Ground floor:
Kitchen
Breakfast room
5 bedrooms
3 bathrooms
Laundry
Guest WC
First Floor:
Living room
Library
Study
Dining room
Loggia with frescoes
Loggia with billiard and ping pong
4 bedrooms
3 bathrooms
Garden:
Terrace for al fresco dining
Pool 15 x 5 m with WC and outdoor shower
Lunch can be served at the pool by the housekeeper.
A fairy tale castle in the country of St. Francis
Tucked away into the hills of Arezzo lies the magic Castello dei Bastioni, a large and welcoming family estate with castle, gatehouse, farmbuildings and all, surrounded by seemingly endless fields and hills covered olive groves and woods. The estate lies on a crossroad of Tuscany (Arezzo, Siena, Florence, Cortona), Umbria (Città di Castello, Perugia, Gubbio, Assisi) and the Marches (Urbino), an area where Piero della Francesca, Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Raffael and San Francesco of Assisi were born. The famous Tuscan and Umbrian landmarks can be visited comfortably over a day. The nearest town is Anghiari at 4 km from the castle, a charming medieval city which has not changed much over the last centuries. The powerful thirteenth century walls made the town an invincible fortress (picture of Anghiari in the picture galery left). A stroll through the narrow streets which open onto delightful squares is Italy at its best. Anghiari has all shopping facilities.
The magic Castello dei Bastioni is a large and welcoming family castle surrounded by seemingly endless fields and hills covered olive groves and woods. The castle has a basic square shape with a raised central section and four round towers on the corners. Elegant arched loggias with stone columns, added during its Renaissance period conversion, run along two sides. The glazed loggia with frescoed vaulted ceilings leads onto a small chapel. It is the perfect place for spending a lazy afternoon. The light filters through the sheer curtains. The main dining room has French windows onto the terrace and the garden with yet another table and chairs for outdoor meals. The twin bedroom with frescoed ceilings is probably the most beautiful bedroom in the castle. But all bedrooms have a special feature, be it painted beams or antique furniture, and all of them are decorated with a cotton weave made by the local firm Bussatti, which has shops all over the world.
The garden melts into the surrounding landscape, inviting to long walks. The pool lies a little above the house. It also can be reached by car, which is convenient for elderly guests. Upon request the housekeeper will gladly bring up lunch to be served by the pool.
The extraordinary spacious house measures approx. 1500 square metres and accommodates with 9 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms comfortably a group of 19 people. A price reduction will be applied for groups up to 14 people.
Sightseeing/shopping in the area:
* Arezzo, with a wonderful antique market on the Piazza Grande the first week-end of the month
* Many of Piero della Francesca`s works can be seen in the nearby town of Sansepolcro (15 minute drive) and you should not miss the village of Monterchi, where his famous pregnant Madonna can be seen in the village school.
* Franciscan trails: The hermitage of La Verna, where St. Francis received the stigmata is a magical place. By car it is reached in 30 minutes. A beautiful trek of 30 kms makes a wonderful day of walking.
* Romanesque Churches: The territory around Anghiari boasts a number of very early parish churches. They were built during the early phases of christianisation in which baptism was a crucial element. The pievi remained for centuries the only places authorised to carry out baptisms.
* The Castello dei Sorci, a rustic castle turned into restaurant serving very authentic food - as for instance home made pasta. It is well know throughout Tuscany.
* Shopping: The famous factory outlet of Prada lies on the way to Florence.
* Shopping: Anghiari is also the headquarter of one of Tuscany`s most interesting textile producers http://www.***********, whith shops all over the world.
Sports:
* Woods are wonderful and one can walk or ride either a horse or a mountain bike along the clearly marked footpaths which are indicated on easily available maps.
* There is a riding club nearby.
* The tennis club in Anghiari has a very nice teacher who also speaks English.
Additional amenities: 1 Pinguino (mobile air conditioner), 1 electric fan, 4 ring gas hob, Airport distance:Florence 120 km Pisa 190 km Rome 260 km, Dog welcome, Internet WIFI connection, Iron and ironing board, Pool: 5 x 15m, Private Chef, Telephone, fax
