We had a wonderful stay at the lovely Villa Pianesante at the end of May. The most important thing to mention about our stay is the amazing hospitality and generousity of the owner Mario. We were 2 couples, 2 kids and 1 dog and we had originally booked our stay at the smaller Villa Cipresso, but Mario was generous enough to upgrade us to the huge Villa Pianesante because we were lucky to be the only guests that week. My husband and I are very interested in food and wine experiences and I bombarded Mario with emails and questions, both before and during our stay, and he always responded with excellent recommendations. He also arranged for us to receive a gift of delicous wild asparagus, just because they were in season and he wanted us to try them. This is just one small example of the incredible hospitality at Todi Castle, which is really what sets them apart from others.
We booked the private chef for several meals, including a lovely welcome dinner on the day of our arrival as well as a pizza party for the kids. The pizza party could perhaps have been more hands-on with the kids, but again I think it is really more a question of telling them what you want. Please make sure to book massages by the pool, a great experience. We were also invited to have one of the dinners booked with the chef at the castle, which was an amazing experience with the dinner served in a medieval tower with a huge fireplace and an armor in the corner - the kids loved it.
The villa itself is lovely, old, but modernised Italian style with a comfortable living room and lots and lots of space. It is huge. The kitchen could perhaps have been better equipped with some sharper knives and more bowls, but I think this is a common flaw in rental houses. We were impressed with the cleanliness of the house, considering the size. Everything was spotless.
The grounds and views are incredible. The house is surrounded not by a garden, but rather a park with olive trees and wooded areas - and the entire property was completely fenced in which was perfect for us because of the dog, which could roam freely. The pool was beautiful, if a bit cold at the end of May when the season was just getting started.
The villa is very private, but still centrally located for Umbria sightseeing and not too far from Todi, which is a lovely town. Make sure to have pizza one night at the pizzaria Rosa nearby, the best pizza I have ever had and homemade limoncello, wonderful.
We certainly hope to be back at Tod