Spoleto house rental - The back terraces from the yard.
The back terraces from the yard.
 
Spoleto house rental - The back terraces from the yard.

The back terraces from the yard.

The kitchen terrace looking out to the valley

The kitchen terrace looking out to the valley

View of the valley from the house

View of the valley from the house

Il vento

Il vento

Living Room

Living Room

Living Room

Living Room

Kitchen

Kitchen

Kitchen

Kitchen

Living Room Terrace

Living Room Terrace

Grapes

Grapes

Middle Bedroom

Middle Bedroom

Middle Bedroom

Middle Bedroom

Upper Bedroom

Upper Bedroom

Upper Bedroom

Upper Bedroom

Hammock at Dawn in Summer

Hammock at Dawn in Summer

Gioia Grazing in the field

Gioia Grazing in the field

The moon rises over the mountains.

The moon rises over the mountains.

Front of the house at night.

Front of the house at night.

The valley in early Spring

The valley in early Spring

The church

The church

The church

The church

A stroll in the village

A stroll in the village

a frequent rainbow over the valley

a frequent rainbow over the valley

  • Bedrooms2
  • Sleeps4
  • 3 Bathrooms
 

Photos and Description of the Spoleto vacation house rental
2 bedrooms, 3 baths, sleeps 2-4

Nestled in a hidden valley in the foothills of the Apennine Mountains, lies the tiny village of Vallocchia. A village of approximately twenty homes, it is a quiet and friendly outpost where one can enjoy the peace and beauty of the mountains with the city of Spoleto only 10 minutes away. Vallocchia offers a serenity and a way of life long forgotten in most parts of the world today.

The house itself, located in the heart of the village, offers the utmost privacy. The house was originally an old farmhouse/tower that was lovingly restored by an Academy Award winning Italian art director a decade ago. The top floor of the tower is the master bedroom, with the second bedroom a floor below, at street level.The kitchen and living room are on the ground floor (one floor below street level) and both open onto their own terraces Only Gioia and A.D., the village horses grazing in the pasture, impede the idyllic view of this stunning valley and the mountains.

There are no shops or restaurants in Vallocchia, just a couple of horses, a smattering of lovely villagers, and lots of peace and quiet. Vallocchia is a sleepy, pastoral village, but what it lacks in amenities, it makes up for in beauty and charm. There is private parking on the property that easily accommodates 2-3 cars.

You can expect all the comforts and coziness of a real home including high speed internet. The kitchen and bedrooms are connected by a circular staircase. The kitchen is a fully stocked cooks' kitchen with All-Clad cookware. In the basement is a third bathroom with shower and laundry facilities. The kitchen and bedrooms are connected by a circular staircase. A small third bedroom is off the living room.

Things to do:: Vallocchia offers many wonderful hiking opportunities, from treks to the nearby ancient chestnut forest - Vallocchia is legendary for its chestnuts - to spectacular hikes up into the mountains offering breathtaking views of this glorious mountain region. Also, the beautifully preserved medieval town of Spoleto is just ten minutes away by car. Here, one is centrally located for day trips to all the wondrous history, art and nature Umbria has to offer.

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About Kristine

We always wanted to give our daughter a second language and fantasized of doing it in Italy. One day the stars aligned, making our dream a possibility. Three weeks later we came upon Casa Cristina. It seemed too rich an experience to not make the leap. And what a leap it was. We were city folk unused to the quiet rhythm of nature but, looking for adventure, it didn’t make sense to trade one city for another. And so we came to this historic mountain hamlet for a full year and fell in love. Our neighbors immediately embraced us. When the moving van couldn’t make it through the narrow pass by Mimma’s house, Lando called Aleandro in from the field. They hitched a flatbed up to Aleandro’s trailer and made several trips, depositing all of our belongings onto the car park. Thus began what has been a decade of experiences rich beyond recounting. Pictured here is our daughter just before we took her down to Spoleto for her first day of school at the age of nine. She is now in her second year of college and working on her fourth language. Sharing our life and home here with other adventurous travelers has been a wonderfully rewarding experience. Kristine and John

Kristine purchased this house in 1999
Why Kristine chose Spoleto

We fell in love with it the moment we saw it! Except for the advent of electricity, running water, and a recently restored road, the village is much as it was hundreds of years ago. Vallocchia is protected as a historic site and is one of the best preserved villages of its kind in all of Umbria.

19 Reviews of Property 165457 in Spoleto, Italy

Medieval Tower in a Magical Mountian Village/Spectacular Views
average rating of 5.0 based on 19 reviews
business
Medieval Tower in a Magical Mountian Village/Spectacular Views
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p165457
+001 (646) 942-2644 (New York, USA)
Spoleto Spoleto area
Millbrook, Ontario, Canada
5

A Peaceful Retreat in Beautiful Umbria

5 of 5
Submitted: July 12, 2011 Stayed: June 2011
Casa Cristina is a very comfortable home nestled literally on the edge of the Appenine mountains. If you are looking for a quiet haven at the end of a day visiting the beautiful hill towns of Umbria, book this place. The home is well appointed, the views across the valley serene and it's within an hour or so of many of the towns you will want to see.

