Trevi holiday farmhouse

Casa San Martino has the most fantastic location. It is only 8 minutes uphill walk from the house to the centre of Trevi, an untouristy, unspoilt town with tightly packed medieval houses and palazzi, perched high above the Via Flaminia. And yet, set in the middle of olive groves, the house feels quite remote and rural. Being able to walk rather than drive to restaurants from a quiet house with a pool and views is a combination that is hard to find in Umbria and Tuscany, and keeps us coming back year after year. Trevi is a proper town, not a village, and is big enough to have food shops, a nearby giant supermarket, and a selection of good and reasonably priced restaurants and bars, patronised mainly by locals. It has some beautiful churches, in particular Santa Maria delle Lacrime, which has a stunning Perugino. Only 20 minutes drive from Spello, Assisi, Montefalco, Bevagna, Spoleto and the Val Nerina, there are endless sightseeing possibilities and terrific restaurants. We have been going to the area for 10 years now and there is still much that we haven't seen. The only thing that first-time visitors should be aware of is that although Trevi and surrounding hill towns are very unspoilt, this part of Umbria has some light industry and commercial activity around the Via Flaminia in the valley. It is perhaps not as picture postcard pretty as some parts of Tuscany, but we think other factors, particularly lack of tourists and great art and outstanding food and wine, more than make up for this.

The house is spacious and beautiful. It has been simply and elegantly restored with great taste, making the most of the character of the original stone and tiles. The modern bathrooms are lovely, kitchen well equipped and the bedrooms and sitting room are high-ceilinged and airy with lots of natural light. There is a raised terrace for eating outside overlooking the garden and the valley with fantastic views up to Trevi. The pool is quite large and very well kept; it is set in a lovely garden, rustic rather than manicured in style, with lavenders and mature figs and oaks.

Richard and Fiona, the owners who live nearby, have become friends over the years. They are good at sorting out any problems that arise, and are endlessly helpful with suggestions about places to eat, shopping and things to see. This is our favourite place for holidays: even our teenage daughter agrees!