Calitardo

A monolithic Umbrian fortress-house near Lake Trasimeno and the medieval town of Città della Pieve, Calitardo is the noble home of five stylish suites, offering an entrée to chic Italian repose and designer craftmanship, artfully reconstructed from the bones of a 17th century watchtower. 

Standing sentinel on a hilltop location, Calitardo’s views sweep away like a rolling tide, through lush gardens dotted with lemon, olive and almond trees onto the undulating ‘green valleys’ of Umbria, with the Apennine Mountains presiding in the far distance. Once a lookout point, the house’s history included life as a country manor house, a farmhouse and a period of abandonment before its unique revival today.

Hushed luxury greets this solid stone casa in its cubic form, topped with terracotta tiles, reconfigured for sophisticates that like to tap into Italy’s pervading dolce far niente culture. Part agritourismo, part heritage build, part design hotel, Calitardo’s purist allure lies in its confident arrangement of several facets including the style-laden suites, the organic olive farm and the sleek swimming pool.

Add to this an overarching boho-communal vibe,peppered with curated art pieces and Italian design icons; it becomes the tasteful Umbrian den of your most cultured friend.

Set against an aged patina of rustic touchpoints, the understated interiors are impeccably executed in a thoughtful blend of parquet floors, arcade windows, exposed stone, centuries-old wood beamed ceilings, rumpled linens and earthy tones.

A surprisingly eclectic collection of artwork shows the cultured pedigree of owners Andreas and Peter. Spot German artist Willi Siber’s work alongside installations from Jahic Röthlisberger and Michael Gstatter.

The suites are where Italian and international design flair makes its mark with linen-draped sofas by Gervasoni and design accents by the likes of Hay and Herman Miller. Within the aged walls of the build, the suites take charge of the space, using a simple farmhouse aesthetic with stylish effect, integrating log burners, terrazzo bathrooms, contemporary kitchens, window seats and dining tables into the mix. 

Outside the air is scented with lemon and lavender, the view calls for pause and the pool shimmers invitingly. The underground spa and house bar are also at your disposal at this rural clubhouse den, Italo style.

Just five suites, all of them vastly spacious and stylishly comfortable, are carved into the blueprint of Calitardo. Two are located in the authentically restored stable block; three reside within the solid confines of the main casa. All come with heated floors, modern kitchens(with dishwasher, oven, refrigerator and Italian cafetière), terrazzo floored bathrooms and living spaces.

Private outdoor spaces, secret gardens, hidden loggias, designer furniture and space, lots of it, characterise the suite-apartments where you can happily feel at home. The largest of the apartments are the cheerfully named Buongiorno Principessa suite and the Salve Nonna Lina, which both have two bedrooms and are set over two floors.

Wake up to restorative views over the Umbrian hillocks, meadows and forests; saunter to the pool for a few laps before heading to the communal bar for a reviving coffee, fresh cornettiand figs freshly plucked from the tree. Here life is as relaxed and easy as you’d like it to be and the bar is central to your day – a spot for tea and cake, more coffee, aperitivo with guests or a post prandial night cap. 

The apartment kitchens are more than well-equipped to rustle up a meal or two, the gardens are bursting with fresh produce to pick and you’ll never be short of olive oil at Calitardo. However, Umbrian cuisine will surely call – speak to your owners about the local culinary hotspots.

As if the set up couldn’t get much better, allow us to introduce to you Calitardo’s spa. An underground cavern meticulously decked in stone, wood and terracotta, take a tour around its oak-panelled sauna, herbal steam bath and hammam, finishing with the Furo Bath, a Japanese onsen-inspired hot pool of 40 degrees, that comes with a soundtrack of trickling water to send you bliss-wards. Massages are easily arranged too.

The meditative views that surround Calitardo place you firmly in the green valleys of Umbriaand from your vantage point you can easily immerse yourself in its archetypal vistas. Gaze down on Val di Chiana which leads to the verdant shores of Lake Trasimeno, Italy’s fourth largest lake and a lovely spot for sunbathing on its sandy coves or swimming. 

Getting here is usually a case of international flights to Perugia or Milan with a connecting train to Chiusi-Chianciano Terme. You can also board the night train from Munich or Vienna. 

Once here and settled after a few days relaxation, you’ll want to explore - Città della Pieve is a medieval town that’s pretty as a picture and Chuisi, just inside Tuscany, is the place to gen up on Etruscan civilisation at the National Etruscan Museum; you can also spot Ionic and Corinthian Roman columns alongside the cathedral of San Secondiano, one of the oldest churches in Tuscany, dating back to the sixth century AD. Glorious Italian landscaping is in evidence at La Foce, designed by the English architect Cecil Pinsent, the garden works in perfect harmony with nature and the views of Val d’Orcia. Further afield are more well-known Umbrian and Tuscan hotspots like Perugia, Montepulciano and Assisi.

A long-time search yielded few results for Andreas and Peter, who sought the perfect spot in peace and quiet, yet cradled in atmospheric history. Not finding a place that embodied these true components, the duo decided to create it themselves. Like all great hoteliers, Calitardo became a passion project, borne from a desire to do something differently despite challenges. With a full restoration of the house and stable, Calitardo is a unique take on Italo living where a boho commune is set against serious design credentials, layered with a thoughtfulness that makes being here a simple joy. Surrounded by the beauty of Umbria, Calitardo is a beacon of all that is good in the world of Italy.