Cottage & Studio Apartments in restored Farmhouse with swimming pool — Property 58279

Cottage & Studio Apartments in restored Farmhouse with swimming pool

Dating partly from the seventeenth century, this romantic farmhouse with its white-stuccoed, thick stone walls is set in five-acres of grounds with lawns, fruit-trees, flower-beds and a small fish-pond. There is also a welcoming 12m x 6m swimming-pool with amenities including sun-loungers, a hot shower, fridge, a barbecue area and an inside toilet. From the house and grounds there are splendid views across a gentle valley to distant mountains and the medieval, hill-town of Camerino, the site of what is claimed to be the second oldest university in Western Europe. The English owners have lived here since 1989 and have lovingly restored the whole building including the two self-catering apartments. The largest has been available for holiday rentals since 2004: the studio apartment was finished in May, 2008. A guest remarked that it was wonderful to be somewhere free from all sounds of the modern world. Yet the house is close to shops, restaurants, great walks and famed tourist centres.

Details for Studio Apartment in Marche, Italy

This is a newly renovated independent studio apartment for self-catering holiday rental. It consists of an entrance lobby, a bathroom and a large room providing sleeping and dining areas. The Studio is entered through a restored antique chapel door with stained-glass panels. Steps lead down into the Studio with the bathroom to the right and the main area ahead. The attractive bathroom contains a toilet, bidet, sink with large mirror and a full-sized shower cabinet. There is also a heated towel rack. In the bedroom area, there are two antique and very comfortable single beds, each with its own lighting controls. Furnishings include antique painted wardrobe and chest of drawers. While lying in bed you can look through both windows at the splendid view or watch television. There is a well-equipped kitchen with sink, four-ring stove, large fridge/freezer and a microwave. Guests have their own outside dining areas, as well as shared use of the rest of the large garden and swimming pool.

Location Gorgiano, Camerino Macerata < Marche < Italy

Gorgiano, Camerino Macerata < Marche < Italy

 marks the location of this property in Macerata

Availability for Studio Apartment in Marche, Italy

Last updated on:

Sunday, 03 August 2008

Changeover day:

Saturday

Normal availability

All year

Rental rates for Studio Apartment in Marche, Italy

^*Please Note: The owner of this property accepts payment in the original currency specified, before use of conversion tool. The conversion tool is provided for your convenience only. The owner may accept other currencies if specifically agreed in advance.

Notes to the rental rates

• * A 25% deposit is required to confirm a booking. Arrangements for paying the remainder will be made with the guests.
  * Payment covers electricity, gas, water, parking, the use of the swimming pool (from mid-June to mid-September) and central-heating (November-April) . Towels and bed linen are changed weekly. An additional charge of €25.00 is made for final cleaning.
  * Clients who book both our apartments at the same time will receive a 15% discount on the listed price of both the apartment and the studio/apartment.
  

Accommodation and Facilities for Studio Apartment in Marche, Italy

The Weather

The house is at the end of a private road and so it is a peaceful haven with no sounds of passing traffic and, as we are about 450m above sea level, the air is pure and healthy. Although there can be many sunny days, January to March is usually dry and chilly with a heavy snowfall in early January. (Bolognola, the nearest ski resort, is only a forty-minute drive away.) In April, May and early June, there can be rainy days but Spring is a fantastic season - fruit trees blossom, the sun frequently shines, wild flowers blanket the fields and verges, the birds sing and, at night, the fire-flies glow. From mid-June to early September, it is normally very hot, sunny and dry. Autumn, with its burnished and russet foliage, is a magical time. It does sometime rain and, as the days shorten, it becomes cooler. It is the ideal time for walking and exploring. Our swimming pool is normally open from mid-May until early October. For the rest of the year, the pool is covered and not used.

Local Wines and Food

The best known regional white wine is Verdicchio, produced mainly in Matelica (10 kilometres away) and Castelli di Jesi. It varies from the cheap and cheerful to superb vintage wine. Local red wines, named after where the wine is made, are Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno. A famous local, sweet, sparkling wine is Vernaccia di Serra Petrona. Produced in Camerino and other nearby towns is a superb aniseed spirit, called Mistrà, that is delightfully used to 'correct' a coffee. Local foods include 'ciauscolo' (a spreadable salame), 'frappe' (a Carnival sweet made of fried strips of sugared dough) and 'torrone' (a nougat). Among local dishes are 'coniglio in prochetta' (rabbit stuffed with pork and wild fennel), 'polenta' (a solid pasta made from maize flour on top of which is meat or vegetables) and 'vincisgrassi' (a superior lasagna). Local cheeses include 'pecorino' (from sheep's milk) and 'ricotta' (from the remaining whey). Excellent honey and olive oil are also produced locally.

Eating In and Out

Within 3 kilometres of the apartment, there are two supermarkets selling a wide range of foods that includes local and regional specialities. Also close by, there are local specialist bakers, butchers, greengrocers and delicatessens. There is also a local market where it is possible to buy fresh fish. It is, therefore, very easy to buy locally almost any food required - apart from some essential Ingredients for Indian and Chinese food! Close by, there are several unpretentious restaurants and pizzerias, serving good and inexpensive meals. At some of them, it is possible to eat outside in summer. Within a twenty-minute drive, there are about a dozen slightly more expensive restaurants that present very good food and an excellent range of Italian wines. All guests are provided with a list of local restaurants and we are very happy, if required, to provide advice and make any required bookings. At weekends in summer and on feast days, it is normally essential to book in advance.

Skiing Information:

About a 45-minute drive away, you can ski in the spectacular scenery of the Sibylline Mountains. The nearest small village is Bolognola, or 'Little Bologna' so named by the four rich families who, in medieval times, fled from Bologna. A few kilometres away, at a height of 1070 meters, is Punterra where there are seven ski lifts taking you up to 1845 meters and the pists that have a run of 5 kilometres. The place is unsophisticated but never overcrowded and with no queues for the ski lifts. It is also unusually cheap! The ski season is normally from mid-December to the end of March.