Kristine was the best unpaid travel agent ever and Bianca was a gracious host who took great care in ensuring our stay was very comfortable. If you have the time, book a cooking class with Mimma but don't book another meal for that day!

Thanks again Kristine for sharing your magical home and the joys of Umbria. We are forever grateful for all your hospitality.

Best Regards,
Jennifer and Charles
Recommended for:  Adventure Seekers, Pet-friendly, Girls Getaway, Sightseeing, Romantic Getaway
business
Medieval Tower in a Magical Mountian Village/Spectacular Views
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p165457
+001 (646) 942-2644 (New York, USA)
Spoleto Spoleto area
Guest Comment Entered by Owner
-1

From posted in Naples

Submitted: December 23, 2010 Stayed: October 2010
Thank you for allowing us to enjoy your perfect Italian home. Daily we visited local towns and returned to relax in the hammock, sit by the fire, and eat around the family table. Our little one loved feeding the horses carrots and chasing the gray cat. We all enjoyed the Star Wars videos late at night. The perfect ending to another perfect day!

We hope to return some day.

Best regards,

C & P, M & K
business
Medieval Tower in a Magical Mountian Village/Spectacular Views
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p165457
+001 (646) 942-2644 (New York, USA)
Spoleto Spoleto area
Guest Comment Entered by Owner
-1

From the Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania

Submitted: December 23, 2010 Stayed: September 2010
Kristine,

Your villa has redefined “relaxation” for us. Your hospitality via your pre-vacation e-mails, maps and “sticker notes”__all enhanced our stay. We especially enjoyed listening to your CD’s and browsing your cookbooks, too! (and Video’!) We’ve gained such insights into Italy’s art, culture, and geography! And we’ve learned…

In spite of Protestations to Mimma that she is making too much food, and we’ll never eat it all, she is right…we did eventually eat almost all of it!

Pheasants emerge to strut around in the field only after hunters retreat.

Truffles are better than we could have ever imagined.

A walking stick does make hilltop climbs easier.

Thank you for sharing your piece of Umbria with us…Vallocchia, and its residents, are a jewel!!!

N & P, K & P
business
Medieval Tower in a Magical Mountian Village/Spectacular Views
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p165457
+001 (646) 942-2644 (New York, USA)
Spoleto Spoleto area
Guest Comment Entered by Owner
-1

From Malvern, UK

Submitted: December 23, 2010 Stayed: August 2010
We have had a lovely time in your house, living in comfort and immense quiet, surrounded by these beautiful hills. We spent half our days exploring the paths leading down (and mostly up) the hills. We enjoyed one walk across the valley and up through the chestnut forest, particularly enhanced by the Racolta Risevata signs! The steep climb out of the village past the water trough, led left along to the wild beasts meadow and on through the pines, and several times straight on the past the ruin (having climbed Castelmonte the first time), once getting all the way to Monte Fionche (1337m!), for more spectacular views of layers upon layers of mountains. We saw wild boar rooting’s, but saw none. Watched red-backed shrike from the patio, saw more jays up and down the road than we can count, and a couple of hoopoes. Our best nature spot has to be, however, the porcupine crossing the road just outside the village one night. We had found one spine on a walk and had been really excited by that (simple pleasures!) and then the next day we found a scattering of them by the roadside.

Thank you again for the pleasure of your house and the friendliness and welcome from Bianca and your lovely neighbors’.

Best Wishes from C & N
business
Medieval Tower in a Magical Mountian Village/Spectacular Views
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p165457
+001 (646) 942-2644 (New York, USA)
Spoleto Spoleto area
Wynnewood, PA USA
5

Peaceful Getaway

5 of 5
Submitted: November 17, 2010 Stayed: October 2010
Dear Kristine and John, we had an absolutely wonderful stay in your home. Your home is as described on the VRBO website. We had fun navigating the road to and from Vallochia and got quite adept at doing so.
Kristine~you were easily available via email prior to coming to Italy and always returned my emails promptly. It was a pleasure to deal with someone so easy going.
Biana was such a sweetheart. She checked in on us several times during our stay, came to my rescue when I couldn't quite communicate the rental car issue we were having to the FIAT service center and even found me a place to stay in Umbria several weeks later (you were still in your house...or believe me, I would have been there in a minute)!
Mimma and her family were very welcoming and shared chestnuts with us...which we roasted and enjoyed on a hike.
Enjoyed the horses, the dogs (esp Noce) and the cats. I almost took Noce with me!
Your home was so very comfortable. We felt like we hit the lottery.
We did day trips, bike rides (one very cold windy bike ride almost to Assisi when we had to yell "uncle" and take the train back), hikes and just hung out. One of my favorite days was driving to the Piano Grande and then Casteluccio, where we had probably our most outstanding meal of the trip at Taverna Castelluccio. I have misplaced the card for my second favorite restaurant, but it is family run in Trevi~I was in heaven~got to practice my Italian there!
I could go on and on and I think I have.
Thanks again. I hope to have another trip like this someday.
Lisa/Betsy/Andy
Recommended for:  Adventure Seekers, Pet-friendly, Girls Getaway, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Romantic Getaway
Helpful votes: 2/2
business
Medieval Tower in a Magical Mountian Village/Spectacular Views
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p165457
+001 (646) 942-2644 (New York, USA)
Spoleto Spoleto area
Guest Comment Entered by Owner
0

