Our stay at Villa S.Savino:perfect and spectacular
Jay L. Bethesda, Maryland USA
Review Submitted: January 29, 2009 Date of Stay: May 2008
The villa is set like a gem in a ring of green mountains, within an easy drive of man of the most beautiful cities and hill towns in Italy, including Perugia, Assisi, Gubbio, and Todi. It’s not far from Lake Trasimene, known for its beauty and as the site of a famous battle in BC 217, where Hannibal ambushed and annihilated a Roman consular army. Even the nearby cittadina, Umbertide, has a rather spectacular castle. Umbria is less touristy, less developed, and perhaps more beautiful than neighboring Tuscany. The hills are greener and not everywhere cultivated in vines and hotels.
Villa San Savino is convenient to numerous restaurants ranging in quality from humble pizzerie to wonderful intimate, family owned places that specialize in the local cuisine, which emphasizes fresh, local products including some of the best, but hardly the most expensive, truffles in the world. Finally, there are the local wines, not nearly as famous, or pricey, as their Tuscan cousins but which offer a great deal, particularly to drinkers who appreciate terroir, that quality of place lacking in so many expensive Tuscan vintages.
Now that we’ve done the neighborhood, let’s turn to the Villa itself. It’s commodious, with a well appointed kitchen and numerous modern bathrooms. We particularly enjoyed our bedroom, which had once been the nave of a deserted village church. There are also terraces for outdoor dining, barbecue gear and a swimming pool. The 360 degree views are superb and, of course, to get to the driveway, you pass a castle that looks as though Richard the Lionhearted rode out yesterday.
Finally, there are the people. The landlady, Carlotta, greeted us personally, showed us around the property and provided her home and mobile phone numbers so that she could be instantly available. She was also kind enough to arrange for a visit to the castle that guards the driveway. The estate agent, Chrissie, was also there to help. She was even able to fix a glitch that had prevented my laptop from accessing the Villa’s wireless internet access. Then there were the major domo, Andrea, ready to resolve any problem and the very efficient, good-natured maid who came every day to do whatever we wished.As I write these lines, the sleet is piling up on the deck outside my window in Washington but I wish I were back in the Villa San Savino, sitting in front of the fireplace, a small dram of grappa to hand.
Jay, 28/01/09.