The nearby village of Caprese Michelangelo:
The house is secluded but not isolated, with the village centre being just a fifteen minute walk away. Here you'll find a grocery store, pharmacy, bank, bar, pizzeria and restaurants, to mention but a few. The local cuisine is exquisite and remarkably reasonable. For example, you can get a traditional Tuscan Sunday lunch (10 courses!), including wine, mineral water, coffee and after dinner liqueurs for around £25.00.
Michelangelo:
The village is renowned for being the birthplace of the great Renaissance sculptor and painter. You can visit the house where he was born (XIV cent.), which now forms part of a comprehensive museum, including the Clusini Palace (XIV cent), the rooms of the Rocca Fortress and the area outside, among the remains of the old castle built in the middle ages. The quaint little church where Michelangelo was baptised is also a short walk away and can be viewed free of charge by prior appointment. In spite of its fascinating history, Caprese Michelangelo remains enviably unspoiled and is the perfect place to escape the frenetic pace of modern life. The views from the top of the village are stunning.
Beyond Caprese:
If you feel the need to leave the comfort of the house and pool, apart from the major tourist attractions of Florence, Siena, Assisi, Perugia and Arezzo (which are a comfortable drive away), there are innumerable places to visit in the locality. For example:La Verna - a twenty minute drive into the nearby mountains, this monastic settlement, set in the National Park of Casentinesi forests, is where St Francis of Assisi famously experienced the stigmata. Sansepolcro - A twenty minute drive away. Birthplace of Piero della Francesca (1420-1492), one of the great artists of the early Renaissance. Wonderful shops, churches, restaurants and the museo civico, where many of his most famous works are displayed. Monterchi - Another beautiful hilltop village where you can view Piero della Francesca's 'Madonna del Parto'. Anghiari - 15 minutes away. This characteristic medieval walled town with its narrow cobbled streets offers museums, shops, eateries and superb views of the Tiber Valley.
