Pianesante

Pianesante is a lovely 17th century stone farmhouse that lies in the heart of the beautiful and unspoilt countryside that surrounds Todi in southern Umbria.  The restoration of the property, with old terracotta tiled floors and wooden beamed ceilings, has created really comfortable and luxurious accommodation for 10 people.

Alongside the front of the house an ivy clad pergola shades a stone paved terrace.  A large table allow guests to dine alfresco here and gaze at the outstanding panoramic views of the surrounding Umbrian countryside.

The main entrance is through large French windows at one side of the house which leads into the main reception room.

This room is a lovely large light and airy sitting/dining room.   There is a long dining table with space for 12 people positioned near the French windows, while further into the room sofas and easy chairs are gathered around a large open fireplace and satellite television.

Leading off from this reception room on the ground floor there are two bedrooms both with queen sized double beds and ensuite bathrooms with showers.  This one has west facing views.

While this one has direct access to the rear courtyard and the swimming pool.

The spacious kitchen with small breakfast dining area has an array of modern culinary facilities including dishwasher and washing machine.  A door from this room also leads directly out onto the rear courtyard and the swimming pool at the back of the house.

A second living room on the ground floor leads off from the kitchen.  With easy chairs and a computer with internet access and a large open fireplace this provides further space in which guests can relax.

The third bedroom with two single beds and a bathroom with bathtub is at the other end of the ground floor.  This bedroom has French windows that lead out onto the front terrace and a window with views to the rear over the pool.

Stairs lead to the first floor and a small reception room.  There is an external door from here with steps down to the terrace and the pool at the rear of the house.  The third and fourth bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms are located off this room.  This one with two single beds and a bathroom with bath tub has views to both the front and rear of the house.

This one with double bed and ensuite bathroom with bath tub also has views to the front and rear.

One of the outstanding features of Pianesante is the swimming pool located directly next to the house. It has a dramatic loggia running along the full length of the pool that provides the perfect shaded area for those lazy and indolent afternoon dozes.

This photo shows how conveniently close to the house the pool is located with easy access not only to the downstairs rooms, but also the upper floor as well by the external stone steps.

The cleverly designed low wall around the pool provides some degree of safety for inquisitive toddlers.  The loggia running the length of the swimming pool, (formally a 'lavatoio' where historically clothes would be washed) is reminiscent of the Roman spa pool at nearby Bagno Vignoni.

One of the prevailing comments from many of our guests has been about the stunning views such as these at Pianesante.  There are lovely walks directly from the garden into the surrounding countryside

The location and setting of Pianesante makes it an idyllic place for a large family to enjoy the delights of a villa holiday.

Summary

Property Name: Pianesante

Item	Detail	Remarks
Location
Region of Italy	Umbria	Located between the medieval towns of Todi and Orvieto
Accommodation
Max Numbers of People	10
Bedrooms	5	There is hairdryer, fan and flashlight in each bedroom.
Bedroom 1		Ground floor. Double bed, ensuite bathroom with shower
Bedroom 2		Ground floor.  Double bed, ensuite bathroom with shower
Bedroom 3		Ground floor.  2 single beds
Bedroom 4		First floor. 2 single beds, adjoining bathroom with bath tub
Bedroom 5		First floor. Double bed, ensuite bathroom with bath tub
Bathrooms	5	3 ensuite
Cloakroom	0	There is a downstairs bathroom
Sitting Rooms	2	TV.  Open fire place
Kitchen / Appliances	Yes	Extensive range of modern facilities including freezer, microwave oven, dishwasher, breakfast table
Dining area	Yes	Table for 12 people
Other Rooms	Yes	Hallway on 1st floor with doors leading to external staircase
Additional Sofa / Fold Up Beds	0
Cots		On request
Suitability for disabled access	No

