Vocabolo Moscatelli

Although Vocabolo Moscatelli is a capacious property, one of its joys is the limit of just 12 suites. For a property this size, this conscious scaling back of the footfall tells you everything about the kind of hotel it is. The focus is very much on the quality of experience, and this can be seen in every detail. Eight of the bedrooms are in the main villa, and four in the grounds, and all of them with their own distinct presence, based on a combining fusion of Italian heritage, mid-century furnishings, commissioned artwork and unique details such as the glazed handmade glazed tiles in the bathrooms, by local Umbrian company Cotto Etrusco.

Special mention has to go to the Bridal Suite which has a vast bathing tub for two, round canopy bed and private garden, all set to a manifesto of monastic chic, found in the beamed ceiling and peek-a-boo windows, set in the thick, sacred walls. The Spa Suite also stands out for its addition of sauna and jacuzzi secreted in the private garden.

Umbria is a foodie’s paradise, with its abundance of naturally sourced produce from truffles to lentils, olives and honey amongst many others. Chef de cuisine Luca, celebrates this wealth with a menu influenced by Umbria’s rustic gastronomy sourced from the land. With gentle handling, fruit and vegetables come to life, worked into traditional Umbrian dishes, where smaller portions of meat and fish become the sideshow including the region’s favourite: porchetta. 

Before dinner (or at any time) enjoy an expertly crafted cocktail at Matite made from locally sourced spirits, sitting at the bespoke terracotta-and-brass bar that is centrally located to invite social conversation. Enjoy dinner al fresco, in the conservatory or in the cosy dining room. 

Peaceful, unspoiled Umbria, the lesser-known sister to Tuscany, sits right into the heart of central Italy, equidistant from Florence and Rome. A land of verdant undulations, farmland and neat rows of vineyards, Umbria is dotted with hilltop medieval towns. Gubbio is cradled into the slopes of Mount Ingino, Assisi’s draw is Basilica di San Francesco, where famed Saint Francis of Assisi was born an died and Umbria’s capital is Perugia, a thriving university town with an annual jazz festival. There is also Lake Trasimeno for a dose of nature and wild swims.

Vocabolo Moscatelli is found near the hamlet of Calzolaro, which is just nine kilometres from the border with Tuscany. Explore the area on foot or by bike, hunt for truffles or take a pottery class in the chapel – no doubt inspired by the hand-crafted ceramics dotted around the hotel. 

With the weight of experience that comes with ten years as chief concierge in the five-star hotels of Switzerland, Frederik Kubierschky knows a thing or two about hotels and what makes a great guest stay. The answer? Giving guests freedom and choice, for example breakfast at Vocabolo Moscatelli can be taken at any time of day, to the monastery’s cosy-luxe ambience where guests feel at home but also able to make their own mark.

Hailing from Germany with an upbringing in Italy and a career in Switzerland, Frederik Kubierschky together with his partner Catharina Lütjens were looking for a plot of their own, to funnel their life experience into a heartfelt project. They found it at the greenery enclosed monastery, next to a rural and unspoilt corner of Umbria. The rest as they say…is history.