Walking distance from the Altabella Houses,
Casa Cielo is perched on a high vantage point overlooking
the Tuscan and Umbrian hills, rolling farmland and two castles.
Its spectacular location suggests that the house - a classic stone "casa colonica"
built around a three story tower - played a strategic role in relation to the two medieval castles that it overlooks.
One can imagine a very colorful history for Casa Cielo, which must have been a silent observer of Medici led incursions, papal armies and the generations of peasants that worked the castle lands that supported the gentry. Today, it offers a serene country retreat and a perfect base from which to view the infinitely rich hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria.

 

The house, which has been divided into two separate floors, each with country kitchen,
outdoor eating terrace and living room with open fireplace, can sleep up to 9 people.
On the ground floor there are two double bedrooms with one bathroom, while on the upper floor there are two double bedrooms, one single bedroom and two bathrooms.
Wrought iron canopy beds in the master bedrooms and antique furniture throughout the house give a sense of luxury, while also displaying the high quality of local craftsmen.

The romantic master bedroom on the upper floor is spacious and full of light with
windows on two sides. A second double bedroom in the third floor
tower, also with windows on two sides, offers a magnificent private retreat from
which to view the rolling countryside and shifting light effects from dawn to dusk.

Restoration of this house was done using the traditional materials, including large oak
beams, terra cotta floors, and hand painted Italian tiles in the kitchens and bathrooms.

While the house provides a lovely recreation of a classic Italian farm house, it also
offers such modern comforts as dishwashers, high quality cooking appliances,
and washing machine.

In several of the rooms, imaginative use of plaster and paint recreates the pastel
colors used by the peasants to brighten the harshness of their lives. And everywhere
there are windows and french doors, creating luminous interiors, and making
the natural landscape the house's most dramatic element.

Out of doors, there are eating and lounging terraces with spectacular views,
and a separate barbecue area. Winding stone path ways lead to the private
swimming pool, located just above the house and which provides a truly panoramic
perspective from which to relax and recreate in the midst of your peregrinations
through the artistic and cultural riches of Umbria and Tuscany.

The kitchens in the houses are set up for serious cooking, attracting gourmet cooks and gourmet eaters from all over. One of the best ways to experience the local cuisine is to have Melchiorre, a colse italian friend of ours, come to the house to prepare custom meal, including such dishes as suckling pig roasted slowly in the old outdoor brick oven, grilled lamb spitted over the large open fireplaces, or handmade pastas, bread and fresh ricotta made from the milk of his family's sheep. See www.amoresapore.com for more details.





Melchiorre demonstrates the fine art of making ravioli stuffed with fresh ricotta cheese, lemon zest and saffron