Property 256 – Città di Castello - Umbria

10 Suites and Pool

About the Estate: Property 256 has received world wide acclaim as one of the finest luxury property for rental in Italy. With its fifty acre garden of olive groves, citrus trees, vineyards and pastures of wild flowers the hotel exists in harmony with its secluded corner of Umbria. High among the hills and valleys of Umbria, 20 minutes from the town of Città di Castello and in the centre of Renaissance Italy, guests are welcomed with faultless hospitality. Property 256 is a delightful home-base for discerning travelers wanting to explore the nature and antiquities of both Umbria and Tuscany. Near Umbria’s capital Perugia but just five miles from the border with Tuscany, Terranova is less than an hour’s drive from historic hilltop villages that are every bit as charming as Tuscany’s, but without the crowds. Property 256 is a 10-suite hotel. But it’s much more like a home than a hotel. Each of three floors has its own art- and book-filled living room, and the reading selections belie the owner’s highly civilized international tastes – Secret Gardens of Napoli, the journals of Nicholas and Alexandra, a biography of Edith Wharton, Kobbe’s Complete Opera Book, a commemorative photo book about Louis Vuitton. But most of all, Property 256 is about the breathtaking views from the hillside lawn and terraces, the colors of the eight successive ridges changing with the time of day. And it’s about the honor of being in the grand but intimate home of a worldly gentleman, with a staff of 20 that feels entirely yours. 

Accommodations: There are eight rooms, more accurately suites, in the main palazzo, and two in a small palazzina on the hillside just below the house. All have very high ceilings, with doors and exposed beams fashioned by local artisans out of gorgeous reclaimed woods. Florentine artists, who were in residence more than 2 years, have created masterful faux surfaces, a different color or design in each room, intricate patterns on ceilings.  Bathrooms are big, some downright grand, several with old-fashioned bear-claw tubs.  Bed linens are English-made and have a delectable silk content. Window shutters open to the ample hillside breezes, and for those on the southern and western sides of the house there are endless views. In each room there is a sampling of the owner’s civilized reading tastes. Books and art are everywhere in this house.   

Dining: Much of what guests are served by Chef Patrizio comes right from the Estate’s gardens; the chef cooks in a hearty Umbrian Mediterranean style. Of course, with the astounding views, most of the summer dining is outside – either on the lawn or terraces. But the restored, vaulted-ceiling dining room, lit entirely by candles made especially for the house, could not be more romantic. Then there is the owner’s wine cellar, with grand, candled chandeliers. 

Location: The airports in Rome, Florence and Pisa are each about two hours away. Perugia’s airport, about 30 minutes away, can take private jets and is served by some Italian and European commercial flights. Property 256’s staff will gladly pick guests up from any of the airports, but many guests prefer to have a rental car for excursions into Umbria and Tuscany; rental cars can be picked up at the airport for the drive to il Palazzo, or they can be delivered to guests at the Estate after their arrival. Private transfers with helicopter can be also organized.

Activities: On our recent visit, our favorite pastime was reading on the south-facing lawn or at the large invisible-edge pool, pausing after chapters to take in the ever-changing colors of the vast mountain ranges. There was of course the requisite fitness room, but we preferred the long walks on the hillside behind the house. Patrizio offers cooking classes in Umbrian cooking, homemade pastas and breads; he is charming and fun. Unusual for a hotel (it’s not, really a hotel) of this small size, there is a resident masseuse, Martina, one of the best we have ever experienced.

Property 256 is an ideal home base for sorties into both the Umbrian and Tuscan countryside.  Monte Santa Maria, a tiny hillside fortress/village with few visitors, can be reached by bike on quite roads in about 30 minutes. Almost as small as Santa Maria but with a handful of stylish shops (for linen and pottery, especially) is Spello, where wealthy Romans have pieds-a-terre. Gubbio, with its grand medieval town square, is 45 minutes away, and Perugia with world-class shopping is less. For those who insist on “crossing the border” into Tuscany, Cortona and other spots are less than one hour.

Please note that air conditioning is only available in the gym. Upon request, portable air conditioners can be placed in the bedrooms, as well as fans.