Beautiful self-catering flat for rent in the country

About Isabelle Riviere

I am English, despite my French name, Isabelle Riviere, and was brought up in Shropshire. I came to Italy more than 20 years ago when I met and married an English writer and university lecturer who was working here in Urbino. We have two daughters who are 14 and 10. Perhaps we all grow fond of our surroundings, who knows, or perhaps it is particularly lovely here, I'm not sure, but we have had a lot of fun in this house and feel very much at home in our neighbourhood.

Isabelle Riviere purchased this cottage in 1997

Why Isabelle Riviere chose Urbania

We bought this house 18 years ago from an unusual and talented blacksmith who had made the iron windows, banisters and even built the porch. Over the years we have made our own improvements too and we adore our little house which is quite hidden down our lane. As the road finishes here, no cars pass except our local bee keeper who has dozens of hives nearby. His honey is certainly exceptional and I have come to exchange a pot or two for some of my jam every summer. I think I get the better deal! I recently translated a book about the landscape backgrounds of some of Piero della Francesca's paintings and was very excited to learn that according to recent research the background to his Triumphs painting (now in the Uffizzi) was painted from a hill just across the river from here! The book described his journey from San Sepolcro to Urbino, which he may have done over the mountain roads instead of in the valley, in which case he would havve passed very close to my house! When you buy a house, you don't know a million things abuit it, but over the years I have come to appreciate and respect the diverse skills and working methods of the people I have got to know here. There is a Sardinian family just across the way that owns hundreds of sheep and it is such a pleasure to see them grazing on the hill opposite guarded by two or three Maremmano sheep dogs. I took my daughters to see them being milked a few years ago. The milk is sold to make Caciotta di Urbino cheese which was a favourite of Michelangelo's!

What makes this cottage unique

I have tried to make the flat as pretty and comfortable as possible. I put in a wood burning stove last autumn that heats the whole flat and I hope that my winter guests find it as cosy as I do. Though not a natural or very willing gardener, I have come to appreciate the wonderful effects and atmosphere that can be created out of doors by careful planting. Every year I do a bit more!