‘Cerretella’ is a two hundred year old typical
Tuscan farmhouse on two floors with a central tower, in a secluded position
with magnificent views. Yet convenient for visits to Florence, Sienna,
Arezzo and Perugia. It is 12 miles east of Cortona on a beautiful and
mainly traffic free road.
Restored to a high standard to provide accommodation of comfort and
style, retaining original features such as terracotta floors, beamed
ceilings and an open fireplace. The house has full central heating,
five bedrooms to sleep a maximum of eight, a garden with swimming pool(10x5),
and is set in 16 acres of its own woodland and uncultivated land where
cherries, figs, chestnuts and porcini mushrooms can be found in season.
Ground
Floor:
Entrance hall with central brick arch, double doors to large dining
terrace.
Grand, attractive and well equipped kitchen/dining room with gas/electric
hob, electric oven, fridge freezer and dishwasher.
Shower room: shower, WC and washbasin, and with washing machine.
Bedroom 3 with twin beds, which can be used as a double bed. With terrace.
Bedroom 2 with a double bed.
Bedroom 4 a smaller room reached by its own staircase with twin beds.
First
Floor:
Large comfortable sitting room with open fireplace, CD and tape player,
plenty of games and books, door leads to outside stone steps.
Bedroom 1 large bedroom with double bed.
Bathroom: bath with shower over, WC, bidet and washbasin.
Stairs to the tower, one small bedroom with a single bed.
NB. THE BANISTERS ON THE STAIRS ARE WIDELY SPACED, WE
DO NOT RECOMMEND THE PROPERTY FOR CHILDREN UNDER EIGHT
Services provided: linen, towels, weekly cleaning, dishwasher, washing
machine, central heating, private water supply.
Teverina
is about 1.5 miles away and has one small shop and a petrol station.
There is a restaurant at the top of the lane to Cerretella, and with
prior arrangement the owner would also be happy to provide a simple
meal to eat at home. Portole is about 6 miles away in the direction
of Cortona and has a well stocked shop and a restaurant. There are two
further restaurants on the way to Cortona.
Cortona is a fascinating town of very ancient origins. Perched on a
steep hill it has vast and spectacular views over the fertile Val di
Chiana towards the hills of Sienna and to the south there are views
towards Lago di Trasimeno, the inland sea of Italy. The Etruscans made
Cortona an important League city together with Arezzo and Perugia, and
the huge stone blocks at the base of the city wall were laid by the
Etruscans. The Romans colonised it in 450 AD and some time after that
the Goths occupied it. It became a commune in 1200. Most of the aspects
of today have a medieval and Renaissance flavour, and it is one of central
Italy’s most interesting towns. In its galleries and museums are
paintings by Fra Angelico, Signorelli, Lorenzetti, Duccio, to name but
a few.
Its streets and squares are a delight, the Piazza della Republica must
be one of the finest in Italy and attracts people of all ages and types
to congregate and socialise. Cortona not only organises many concerts
and art exhibitions, it is a centre for antiques and also holds a great
number of gastronomic feasts and other activities.
Getting there: nearest airports Florence, 1.5 hours away; Pisa,
about 2 hours away, and Forli (south of Bologna) about 1.5 hours.
"We had a fantastic holiday at Casa Cerretella. It is a beautifully restored farmhouse in an idyllic setting." WS August 2006
