Ripa Bianca

Set on a sunny hillside in southern Umbria, Ripa Bianca is a superbly spacious house, imbued with a relaxing home-from-home atmosphere. Retaining its original charm and character, renovations have combined traditional materials with modern comforts, complementing antiques and artworks with a calming colour palette. On the ground floor, an elegant yet informal open plan sitting room has big sofas and bags of cushions, exposed stone walls and raftered ceilings, and opens into a country style dining room and well-equipped kitchen, where ample working space is combined with modern appliances. There are two bedrooms on this floor, and three on the floor above, including an enchanting master suite, complete with king size bed. All bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms (all with showers and two with baths) and three can be configured with super king size or twin beds, one as twin beds only and the master bedroom as a super king. While an upper loggia with soft seating makes the most of panoramic views, downstairs several double doors lead out to a large lawn and shady dining pergola, and a second pergola with comfortable chairs and sofa,   placed beside the private pool. At the pool there is also a pergola with a bar for those lazy summer cocktails and a dining table perfect for al fresco lunch. The villa is 3km from a couple of very good local restaurants and 5km from shops in Narni Scalo, with Todi, Orvieto, Spoleto and Perugia all within easy reach for a day trip. There is also a train station at Narni Scalo and therefore Rome is easily accessible for a day trip or evening out.