany - Peaceful Location, No More Than 1 hour by Car to Many Historic Towns of Tuscany and Umbria
Bedrooms
Property Manager
Carolyn Storme
- Speaks:
- english, french
- Calendar last updated:
- Aug 23, 2018
About Carolyn Storme
I live in Richmond, Surrey, with my husband and 11 year old daughter. We both work in London but spend as much time as we can in Italy. We got married in Venice and both love Italian wine, food and culture. We'd always wanted to own a place in Italy but it was on the proviso that we wanted somewhere that wouldn't require any work! It turned out the holiday show we had seen waxing lyrical about the beauty yet affordability of this part of Tuscany was a repeat (from several years earlier!) and so after a weekend of seeing finished properties within our budget that really didn't fit the dream, the agent took us to 1 last place - a run down hay barn, full of sawdust and old cars and we fell in love with it!
Carolyn Storme purchased this House in 2004
Why Carolyn Storme chose Caprese Michelangelo
Neither of us speak Italian but the team working on the renovation project were exceptionally friendly and professional and it all came together. They typified the warmth of all of the locals we have come to know in the area. I love the location because Manzi is quite high up, so as well as the fantastic views and walks, there is a kind of alpine climate that means it never gets sweltering in the summer heat, yet you are so well located to reach all of the fantastic cities and towns in both Tuscany and Umbria. I like being in the countryside but without being too remote so you can always pop to the shop when you are out of essentials and never feel too isolated at the house, yet you can stroll down the lane and not see a soul.
What makes this House unique
We spend most of our holidays alternating between walking in the countryside around Manzi and Caprese, and day trips to Tuscan/Umbrian towns and cities for the museums, frescos and restaurants, with the odd day at the lido in sansepolcro to top up the tan. We spend a lot of time cooking, the house is a great place to entertain with the open plan living room, so we have had many great trips taking friends with us and spending evenings going through the wine rack or just as a family, sitting on the balcony reading till late and enjoying not watching the TV (though there is one there if you really do have to have that DVD!).
Amenities
- TV
- Heater
Bathrooms
- 1 Bathroom, 1 Half Bath
- Bathroom 1toilet, tub, shower, bidet
- Toilet 1toilet
- Main bathroom with bath/shower, wc and bidet. Small bathroom with wc/sink.
Location Type
- Mountain
- Rural
- Village
General
- Heating
- Washing Machine
- Iron & Board
- Living RoomLounge area with sofa, armchair and double sofabed. CD player, dining table seats 8, TV and DVD Player.
Kitchen
- Dishwasher
- Refrigerator
- Freezer
- Stove
- Oven
- KitchenGas hob, electric cooker, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, kettle and toaster.
Dining
- Child's Highchair
Entertainment
- Television
Outside
- Outdoor Grill
Notes
- Notes on accommodation: The house is centrally heated for cooler months. There is no air-conditioning necessary as even in high summer, the hilltop location mean that the rooms remain blissfully cool. The house is fully equipped for children, with a cot, pushchair, highchair and numerous toys/books available if required. There is a TV ( not connected to arial but simply to play the DVD player, plus some DVDs for your use). Outside: Private garden, patio area with outdoor furniture seating 6, a barbecue and children's paddling pool for your use. Utility Room: Washing machine. Cleaning / Towels / Linen / Maid service: Towels and linen are provided, these will be washed at the end of your stay.
House Rules
Check-in: 4:00 PM
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Cancellation Policy
100% refund if canceled at least 14 days before arrival date. 50% refund if canceled at least 7 days before arrival date.
2 Reviews
fantastic holiday
We had a wonderful 2 weeks in Manzi – we have 3 children who loved the village location, playing in the garden and we were able to walk down through the fields to the river, there is a little play area in the village too so they could play on the swings. We spent a lot of time in the wonderful lido in san sepolcro, followed by some lazy lunches in the great restaurants in town and Manzi was a great place to explore the lovely towns of this area of Tuscany. Anghiari is a real gem with little medieval streets and a nice place for coffee overlooking the valley, the pizza in Bar Baldachio is the best in the world! Seriously! We had day trips to Arezzo and Assisi and a lot of much smaller towns that are less on the tourist trail but just as interesting. The house itself if perfect for a family, the open plan living, dining and kitchen area is a great social space, with double balconies letting in the breeze – and then downstairs the bedrooms are always cool and quiet, we had the best nights sleep here in a very long time!
A wonderful, cool stylish place
Four of stayed at this terrific conversion - as well as the beautiful design, we loved the way it felt cool despite the hot weather.
It is so stylishly decorated that you'd never know it had once been a barn (!), except for the generous amount of space.
We enjoyed the walks down to the nearby river, and to Anghiari, the understated but lovely nearby town, with its stunning views across the enormous expanse of countryside. We generally bought food from across the road and cooked ourselves, but there are loads of great restaurant options in the area.
We're planning to return this Summer,
Jeremy
Map
Coast/Beach:
The Adriatic coast is a 2 hour drive with the popular resorts of Fano, Pesaro or Rimini a possible day trip. There is an open air swimming pool complex set in a pine wood on the edge of Sansepolcro (a 15 mins drive away) that is great for cooling off, especially for the kids.
Travel:
Nearest airports is Ryanair's Perugia airport (45 mins) or you can fly to Pisa, Forli or Rimini which would all be approx 1-2 hours. Florence airport is approx 1 hour 15 mins, Bologna (BA) is an easy 2 hour drive down the A1 and Rome airport is about 2.5 - 3 hours by car. Car hire is essential.
Distances:
5 minutes to birthplace of Michelangelo, 10 minutes to medieval hill town of Anghiari, 20 minutes to lovely Sansepolcro, the centre of the Piero della Francesca trail and half an hour to the stunning hilltop monastry where St Francis of Assisi received the stigmata.
From Manzi, you can reach Florence or Urbino in 1.5 hours, Siena, Gubbio, Assisi, Montepulciano or Cortona in around an hour. Arezzo, arguably the best of them all, with half the tourists, is half an hour away.
Further Details:
There is a small shop in the village selling fresh pasta, bread, fruit and groceries open daily. There are larger supermarkets about 10 mins by car. There are superb restaurants a short drive away, from fine dining in a medieval castle near Monterchi to some of the best pizza in the land on the main square in Anghiari. The house is in wonderful hill walking country near to a large lake. The renowned Arezzo antiques market is the first weekend of every month, there is a costumed re-enactment of the Battle of Anghiari in September. The wine routes of Chiantishire and Montepulciano are easy drives and you can reach pretty much all of the beautiful hill towns and cities of 3 regions of Italy in an hour or so, and Lake Trasimeno or the Adriatic coast in less than 2. Florence is an easy drive but you can alternatively leave the car in Arezzo and catch a train there for the day.
Availability
Booking Notes: 25% of the rental price is payable at the time of booking, the balance is payable 28 days prior to departure. Availability calendar is updated regularly but please call or email to confirm availability. Changeover Day: Rental starts at 4pm on day of arrival and ends at 10am on day of departure. Changeover day is Saturday but may be flexibility out of peak season. Minimum rental period is 1 week. You will be met at the property and given set of keys upon arrival.