Villa Margherita: Panoramic Villa with Pool

Spacious stone villa with spectacular view, gorgeous lap-pool (open June-August), shady portico, and every modern convenience (including wifi and fully-equipped kitchen with dishwasher). Enjoy the peaceful olive groves in splendid isolation, take the five-minute walk into the village of Penna in Teverina for an aperitivo, or go for a day trip in any one of the nearby hill-towns. Conveniently located fifteen-minutes from the Orte train station, one hour from Rome, and two hours from Florence. PLEASE NOTE THE POOL IS NORMALLY CLOSED FROM SEPTEMBER UNTIL JUNE. Villa Margherita is nestled within an ancient hillside olive grove dotted with fig trees, rose bushes, and potted lemon trees. The entire property is yours to roam. In 2006, our family used the stones of an ancestral ruined farmhouse to construct the villa--a modern, airy, and well-lit structure that looks as though it has always been there. We named the villa after our great-great grandmother, Margherita (Daisy), because the property was her dowry in the late nineteenth century. The magnificent southern-facing portico overlooking the valley and mountains provides a shady place to relax and enjoy your meals outdoors. The adjacent "limonaia" (lemon house) is connected to the villa by a lush "pergola" (grape arbor), the perfect place to read a book or--in the late summer--snack on ripe grapes. The limonaia is not rented and not inhabited. It houses potted lemons in the winter and a ping pong table in the summer. From the villa, a path leads up to the refreshing lap-pool, which is surrounded by olive trees and a spectacular view of the Tiber Valley. Inside, you will find a contemporary kitchen with marble countertops and upscale appliances, including a dishwasher, plenty of food storage space, and a washing machine. The house has two comfortable living rooms, three full bathrooms, and four bedrooms. From the village of Penna in Teverina, guests can access the villa by driving or walking down a scenic country road. Plenty of parking is available. I am available for contact, but our friend Maura lives in the village and comes every day to check on the pool and water the flowers. Upon request, she can also provide her expert cooking with locally-sourced ingredients, and any other information or services you need. Five minutes' walk up a shady lane is the charming village of Penna in Teverina. Penna is equipped with a well-stocked grocery store, an ATM, a pharmacy, a bakery, a pizzeria, and a café/bar, as well as several other food shops. Trucks with fresh produce and fish arrive in the village multiple times each week, and locally-grown vegetables are also available. Penna's historic center in the shape of a feather (hence the name) was constructed during a sixteenth-century building boom sponsored by the powerful Orsini clan. The historic center leads to a "belvedere" (panoramic outlook over the Tiber River valley and Mount Cimino beyond) and a number of walking paths. The calendar year is studded with festivals, such as the Corpus Domini in June where villagers decorate the streets with a carpet of flower petals. In early August, there is outdoor music and dancing for the village holiday; in mid-October, there is an open-air banquet to celebrate the "vendemmia" (grape harvest). Penna is also in easy reach of Rome, Florence, the Etruscan cities of Viterbo and Tarquinia, the Tuscan seaside (Capalbio, Ansedonia) and all the Umbrian hill-towns (Perugia, Todi, Spoleto, Orvieto, Assisi, Narni, Gubbio). It is also close to the Apennine mountains and river-rafting. This is the authentic Italy, far from its mass tourism and yet in easy range of so many of its legendary beauties. Most guests come to the villa with a car. However, it is possible to walk to Penna in Teverina and ride the bus to other Umbrian hill-towns. Guests may also wish to park at the Orte train station (a fifteen minute drive) and take the train to other towns and cities. There is a cleaning fee of 100€ cash due on arrival.