Il Palazzello, as the name implies, must once have been the posh house of the area. Now it’s reduced to a sad state through decades of neglect, though most of the external walls are still standing. It’s difficult to work out much about the history of the place but from its solid square shape and lack of any external staircase, it was probably the casa padronale where the owner of all the land in the area either lived or, more likely, stayed for his summer hols.

The map shows the main building of 400 square metres (not counting the attic) with a smaller portion of 80 square metres behind. Taken together, there’s scope for a huge house here. The level area to the east would be perfect for a pool.

The town of Pietralunga is a mere 10 km away along good flat roads so the site has easy access for all the necessities of life. Pietralunga is an unspoilt town in the north-east corner of Umbria, centrally located between Roman Città di Castello and medieval Gubbio. The perfect city of Urbino is just 65 km away across the hills. This is truffle country and, unsurprisingly, Pietralunga has a truffle festival every October.

For someone looking for a large house in Umbria who isn’t put off by the works involved, this is excellent value.