Il Casale: Luxury Villa With Stunning Views Over The Niccone Valley

Il Casale is a luxury 7 bedroom house on the Casa Nova estate, combining the best of traditional style and modern design, with private 15m infinity pool (which can be heated on request). It sleeps 5 to 16, has 7 bedrooms (5 en-suite and 2 additional bathrooms), multiple living areas, a huge, fully-equipped main kitchen and two additional kitchens, as well as outside pizza oven and grills. It is perfect for larger groups who want enough space that everyone can get away from one another from time to time, whilst still being able to be sociable. It has a very effective underfloor cooling system which completely negates the need for air conditioning.

The 30 acre Casa Nova estate is a haven for wildflowers and wildlife. You can gather fruit and vegetables in the orchard and kitchen garden, strawberries and asparagus when in season, eggs when the chickens are feeling generous. The surrounding countryside offers endless possibilities for walking and cycling. The artistic treasures of Cortona, Perugia, Urbino and the Upper Tiber Valley are all close to hand. Florence, Siena and Rome are a daytrip away.

Our aim in restoring Il Casale was to create an atmosphere of relaxed luxury: the highest quality materials, spacious, airy rooms, an eclectic mix of old and new and an uncompromising dedication to stylish comfort.

Downstairs, a huge vaulted room is the heart of the house, combining kitchen, dining and a fireside snug. Outside the kitchen is a sunny terrace with outdoor sofas - an ideal spot for a morning coffee or sundowners. Next to the kitchen is a large sitting room/TV room with flatscreen TV, dvd/bluray player (yes we still have these although the TV can also stream), games and a keyboard. A Sonos system provides music throughout the house. There is a self-contained ground floor apartment (only rented with the Casale) with its own kitchen and bathroom, ideal for any guest who prefers not to tackle stairs or wants to be able to retreat to their own space - an ideal "granny flat". On the first floor there are four main bedrooms, each with their ensuite, and two other rooms that can also be set up as guest bedrooms, with shared access to the guest bathroom. There is a further sitting room on the first floor, from which there is access to one of the two shaded terraces at first floor level, with stunning views out over the Niccone valley. The master bedroom also has its own balcony. There is a kitchenette in the first floor corridor, ideal for making a morning coffee.

A fountain plays at the bottom of the marble outdoor stairs, under the fronds of the kiwi vine. The garden offers many lovely places to relax and read a book or take in the views, including, of course, a hammock. There is a choice of several different outdoor dining areas, including tables under a vine pergola and a yet further pergola by the pool. There are several barbecues and a wood fired pizza oven.

The heated infinity pool has a salt purification system, which keeps chlorine levels to a minimum. The area round the pool is paved with travertine marble, cool underfoot even on a hot day. From the pool, you have extensive views down the Niccone valley, towards the Castle of Reschio and the pass which leads to Trasimeno.

The house has underfloor heating and underfloor cooling and is suitable for rentals at all times of year. The house is fully networked and has good broadband.

Casa Nova is an idyllic location from which to discover Southern Tuscany and Umbria. It is a small olive farm and specialist plant nursery, on the south facing slope of the beautiful Niccone valley, 30 minutes from Perugia. The properties on the estate are rented out when we are not using them ourselves. That means they are very fully equipped for family life, not, for example, the sad array of a couple of blunt knives and battered pans you sometimes find in a rental property kitchen. A second property on the estate, Casa dell'Ortolano (sleeping up to 9), is also available for rental and can be viewed on VRBO. Together, the two properties sleep 25.

Guests at Casa Nova, as well as enjoying in privacy the gardens around their rental house and pool, also have access to the rest of the Casa Nova estate, including the display gardens of our specialist iris nursery, which are a short walk from Il Casale. These are extensive landscaped gardens planted with an array of irises, peonies, other perennials and roses, which were described by Richard Cayeux, a famous iris expert, as the most beautiful iris gardens he had ever seen. There is something to see at any time of year but the most spectacular display is in May and June when the irises and roses bloom (see photos).

Casa Nova makes an excellent venue for a summer party and we have lighting rigs and buffet style tables that can be set up for this - however please note that use of either of the properties as a party venue requires our specific agreement and is at an additional cost. We can put you in touch with a party planner. Please enquire if interested.