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When the house was built in the 1700s, it originally housed monks from the local town during the summer harvests who would stay in the house in the countryside in order to be closer to the fields.  Renovations have carefully restored the original beamed ceilings, terracotta floors and 6 huge arches facing out to the valley. 

Modern improvements include underfloor heating supplied by a state-of-the-art wood pellet boiler, a hand-made maple kitchen with stone worktops, a wood-burning stove and double-glazed windows, making it a perfect holiday house for winter or summer. 

 

Loro Piceno and the surrounding area

Loro Piceno is a small hill town, 5 minutes drive away.  It has 2 supermarkets, 2 banks, a butcher, 2 bakers and a weekly market on Mondays.  It also has one of the finest restaurants of the area, Una Taverna per Loro.  The town’s speciality is vino cotto, a strong wine with a robust flavour.  Once outlawed but now protected by ministerial decree, it plays a large part in local culture around the area.



5 minutes in the other direction from Villa San Valentino are the roman remains of Urbs Salvia (now Urbisaglia), the most important archaeological site of the region. A roman amphitheatre, market place, medieval castle and a small museum in the town are open to visitors.



With the white sandy beaches of the Adriatic only a 30 minute drive away, and the stunning setting of the Monte Conero national park 15 minutes further on, the area is a perfect site for a summer holiday. The national park of the Sibillini Mountains begins only 20 minutes from the house, providing stunning hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter.

Neighbouring towns provide numerous destinations for strolling along cobbled streets, catching glimpses of the gently sloping fields and echoing hilltop towns beyond the medieval walls, before finding a local restaurant for a long, relaxed lunch, followed by a trip to the gelateria.

Rental prices in 2008

July & August: £2000 per week

June & September: £1500 per week

Other months: £1000 per week

Changeovers are on a Saturday. 

Arrival time is from 3pm; departure time at 10am to allow for preparation for the next guests (timing in line with Ryanair flights to London). 

Linen, laundry and final cleaning bill included in the price. 

Further information provided at time of booking.

If you are interested in renting this property, please contact Tessa Macnair (tmacnair@hotmail.com).

Villa San Valentino: sleeps 8/10; restored 18^th century monastery in a beautiful, secluded valley with pool

On the ground floor is a comfortable sitting room with large sofas surrounding a log-burning stove and a wall lined with books; a television and DVD player are also provided. 



A fully-equipped kitchen is adjacent to the sitting room with a table for 8 people.  Outside is a shaded loggia (under the ground floor arches) providing a further seating area, as well as a large table for 8 on the terrace, overlooking the formal garden.



Upstairs are 3 double bedrooms, one en-suite, with a further family bathroom. 





A large hallway with the 3 upper arches provides a stunning view over the surrounding countryside and town of Loro Piceno on the opposite hill.  Up a spiral staircase, the third floor has a double bedroom, a shower room and an additional room – ideal for children – with a single bed and a travel cot.  Each staircase has a child gate if required.



Surrounding the house is a formal terrace edged with lavendar and rose planting.  A path, lined with fragrant rosemary, leads away from the house and descends to a lower level where the 10mx 3.5m swimming pool is located (pool to be finished March 2008).  Sun loungers and large umbrellas are provided giving you the perfect place to sit and relax in front of uninterrupted views across the valley.  A further level below the pool stand the olive trees, providing the house with its annual supply of olive oil.





If you are interested in renting this property, please contact Tessa Macnair tmacnair@hotmail.com



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