Submitted: September 6, 2010 Stayed: July 2010
Dear Kristine
We have just had a wonderful, wonderful fortnight in your lovely, comfortable house. We had a great time visiting towns and villages, some of which we had been to before, although many were new to us. Walking on the hills above Vallocchia was fabulous too (once we'd made the climb to the water trough). Of course it goes without saying that we also really enjoyed the food. We had some great meals out but we all also like cooking and had many a lovely meal ( lunch and dinner) on the terrace looking out at the field which has a magical quality doesn't it as the sun sets. It was great to stay in a house with such a well equipped kitchen (so often they aren't).
As you said, Bianca was a star and made sure on a regular basis that we were fine. Once again, we had a really good time. Thank you.
Best wishes
Sally, Malcolm, Caroline and Nick
business
Medieval Tower in a Magical Mountian Village/Spectacular Views
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p165457
+001 (646) 942-2644 (New York, USA)
Spoleto Spoleto area
Sussex
5

Recommendation of Casa Cristina

5 of 5
Submitted: August 15, 2010 Stayed: July 2010
I just wanted to write to express my thanks and delight with your beautiful house in Italy. We had such a happy time at Casa Christina and it's location and the comfort it offered more than lived up to all my hopes and expectations. The view from the terrace was stunning. If we had not been busy exploring local towns and cities then even more hours would have been spent soaking up the peace and sheer magic of our surroundings. Daily visits from one of the local dogs, what seems to be a resident cat and, of course, the two horses grazing at the foot of the wooded hills, was a joy. I slept soundly every night as the beds were blissfully comfortable (not something to necessarily be relied upon with holiday lets). Your kitchen is wonderfully equipped without distracting from the simplicity of the house and your generosity in providing videos and CD's for your tenants/guests much appreciated. Naturally we spent a certain amount of time away from the house. Long lazy lunches interspersed with visits to many different churches. It had been nearly 18 years since my last visit to Italy and I had forgotten just how beautiful it is. The architecture, wealth of art, colours of the plastered walls and pigments in the frescoes, history, language, warmth of the people, food, etc etc fed every one of the senses. Although, if it is possible to be "truffled out" I think I was in danger of turning into a truffle by the end of the week.
business
Medieval Tower in a Magical Mountian Village/Spectacular Views
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p165457
+001 (646) 942-2644 (New York, USA)
Spoleto Spoleto area
Guest Comment Entered by Owner
0

Submitted: March 21, 2009 Stayed: March 2009
Dear Kristine

Words cannot describe our delightful stay at Casa Cristina. We were lucky enough to witness the birth of spring in the budding trees and flowers of Umbria and were in awe of the blanket of freshly fallen snow on our final day

Thank you for sharing your beautiful home in Vallocchia. Our memories are priceless.

Kindest regards,
business
Medieval Tower in a Magical Mountian Village/Spectacular Views
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p165457
+001 (646) 942-2644 (New York, USA)
Spoleto Spoleto area
Guest Comment Entered by Owner
0

Submitted: September 27, 2008 Stayed: September 2008
Kristine,Thank you for all the written instructions around the casa__it made our stay very comfortable. We duly read all of your restaurant recommendations, but alas enjoyed eating our dinners at home in your cozy kitchen.One of the highlights of our trip in Umbria, was stumbling on a wine fair at Montefalco. We purchased our wine bibs (to hold our glasses), and made the rounds of all the wineries, sipping the Mantelfalco Rosso and sagrantino as we went. At the fair we were introduced to Lorenzo from Terre di Trinci and were invited to visit him at the winery. All of us are past board members of the American wine society ( 3 past presidents) and were happy to take up his invitation…….
business
Medieval Tower in a Magical Mountian Village/Spectacular Views
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p165457
+001 (646) 942-2644 (New York, USA)
Spoleto Spoleto area
Guest Comment Entered by Owner
0

Submitted: September 26, 2008 Stayed: September 2008
Kristine,

We did not get much time to enjoy the hammock, as we did not spend any daytime at your casa. Each day we did a trip to each of the surrounding towns and villages. We returned each night to cook dinner (usually on the kitchen fireplace) and drink some of the local wines.
As there were four of us your casa suited us perfectly. We loved the drive up and down the winding road to Spoleto.

We were in Italy for 23 days and our stay in Spoleto was the highlight.

I loved the dart game in the living room. I departed as the reigning champion.