The Barns - 5 people Casale Monticchio, a 17th century farmhouse

This is a real out of town experience! Helpful, thoughtful, engaging hosts on a lovely property. Many hill top towns to explore close by in beautiful Umbria.

Our recent week in June of 2019 at Casale Monticchio in Umbria was exceptional! Andrew and Hugues are the owners and were gracious hosts throughout the week. We enjoyed a wonderful meal with them and other guests - and they were very generous and gracious throughout our stay. Four of us stayed in "The Barns" on the property - rustic, spacious, well-equipped, and wonderfully appointed. A beautiful outdoor pool overlooking the hay field for easy swimming and relaxation - which we used daily after trips to nearby hill towns and other excursions. Andrew and Hugues continue to improve the surrounding property and the various units - all done tastefully and with a lot of passion. The town of Split is just a couple of miles up the road in order to buy essentials. Although a portion of the drive into and out of the property is somewhat rough, no problem in getting in and out - and well worth the roughness. Close access to Perugia, Assisi, Marsciano, Lake Tramineso, and many other locations. Andrew and Hugues lined up a vineyard tour and wine tasting at a local winery - which was great - and they also provided great recommendations for day trips and dinners. A friendship with Andrew and Hugues was established almost instantaneously. We would go stay at Casale Monticchio again in a heartbeat.

This is the magical escape to Umbria we were looking for. Andrew and Hugues have created an amazing place in a wonderful part of Italy. We were in the larger apartment which is beautifully appointed with art, wonderful beds, a very comfortable couch, and the occasional visit by Sybil and Dora. Andrew and Hugues are fantastic hosts with a wealth of knowledge on possible activities in the area and beyond. You can tell that this place has been their labor of love for the past 17 years. We would recommend this place to everyone. We wish we could have stayed for longer.

We rented the larger apartment for a week in September 2017, and had a wonderful time. Andrew and Hugues are excellent hosts and gave us great guidance on local wineries, a boat to rent and other things that made our week a really memorable experience. The unit is beautiful, with high ceilings and open rooms, and all the amenities you'd want. The open patio is much larger than it looks in pictures, and despite the note about the Internet speed, it was as strong as most places. We were touched, too, to be invited to dinner on our first night, meeting other guests and friends. One thing to note, though: there are fans but no air conditioning; we were glad to have reserved in the cool of late summer after the heat wave was over. We'd really recommend this unit, and Andrew and Hugues as hosts.

We had an amazing stay with our very generous, helpful and kind hosts Hugues and Andrew. The house was lovely and beautiful with lots of time taken to make sure all the little extras ie kitchen basics were available. The scenery and area is stunning and we were given such a very warm welcome. The pool was the highlight for us - but then again, it was 41 / 42 degrees due to Italian heatwave. We had a fabulous holiday and would highly recommend Casale Monticchio. Thank you very much.

Very private, quiet property creates a very relaxing holiday. We stayed in the larger apartment for 2 weeks. It actually could sleep 6 because there are 2 small (not-so-private) rooms with singles in them. The patio is very private & delightful with two chaise lounges, a large umbrella & a table/chairs for 6. It is bordered by lavender, rosemary, rose bushes & a fig tree as well as other foliage. I loved sitting there. The lounge/living room has a large sofa & two chairs as well as a fireplace, which we did not use. In the same space is a dining area with a table/chairs for 6. That leads into a fabulously equipped kitchen with everything you can think of. It was only missing a microwave. Up a few stairs is a huge bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. The bath is new, of course, & lovely with a shower. There are two mirrored cabinets to store toiletries, which is very convenient & a lighted mirror above the sink. The bedroom has a large wardrobe with plenty of drawer space as well. There are night stands on either side of the bed. This bed is quite firm. There are 4 pillows with a choice of foam and feathers, I think. There is a sofa and a desk with a chair. An interesting staircase leads to a small bedroom, all within the larger bedroom space. Back to the living area - there is a staircase leading to the front door with a large bath off it. This bath has a bidet, tub with shower, etc. Lovely with lots of windows. From the landing of the front door & bath are 3 steps to another small landing with many books available to read. Two more steps, I believe, lead to the loft bedroom, which has a larger bed that is more comfortable, in my opinion, than the downstairs bedroom. Howevever, this is a loft with limited privacy as it opens to the living area. It is designed well with a wall or artwork blocking the view to the bed. There is a small room off this bedroom that is used as a closet but also has a lounge or single bed in it. I noted that there is a crib stored there, perfect for a small child. Andrew, Scottish owner, is an architect & designer. He didn't miss anything in the functionality of the place. I noted all kinds of thoughtful things incorporated into construction. Hugues, French owner, is a wonderful chef. If you are lucky, you will find out. The pool & grounds are spectacular. Use the directions from the Spina roundabout to get to the property. Google Maps will send you wrong. Grocery in Spina is great. Use MiniMetro in Perugia.

We have stayed at Monticchio several times, at various times of the year, staying in both Apartments 1 and 2. We intend to return as often as we can and we see it as a home-away-from-home. It is hard to know where to begin to describe this wonderful treasure but the most outstanding feature is the warm hospitality of the hosts, Andrew and Hugues. They have been most helpful from the start of the booking process, to the welcome on arrival, throughout the stay through to our reluctant departure. The apartments at this historic property have been renovated with exceptional care, style and sensitivity. Apartment 1 is very spacious and ideal for a family or group of friends with two double bedrooms and a small single room and two bathrooms. It has a wonderful rustic charm and a peaceful private leafy terrace. The shared swimming pool is superior to many hotel pools that I have seen. It has a tranquil outlook over the secluded valley and easy access makes it ideal for young children or infirm adults. The pool terrace is a welcome place to relax or dine al fresco, whether you are using the pool or not.

We spent a month at Hugues and Andrew's property. It was an incredible experience from start to finish. We loved their welcome dinner our first night where we met two of their friends who were delightful. Dinner was delicious. We had the larger of the two units. Very spacious with lots of interesting art and incredible doors which flood the space with light. Comfortable beds. They have 3 cats who became our friends as well and stopped by twice a day for food and a couple would spend the day with us. Their 2 donkeys by the pool were charming too. We got carrots for them. It was a little cool but we often took wine down by the pool in the late afternoon. Hugues was a great help on a couple of occasions. They are great guys and we loved getting acquainted with them. The pot-holed road leading up isn't fun but, once you get there, it seems worth it. A lovely experience.