Assisi, Perugia, Sansepolcro. All about 2 hours’ drive away along very scenic roads.
Rome, Florence and Venice are about 3 – 3.5 hours’ drive away.
f you want to escape the heat or just love mountains and views, go to Monte Catria (visible from our garden), about 40 minutes inland. The cabin lift at Caprile takes you to 1,400m above sea level, offering a stunning panorama, cool air and lovely walks across the mountain pastures,
Saltara, Serrungarina and Cartoceto
Monte Catria
FURTHER AFIELD
The other side of the valley – Saltara, Serrungarina and Cartoceto. All picture-book pretty villages which are lovely to wander around.
This medieval gem is about an hour’s scenic drive through the mountains. Well worth a trip.
The caves are huge, spectacular and set in a lovely limestone valley. They are a good option if you have bored children or are desperate to escape either heat or rain.
BEACHES
The FRASASSI caves
GUBBIO
Unspoilt sandy beaches lie between Fano and Pesaro. Lovely little crescent sandy bays, with a beach bar and a “bagnino” who rents out umbrellas and loungers – alternatively you can use the ones from the house on the “free” part of the beach
In Fano there is both a sandy and a pebble beach with rental services or a free beach where you can use the umbrellas and deck chairs from the house.
About 1.5 hours’ drive up the motorway to the north lies Ravenna, briefly the capital of the Western Roman Empire, after the fall of Rome itself. Magnificent Byzantine mosaics.
SAN LEO
RAVENNA
FANO and FOSSOMBRONE
To the north and inland from us, this is a sweet little medieval village perched on a stunning crag. It boasts fantastic views and a Renaissance fortress used to imprison the most famous wizard in Italian history (very Harry Potter).
Both are well worth visiting. Fano is easy-going, full of great seafood restaurants, and has a Roman arch and twice-weekly market. Fossombrone has a lovely colonnaded main street, fantastic Renaissance palaces and was once a major Roman town.
BARCHI
MONDAVIO
ORCIANO
has impressive fortifications, fantastic views and lovely old houses in the citadel. It holds its own festival – culminating in a massive community dinner served on a table running the length of the village - in August.
has imposing, perfectly preserved fortifications, a museum of medieval warfare and siege engines. It holds its famous Renaissance festival with archery (and lots of food!) around mid-August.
our nearby market town, famous for rope-making and excellent restaurants. It holds its festival in late August.
PIAGGE
VINEYARDS
OSIMO
unusual and mysterious archaeological site in the heart of the village, the Grotta Ipogea
Fiorini, our nearest vineyard, is 5 minutes away by car, the renowned Guerrieri vineyard is about 20 minutes furthe
Hill-top town near Ancona, famous for its ancient, extensive man-made caves under the town, a small portion of which are open for guided tours.
Things to see and do
URBINO
FURLO GORGE
ROMAN VILLA
The setting and the architecture of renaissance jewel Urbino are superb. Fantastic views and lovely little streets. Beautiful art gallery.
A spectacular gorge with beautiful walks and a couple of restaurants serving the local speciality of truffles.
The Roman villa at Sant’Andrea di Suasa. Amazing mosaics and its own personal amphitheatre.