Facilities & Supplementary Information

Interior
Heating	Yes	Central heating
Open Fireplace	Yes	2 open fire places
Air Conditioning	No
Fans	Yes	Portable in each bedroom
Mosquito Nets / Screens	No
Linen & Towels	Yes	The linen will be changed at the end of each week and in addition all towels will changed mid week.
Additional Towels for Pool	Yes	Changed at the end of each week
Washing Machine	Yes
Spin Dryer	No
Iron	Yes
Dishwasher	Yes
Hairdryer	Yes	In each bedroom
TV	Yes	Satellite.  (Does not include SKY)
DVD player	Yes
Video player	No
Radio / CD Player	Yes
Telephone	Yes
Fax	No
Mobile Telephone Reception	Yes	Good
Internet access	Yes	A desktop computer with broadband internet access. WiFi also available.
SKYPE/VOIP facilities	No
High Chair for Children		On request
Toys for Children	No
Safe Box for Valuables	Yes
First Evening Meal	Yes	On request at cost
Other Meals	Yes	A chef can prepare all meals on request and also provide cooking classes.
Welcome Food Pack	Yes	On request at cost
Reading Books & Board Games	Yes
Maid Service	Yes	Twice a week for 2 hours.  Extra on request at cost
Smoking Policy		Smoking is permitted, but as with commonly accepted polite practise this should be restricted to outside the property
House Book	Yes	Very comprehensive.  Extensive details of local information
Reception on arrival	Yes	Provided estimated arrival time is known and confirmed
Assistance	Yes	The Todi Castle Estate has a concierge service that can help with a comprehensive range of additional services including banquets, weddings, cooking demonstrations, wine and truffle tastings, cultural tours, massages, saunas, hairdressing, babysitting, car and driver, car rental, pre arrival grocery purchase and many other “tailor made” services.  It will be necessary to book these services in advance and we will give you the appropriate contact once the final payment for your reservation has been made.
Exterior
Swimming Pool	Yes	Size in mts. Breadth: 6, Length: 12, Shallow: 1.25, Deep: 2.5 Access:  Roman steps Cleaning System: Chlorine Open: May to September Usage: Exclusive use Facilities:  Shower, loungers, tables, covered loggia
Garden	Yes
Terrace	Yes	Covered with table for 12 people
Sporting Facilities	Yes	The concierge service can organise a range of facilities including mountain bikes
BBQ	Yes
Pizza Oven	Yes
Nearest Neighbour		400 metres.  Not overlooked
Animals Close to Premises	Yes	There are farm animals on the Todi Castle estate
Approach Drive		A 600 metre gravel surfaced private road, which is suitable for all types of car, leads from the tarmac/asphalt surface public road.  There is an electronic operated gate into the garden.
Garden Security	Yes	In addition to the driveway gate the whole garden is fenced.
Covered Car Port	No
Car Parking	Yes	Space for plenty of cars
Water Source		Private well, drinkable (Even if the water is classified as drinkable we always advise our guests that if they have any concerns at all to buy bottled water for drinking purposes and use the house water for all other matters)
Rental Facts
Rental Basis		Self catering
Breakage/Security/Deposit	Yes	A returnable security deposit of Euro 500 or the equivalent in any currency is payable on arrival.  This will be returned to you on departure less any necessary deduction.
Rental Restrictions	No
Rental Periods		Available all year round for a minimum of 7 nights with changeover on Saturday
Included in the Rental Price		Local taxes Electricity, gas and water (for normal general usage) Use and laundry of bed linen & towels Final cleaning Internet connection
Not Included in the Rental Price (Payment to be made locally)		Concierge services Excessive use of utilities Central heating. On a meter and at cost for any use Firewood Telephone.  On a meter and at cost for any use Extra cleaning

Approximate Driving Times in Minutes/Hours
These driving times, which are based on local knowledge, provide a more pertinent indicator than merely distances

Airports
Perugia (Ryanair) 35
Rome Ciampino (Ryanair, EasyJet), Rome Fiumicino (World airlines) 1.5 hours
Florence (Meridiana) 2 hours
Ancona, Forli (Ryanair) 2 - 2.5 hours
Pisa (BA, Ryanair, EasyJet, Jet2, Thomson)Pescara (Ryanair), Bologna (BA), Rimini (Easy Jet) 3.0 hours
Milan (World airlines) 4 - 5 hours

Main Line Rail Station
Orvieto (Rome - Florence line) 35

Nearest Villages with Food Shops
Collelungo.  2
Izzalini.  3

Restaurants
Umbria Grill on Todi Castle estate.  3
2 restaurants within a 10 minutes drive and many more within a 30 minutes drive

Motorways
Todi exit of E45 (Orte-Cesena dual carriageway) 20
Orvieto exit of A1 (Roma-Firenze autostrada) 35

Cultural Sights
Todi.  20
Orvieto.  35
Spoleto.  45
Perugia, Spello, Deruta.  50
Assisi.  60
Gubbio.  1 20 hours
Siena, Rome  1.30 hour
Florence.  2 hours

Wine Centres
Orvieto.  35
Montefalco 40

Sporting Locations
Golf.  Perugia.  50. Antognola.  60
Boating/Sailing.  Lago Trasimeno.  20
Fishing.  Lago di Corbara.  20
Tennis.  Sport Centre in Todi.  20
Horse Riding.  10
Variety of sporting facilities can be arranged by the concierge service

Beaches
West Coast.  2.5 hours
East Coast.  3.0 hours

Some Comments From Previous Guests
“ …….. We had an absolutely wonderful time at Pianesante, and we hope to repeat the experience in a couple of years!  Pianesante is beautifully situated, well-appointed, and extremely comfortable, and was the perfect place for our particular group.  It was so nice to be able to stroll in and out of the house to the pool and surrounding garden at whim, and the low surrounding wall made the area safe for our grandchildren without any awkwardness for the adults.  The web site pictures do not do the pool justice.  The staff we dealt with on the estate were uniformly pleasant and helpful, and in some cases went out of their way for us.  We arranged for the "welcome buffet" dinner, and then two dinners cooked at the villa, which were all excellent - and the cook herself was a delight.  Sabrina and Mario were just terrific, and gave us a lot of personal attention, which was greatly appreciated.  You yourself have been a total pleasure to work with, both professionally and personally, and I am very happy to recommend Italian Encounters to others.  Thank you again for all the attention and help you provided in my quest for a fabulous week "en famille" in Umbria.  We loved every minute of our stay, and I look forward to dealing with you again in the future.” .. V C