Alla Collina - Todi - Umbria

Fairy-tale Todi is a thriving hill top town, much favoured by those clever few Italians, Brits and Americans “in the know”. It’s the choice for the savvy traveler looking for something off the beaten track, but nevertheless usefully located. Todi is said to have the most perfect medieval piazza in all Italy, the Piazza del Popolo. There’s a wonderful church by Bramante, a clutch of splendid restaurants, brilliant views from the town walls, plus a couple of shops (just off the main square), stuffed to the rafters with fabulous antique and repro brass and copper ware - their candelabra and fire irons are irresistible. Handsome Alla Collina is just over ten minutes drive away from all this, ready and waiting to wrap you in a deliciously luxurious lifestyle and give you a truly unforgettable holiday experience!

Alla Collina is another of Summer’s Leases gems; every comfort, a glorious swimming pool and fabulous views. The house is entirely private and peaceful with splendid local walks and picnic opportunities aplenty. Rome is little over an hour’s drive away, the Umbrian cities of Orvieto (with its fabulously ornate cathedral and world class wines) and Perugia (over two thousand years old and simply dripping with atmosphere) are both less than an hour’s drive. The little town of Narni (its Latin name was Narnia and it is indeed the very town CS Lewis used in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) is barely 20 minutes drive from lovely Todi. Lakes Trasimeno and Bolsena, the cultured town of Spoleto and the amazing waterfall built by the ancient Romans known as the Cascate delle Marmore at Lake Piediluco are all within a short drive. In other words, Alla Collina has it all - a great property with location, location and location.

The house sits just below the quaint little hamlet of Monticello. There’s nothing much there: a few houses, a pretty church, fabulous views, ancient stone walls and a timeless atmosphere of Umbrian country life, quietly lived. Alla Collina is a large, handsome building in mellow Umbrian stone. The impressive front door opens into a wide, ancient, barrel-vaulted corridor and a stone flagged hall. Three arched glass doors give the hall a light and airy feel as well as very pretty views out to the garden. The main sitting room is off the hall: a charming room, large and full of light from its three sets of double doors which all open directly onto the terrace and loggia in our photos. Opposite the sitting room there’s a great games room. You can settle to a quiet board game (there are dozens to choose from in the cupboard - chess, Monopoly, Scrabble etc) or play a round of ping pong or maybe try your hand on the 8 ft x 4 ft pool table. The kitchen, the laundry room and a half bathroom (cloakroom) are also on the ground floor. The kitchen is a cook’s paradise! There’s a breakfast table, an over-sized oven, 5 gas hobs, a dishwasher and a large fridge-freezer and just about everything from muffin tins to measuring spoons tucked neatly away in the cupboards. There’s also a double bedroom (5 ft queen bed) on the ground floor with an en suite bathroom with a huge shower - this is “the garden bedroom” and opens directly onto its own little patio. Upstairs, you’ll find another, very comfy sitting room with a TV and lots of guide books plus three bedrooms all with their own bathrooms - the handsome master bedroom, a double bedroom with an extra single bed and the studio loft with two single beds and its own little sitting room, which is great for the young.

The main house sleeps 8 in spacious comfort, however if your party is large, you might decide to book the pretty guest cottage too - available only to those who book the main house. The cottage is a T-shaped building with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a sitting room and a kitchen in the top of the T. The leg of the T is an independent studio with its own en suite bathroom. It’s a splendid little “extra” to ensure there’s more than ample space and privacy for the entire family.

Alla Collina is bellissima: luxurious, but without any stiff formality. It goes without saying that the bed linens are the finest! The organic vegetables, growing especially for you in the vegetable patch, add yet another thoughtful touch. Clara is your housekeeper and cook - and she’s special too! As an extra service to her cleaning duties (included in our price), she can cook you authentic Umbrian meals, baby sit, deal with your laundry and - the cherry on the icing! - offer you cookery lessons that will mean you can wow your friends back home with newly acquired insights into the concept of the genuine Italian dinner party. There are full details of Clara’s modest charges in the House Book, as well as lots of information on local sights, shopping, banks, restaurants etc.

Indulge yourselves - book Alla Collina and step into a truly harmonious lifestyle that will refresh even the weariest worker!