“La Torricella Villa in Sabina” has it all. It’s a wonderfully stylish country villa with three separated wings for families and friends, in the fascinating and conveniently-located Sabine Hills.
My partner and I came from Australia and stayed at La Torricella for a week. We were sorry that we hadn’t arranged to stay for two weeks. We were joined by a family of four from Rome – they were dear friends whom we hadn’t seen for a while - and we had chosen La Torricella as an indulgent out-of-town escape where we could spend time together.
We loved the three-storey medieval farmhouse wing; with a luxurious master bedroom on the top floor, where, each morning, we lazed in the US-king-sized bed and enjoyed the stunning views over the olive groves to the hills and towns beyond; with a mid-level, multi-purpose bedroom for up to four children or adults, plus a bathroom and toilet; with a ground-level sitting room or games room, that we used as a reading room and quiet place to talk.
At the opposite end of the villa is the spacious, light-filled, single-storey new wing; with two bedrooms (one with balcony overlooking the fields), each with US-king-sized beds and separate bathrooms and toilets.
In between these private wings is the heart of the villa; a large kitchen, dining and family-room space - complete with cosy fire-place - where everyone gathers. The kitchen is large and well-equipped, so much so that the owner, Simone, uses it to give cooking demonstrations. This space is surrounded by large windows and glass doors that lead to the outdoor dining area (under a pergola with covered vines), or to the garden and olive grove, or to the sunny grassed area where the swimming pool tempts you to cool down and laze about. We spent most time in this part of the villa. We all just wandered in and out, or stayed there to eat and drink, or to talk. It was a very happy part of the villa.
All the rooms in the villa were large, which was a pleasant surprise after some of the more compact villas and hotel rooms we’d come across in Europe. The owner’s wife, Kate, has furnished the villa with a mix of luxurious and shabby-chic furniture and homewares. She’s furnished it with flair and attention-to-detail, as though the villa is her home. Indeed, out of season, it is the home for Simone, Kate and their two young children. It has everything, and feels like a comfortable place that will welcome you and embrace you on every day that you stay there.
On temperate days, we tended to explore the surrounding countryside. We drove to Spoleto in Umbria, in less than an hour; we could get to Rome in an hour; we could easily visit other lovely hill-towns of Umbria; around-about us in the Sabine Hills were remnants of the Roman Empire for us to discover; there were little villages with local markets and food shops; restaurants and bars; and plenty to keep us intrigued. We really enjoyed that the Sabine Hills are a bit wild and under-developed – a bit like Tuscany used to be.
All-in-all, La Torricella was a wonderful find – great for relaxing in spacious comfort with family and friends, great for discovering attractive parts of Italy that are less well-known, and great for the soul!
