The house is situated near Rome, on the slopes of the Cimini mountains, with truly breathtaking views in all directions of rolling countryside and mountains, 10 minutes from the beautiful medieval town of Soriano. It sits surrounded by it's own lawns, meadow, olive groves, fruit trees and nut orchard in a quiet rural location, with masses of space for kids to roam safely to their hearts content. At various times in the Summer you can help yourselves to cherries, apples, figs, giungiole (delicious local fruit), hazelnuts and our own market garden.
It is 20 mins from the medieval papal city of Viterbo, 40 mins from scenic Orvieto, 1 hour from the Tuscan seaside, 2 hours from Florence and an hour north of Rome by car. By train from the nearby station at Orte, you can get to Florence in 2 hrs and Rome in 40 mins. It is situated in beautiful countryside, very similar to neighbouring Umbria and Tuscany but far less touristy. Soriano itself is a very friendly local market town with all the necessary amenities and shops. It sports some excellent yet reasonably priced restaurants. There's lots of good eating in surrounding towns. The area is known for its many thermal springs. Nearby are the Lakes di Vico and Bolsena (great for visiting, eating by the water and swimming/water sports in the summer) and chestnut/beach forests on the Monte Cimini (great for long walks in the mountains). La Fagetta, the summit of the highest Cimini mountain is a 20 minute drive from here with the most spectacular views - a truly magical place in the evenings with it's huge beach trees, carpets of wild flowers and a good restaurant to come down to at the end of it al!
Soriano-Chestnut Festival(Sagra di Castagne): This takes place in the first two weeks of October, which usually sport excellent weather. There are medieval pageants and contests between the quartiere/rione of the town most nights in the main square in Soriano (See photo). The whole community get together to perform, provide typical local food (eaten together in great cellars and halls), joust, and run Soriano's own palio (horse race). This is the best time to get a real feel for the local life and community - a really heartwarming experience - and free chestnuts! This period tends to get booked early.
The house is very spacious with plenty of room for kids ( and adults) to play inside as well as out. There are 4 large double bedrooms and a 5th with bunk beds. There is a further space for sleeping in the large playroom where there is a table tennis table and table football. There is a also a cot bed and a Z bed. We have 2 large communal bathrooms. One has a large modern shower (refurbished this year), the other a lovely truly huge bath. The master has an ensuite bathroom as of 2016. There is also an outside shower by the pool.
We have a huge south facing sun terrace with a covered eating area which has wonderful views across the pool, nut orchards and the Tiber valley to the Appenine mountains beyond. This is a wonderful place to eat long holiday lunches in the shade or in the sun as you wish. In the evenings it is beautifully lit and even nicer for eating al fresco. There is also a lovely covered loggia at the front (with a great view of the Cimini mountains and the castle at Soriano) for a quiet place to read or a late afternoon snooze. It also has a large outside fireplace for cooler evenings.
The pool is large, surrounded by plenty of sunterrace and is also in a great spot (a real sun trap), but also has a lovely view for miles. There is a diving board and convenient steps in for little ones. The pool has a thermal cover for use in Spring and Autumn but is normally closed form mid October to mid April. We have opened outside that period in exceptional circumstances for an additional fee.
We are also 1 hour from the nearest beach of Sant'Agostino if you want a day at the seaside. It is a large and long sandy beach with areas that are managed (where you have to pay) and large unmanaged stretches. The water is clean and very safe for little ones as it only gets deep slowly. There is an excellent and reasonably priced seafood restaurant and number or bars/cafes. The Tuscan coast is 80 mins away - great for a day out. It's a huge space with plenty of bars or restaurants at one end, or a more quiet rural setting at the far end. We go several times a year. The lovely town of Tarquinia (the old Etruscan capital) is very near and definitely worth a visit (for dinner too if you want) before coming back. There's a wonderful fish maket just down the coast at Civitavecchia or the Tuscan coast is a further 45 minutes the other way.
Near Terni, 1 hour towards the central mountains, are the highest waterfalls in Europe - definitely worth a visit.
Lake Bolsena is a 40 minute drive - it is cradled in the crater of a huge (extinct!) supervolcano. Truly spectacular views are to be had all round - there are beaches, watersports, many good restaurants (some on stilts out in the lake) and boats for hire to explore the little islands out in the lake.
Nearby to Bolsena is the famous 'dying town' of Bagnoregio (Bognor Regis!). A truly spectacular and extraordinary medieval citadel on a rocky promontary out into the Tiber valley only accessible by a narrow footbridge. A must see and a great place for lunch. It is gradually being eroded - bits from the edge fall off each year in the rains and plunge hundreds of feet down into the ravine below. We go every holiday!
Proprietor speaks English, French, Italian,and some German.
Local agent Floriana speaks fluent English. She is a local tour guide and can arrange tours for our guests around the medieval heart of Soriano and many other local sites. Her mother provides exellent traditional pasta making lessons - great fun for adults and children alike. She is a mine of information for local travel and activities/sites to visit and for any info you need re getting to Rome etc. We'll give you plenty of info re the local restaurants.
