Wonderful stay in charming home with spectacular views

Wow! We had an amazing stay at the most charming home we have stayed in to date through Third Home. Marie, the owner, has filled this home with so much love and personal touches that it feels like a real home, not a rental like many other homes we have stayed in. The views are even better in person of the lush hills surrounding the hilltop the villa is situated on. From the pool, it looks right at a beautiful castle. Views from the home are over the valley on all three sides. We did not use the cottage but it could be used as a poolside suite or to stay in and has an amazing view as well over the pool. If using it, it does have stairs that might be hard for some to climb as the home and stairs are very old, but restored. The main villa is apparently approximately 500 years old but Marie has done a wonderful renovation to make it very comfortable and useable. There are three bedrooms in the main villa, the one with twin beds is downstairs and was not needed but was used for massages we enjoyed by Adrienne, who manages the property and lives onsite in another small home. All bathrooms and the kitchen are well appointed and upgraded with modern features. The house is furnished tastefully and beds and sofas were very comfortable. The kitchen had everything we needed. There are two charming areas inside to eat, and even more charming places to dine outside with wonderful views. It was unfortunately very hot the week we stayed, so we did not get to enjoy the grounds as much as we would have liked to while there, but the AC worked wonderfully in the bedrooms, and the whole house surprisingly stayed pretty cool, perhaps being built of stone. We knew nothing of the area before visiting, but despite being the countryside, there is a Robert Trent Jones golf course just down the street about 10 minutes at most, where the castle sits. And, almost next door, is a wonderful new winery (Cheise del Carmine is built in restored beautiful buildings) where we enjoyed a tasting one day, and went back to do a truffle hunt with a dog, short vineyard tour, followed by the best cooking class we ever had in a state of the art new kitchen . Everyone at this winery was helpful and we prepared the best meal we had the entire trip I think. Back at the villa, Marie and Adrienne helped us arrange for a chef to prepare a lovely dinner one evening, and for a pizzialo (pizza maker) to come another evening. Marie also had a few very good dinner recommendations we enjoyed at al fresco at Il Cardaro in nearby La Bruna, and then at Redibis, in a charming small town called Bevagne with a nice town square. We were able to access many of the walled cities in Umbria easily from the home such as Gubbio, Perugia, Assisi (our favorite), Amelia, and Montefalco, the latter where Marie also recommended a winery we enjoyed. The location is also very close to Tuscany, so we took day trips to Siena (which was only an hour away and very crowded and touristy), Chianti and Montepulciano, less than an hour away. We found Tuscany to be more crowded and felt that Umbria was actually prettier and far less touristy in the areas we were in comparatively. Our only disappointment in the entire stay was the weather as it was a very hot week, although that was no fault of the owner and apparently hotter than normal. Everything else was magical and looking back at the pictures now, it seems like out of a dream and fairly tale. We want to thank Marie for giving us the opportunity to have such a lovely experience, and we truly enjoyed meeting and getting to know her since she was in town when we first arrived. ”

La Dolce Vita in Umbria

Our group of seven enjoyed a wonderful week at this 'little slice of heaven' in Umbria. The property is perched on a hill in a rural location, yet just 1/2 mile off a main road. The two houses that comprise Pierantonio have been thoughtfully remodeled with modern conveniences while preserving rustic charm. Mornings were magical with 360 degree views of mist laying between the hills (with a 12th century castle in the distance), gently rising to warm sunny days. There are several outdoor sitting areas from which to enjoy the views. The pool area is gorgeous and inviting, and the surrounding property is immaculately maintained by staff . Marie (the owner) was a pleasure to work with, offering touring and restaurant suggestions. If you would like to experience the heart of Italy forget the traffic of Tuscany and head east to Umbria. Timid drivers may prefer an SUV to climb the gravel road to the property, although we had no problem in a sedan. ”

Fantastic Villa and Trip to Umbria

This Villa was impeccable! From the start, Marie and Marga were extremely helpful and wanted to make our trip successful! From directions, to cooking meals to giving recommendations for our entire trip. The Villa is absolutely gorgeous with attention to details. It was clean and comfortable and gave us all the accommodations to make our trip stress free. The grounds to the property and views are indescribable they were so magnificent and breathtaking. I live and have homes in Hawaii and California, the two most desirable beautiful states, but Villa Santa Caterina is right up there with great Beauty it has to offer. Marie's property manager, Marga who is on site is the best anyone could get in a competent, pleasant manager. I highly recommend visiting this property, you will not be disappointed. We plan to return with another group of friends. Thank you Marie and Marga for making our trip wonderful! ”

Santa Carherina Umbris

The home was amazing,the views were outstanding, even if it was cold and raining outside the home was warm and comfortable and the week in this ******* star home was more than fantastic. Also especially the custodian of the property Marga is a very special Lady with a complete accent to every detail to make sure all our needs were well taken care of. Umbria is absolutely beautiful and we loved our stay and must thank the owner of this wonderful home for allowing us this experience . Sincerely Michael and Micheline”