Villa Oliva - Umbria

Accommodates 8 — 4 Bedrooms — 3 Baths

Don’t be deceived by the pictures of Villa Oliva. It looks like a modern house, but in reality it is an old house transformed into an elegant, fully modernized country villa. The location is one of our very favorite parts of Italy; the border area where Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio meet. The nearest villages — virtually untouched by American or any other tourism — are Otricoli, Magliano Sabina, Orte, and Narni. The convenience of this location is that you are near the junction of two 4-lane highways, one leading to Todi, Perugia, Spoleto, and Assisi, the other leading to Florence and Rome. From the Orte train station, Rome is less than 40 minutes' ride, Florence about 90.

More than this, the variety of attractions within a 60-minute drive of the property is really remarkable, including:

• Three of Italy's most famous gardens: Villa Lante, Villa Farnese; and Bomarzo.
• Three charming lakes, Bolsena, Vico, and Bracciano.
• Italy's most famous waterfall, the Cascate delle Marmore.
• Towns especially noted for antiques and handmade ceramics, Deruta and Amelia in particular.
• Some of the loveliest, least touristed villages, towns, and small cities in Italy: Viterbo, Tuscania, Amelia, Spello, Montecchio, Fara in Sabina, Civita di Bagnoregio, etc., etc. Not to mention really famous places like Orvieto, Assisi, Todi, Spoleto, and Rome itself.

Take a look on our website at the sample itinerary for this property to see exactly how you can spend two weeks here with more to do than can possibly be fit into the time at hand.

Villa Oliva, our villa, is just lovely. Upstairs are an extremely commodious living/dining room with fireplace, plus a fully equipped kitchen. Downstairs you'll find four bedrooms, a master which is slightly better than the others, with an indivisible matrimonial bed; another bedroom with an indivisible matrimonial; and two bedrooms, each with two twin beds. The matrimonials each have their own bathrooms with tub and hand-held shower; the twins share a bathroom with shower only. Lighting is excellent throughout, and all bedrooms have ceiling fans. Also downstairs you'll find a second sitting room with fireplace, TV, and stereo/CD player. The house was completely restored in 1999 by its owner for her own use, and not for rental. This is a house with a lot of personal feeling to it. Some maid service is included; the housekeeper is particularly pleasant. Phone, washer, dishwasher.

Villa Oliva is full of light, and views over the Tiber Valley are extensive. There are terraces and plenty of grounds for outdoor lounging and dining. Private swimming pool.

A delightful house in an excellent location convenient to but also removed from the beaten path. For those of you going to Italy to hear languages other than English and German, Villa Oliva makes an excellent choice. Highly recommended.