Beautiful farmhouse in Valpolicella, near Verona

Il Castello, our ancient stone farmhouse built around a lovely courtyard, offers rural tranquillity with stunning views across Valpolicella towards the mountains of Lake Garda. The area is famous for its wine & food, and the historic cities of Verona, Venice, Vicenza, Padua and Mantua are within easy access. 4 double bedrooms; 2 bathrooms & utility room; well-equipped "cook's" kitchen; living room with open fireplace, and a wisteria-covered terrace set amongst vineyards and olive groves. Il Castello is a seventeenth-century farmhouse (once in remote times a castle, hence its name), built around an attractive courtyard. The main house is divided into three units, all owned by permanent Italian residents, one of which belongs to my brother-in-law, Hugh Ward-Perkins, and his Italian wife Paola, who both speak English. Our house, on the opposite side of the courtyard, is managed by Fiorenza Peruzi, who runs a local cleaning agency; she is very helpful and efficient if you need help with anything in the house. Our house is divided into two parts, either side of the impressive ancient gateway into the courtyard. It has four bedrooms, and can sleep up to 8 people. Parties of 4 or fewer guests have access to the main part of the house, which has a double and a twin bedroom, and a bathroom. Parties of 5 or more also have access to the Fienile, a converted hayloft with two further double bedrooms, one en suite, the other adjacent to the laundry room which has a WC and basin. Parties of 4 or fewer guests can have access to the Fienile as well as the main house for a small extra charge. The main half of the house has a large downstairs sitting/dining-room, with an open fireplace, and an attractive and well-equipped kitchen (gas hob, electric oven, fridge, and dish-washer) with a traditional marble sink and marble worktops; on the first floor there is a large double bedroom, a bathroom (with shower enclosure, basin, bidet & W.C.) tiled in local pink marble, and a second bedroom with two single beds. On the other side of the entrance portico, the ‘Fienile’ is a converted hayloft. Upstairs, reached by an external staircase, is a double bedroom with spectacular views across the valley and an en suite shower-room with WC. Downstairs is another bedroom, with doors opening onto the courtyard. Next to it is a laundry-room, accessed from the portico, with a washing machine, large sink and additional WC. (Please note: The downstairs Fienile bedroom does not communicate directly either with the upstairs Fienile bedroom or the Laundry Room.) All the rooms are fully and attractively furnished, largely with antique furniture, and there is plenty of hot water (and central heating, if needed, in winter). Sheets and towels, including beach towels, are provided at no extra charge. There is unlimited wireless internet access available, as well as a CD player and radio, which can also be connected to an iPod. There is also an extensive collection of cookery books in both English and Italian. Outside Areas: There are two sitting-out areas with shade - one under a portico on the courtyard side; the other under a large pergola planted with wisteria and oleanders overlooking the valley towards Monte Baldo. The courtyard is shared with the other owners, and provides a pleasant sitting-out area and a safe and sheltered play space, with an olive tree, fig tree, and the original large stone washing basins filled with running water from the local stream which runs underneath the courtyard. The pergola has benches and a stone table in for eating outdoors. We also provide a large Webber barbecue and deck-chairs. The house is surrounded by fields and vineyards with ample space to roam and explore. A party of up to four guests will have access to the main part of the house - two bedrooms, bathroom, living room and kitchen, as well as the laundry room and all the outside areas. Parties of 5 or more will also have access to the Fienile (once a hayloft, now converted into two bedrooms, one with en-suite shower room). The division of the house into two parts makes it well-suited to larger groups sharing with friends and family. Parties of 4 or fewer can have access to the bedrooms in the fienile for a small additional charge. My brother-in-law, Hugh, and his Italian wife Paola, live in the main farmhouse on the other side of the courtyard. They both speak English and are always willing to offer help and advice whenever needed. Il Castello is set amidst vineyards and olive groves on a quiet country road, 20 minutes north-west of Verona, in the Valpolicella. The house sits on the spur of a hill about a mile above the small town of Negrar, with dramatic views north towards the Monti Lessini, south towards the Po plain, and west to Monte Baldo. Its elevated position and thick walls offer welcome coolness and pleasant breezes in the summer heat. Just down the hill Gianni and Francesca, our closest neighbours, sell good quality table wine at very reasonable prices as well as very good value ripasso and amarone - just ring their doorbell. Further down the hill is the famous Renaissance garden of Villa Rizzardi (where you can also buy wine.). Fifteen minutes walk down the hill, Negrar is a small, friendly town with a historic centre. It has an excellent butcher, greengrocer and baker, as well as a weekly market, and there is a large supermarket close by, and an even better one on the road to Verona. Negrar also has several good restaurants, where we eat regularly, a pasticceria and a number of bars. Wine-growing is the main occupation of the area; the local wines are Valpolicella Classico, Ripasso, Amarone and Recioto (a distinctive sweet red wine). The quality of local wine has improved dramatically in the last twenty years, and there are many small independent vineyards close by where you can learn about, taste and buy these wines direct from the growers. Valpolicella (like most of Italy) is keenly ‘foodie’, and it is almost impossible to eat badly in this part of the world. There are many good (and good value) restaurants and pizzerias in the local area, including the wonderful Pizzeria alle Vigne at San Peretto, extremely popular with locals, which is five minutes away by car, but can also be walked to down a track from our house. Il Castello is about 40 minutes from Lake Garda, and the motorway network for Venice, Vicenza, Mantua, Bologna, Trento etc. is very readily accessible, making it a good base to explore the cultural riches of the Veneto. The house is also admirably placed for walking (detailed local maps are available in the house). Verona airport (Aeroporto Valerio Catullo) is about 30 minutes away; Treviso and Venice airports are both about an hour and a quarter away. We have a travel cot and high chair in the house to accommodate a baby, and also a stair gate. It is possible for those staying in the Fienile to be reasonably autonomous, which makes it well-suited to having family or friends to stay. The division of the house also makes it pleasant to use in smaller numbers.