Casa Raffaela
Price: From £460
Located near Cagli, Marche, Italy
Peaceful converted convent with 15 apartments, sleeping 2-6 guests, with swimming pool (16x9m) and tennis court
This beautiful collection of buildings was once a nunnery and if it was peace the nuns were looking for when they decided on this location then they chose well.
Found high on a hilltop plateau with breathtaking views all around of mixed woodland, rolling hills, sunflower fields and pasture, this place is just right for guests searching for a relaxing holiday immersed in the beautiful greenery of Marche.
Casa Raffaela almost feels like a tiny hamlet, not least because of the variety of interesting converted buildings and the wide range of facilities and things to do here. There is a restaurant located in an old barn serving local products and delicacies prepared and cooked by the owner Signora Mochi, whose family inherited the property from an Italian count in 1834. The restaurant opens twice a week, on feast days and for pre-booked groups.
A large open air swimming pool set in the most panoramic position possible, a tennis court, wooded areas, lawns, a small vineyard and a lpond where you can fish all add to the village green feel. And highly prized white and black truffles also grow in the area.
The property is found in the Apennine foothills of the Pesaro-Urbino province, conveniently close to Umbria and Tuscany This means it is a great base for exploring all the treasures of central Italy. Rome, Florence, Siena, Bologna, Perugia and Assisi are all within three hours drive. And closer to home the towns and villages of Marche also have a huge amount to offer, in terms of architecture, art and cuisine and stunning scenery.
The important university town of Urbino is close by and also within easy driving distance are the interesting towns of Pesaro, Mondavio, San Leo and Fano as well as the principality of San Marino in northern Marche.
In under an hour you can find yourself on the beautiful beaches of the Adriatic Coast and a little further south is Monte Conero, whose steep cliffs and hillsides rise nearly 600m from the seashore, creating secret coved beaches with crystal clear blue waters, some reachable only by the boat services laid on at hourly intervals to get to them. Grapes grow on its hillsides destined to become the highly prized Rosso Conero wine, one of the best known in Marche.
And almost every town has its own art gallery and a range of excellent and modestly priced restaurants - Marche is the region with the most art galleries and museums in Italy. For shopping the village of Pole is just over a mile away and the slightly larger town of Cagli is just four miles away.
ACCOMMODATION DETAILS
Apartment Cavalli sleeps 2/4 guests and is on the ground floor end of a cottage, with private entrance. It has one double bedroom with a bathroom and shower. In the living room there are a further two single sofa beds if required. The kitchen/dining room has French doors opening out onto a small terrace.
Apartment Castagni sleeps 4/5 guests. It is also on the ground floor and has a living/dining room with fireplace. The kitchen is fully equipped and has an electric oven and large fridge-freezer. There are two bedrooms, one double and one twin and two bathrooms.
As with the whole complex, both apartments have been carefully restored by the Mochi family to maintain original features, such as the wooden beams, terracotta tiles and beautiful stonework wherever possible. Apt Castagni and Apt Cavalli are the two largest type of apartments on offer, with the majority just sleeping two or three guests, making Casa Raffaela perfect for small families.
- The apartments are furnished with typical country furniture.
- Small pets permitted only on request.
- Large swimming pool and tennis court
- Horse riding and fishing lake
- Restaurant open twice a week, on feast days and for bookings
- Organic farm produce
- Communal washing machines
- Cot available
- Large common room
- Spacious well-kept grounds
- Outdoor barbecue
Casa Rafaella is located near Cagli,
in central Italy.
