Villa Barbi

Villa Barbi is the stone house at the centre of Decugnano dei Barbi, a working wine estate in the hills outside Orvieto, and it comes with the estate’s habits: a welcome glass of its sparkling wine, six bottles in the basket, a tasting and a tour of the winery, all included. Five bedrooms sleep ten. A housekeeper comes every day for up to four hours.

Five bedrooms, six bathrooms and 500 square metres, let to one party at a time with the garden and the 7 by 16 metre pool to itself. We’d suggest it for a family of wine drinkers, or for two couples who want Umbria’s hill towns within an hour and dinner cooked at home. Of the villas in Italy we place, it’s the one we’d pick for a stay built around the cellar.

THE HOUSE

Antique furniture and original artworks fill the rooms, and the living room is warmed by a marble fireplace from the sixteenth century. A wine cellar, a stereo and satellite TV, a safe, and air-conditioning and heating throughout; in the kitchen, an espresso machine, a moka pot and an American coffee maker, an ice maker, a wine fridge, a juicer and a dishwasher. Parking is covered. A cot and a high chair can be set up for the youngest guests.

THE BEDROOMS

Bedroom One is on the ground floor, with twin beds that join into a double and an en-suite shower; the ground floor also has a guest cloakroom. Upstairs are two double rooms and two twin rooms, the twins joinable on request, each with a private bathroom with bath and shower. All five have air-conditioning.

THE POOL AND THE GARDEN

Seven metres by sixteen, from 1.30 to 1.90 metres deep, the panoramic pool stays open all year. Around it is a Mediterranean garden, a barbecue, alfresco dining and outdoor seating, with the vineyards, olive groves and cypresses of the estate beyond the fence. Nothing is shared with anyone else.

THE SERVICE

A housekeeper comes daily for up to four hours, linen and towels are changed every three nights, laundry and ironing are included, and a concierge is on hand throughout. On arrival there’s an aperitif with snacks, a glass of the estate’s sparkling wine and a basket with six bottles of its wine, followed during the stay by a tasting and a complimentary tour of the Decugnano dei Barbi winery. Local taxes, heating and air-conditioning are in the rate. On request: in-villa dinners cooked by a local chef, private tastings, a massage looking over the vines, tours of Orvieto and a visit to the estate’s underground cellar. Check-in runs from 4 pm to 7 pm, check-out by 10 am.

THE LOCATION

Orvieto, with its cathedral and its caves, is 18 km away, and the nearest shops are 12 km from the gate. Lake Bolsena, Civita di Bagnoregio, Todi and Montefiascone are all within reach for a day. Perugia is 70 km, San Casciano dei Bagni 67, Montepulciano 82, Montalcino 106, and the nearest airport, Rome, 189 km. For how in-villa dining works across our Italian houses, chef and shopping included, our guide to the Italian villa with chef experience walks through a week of it..

To check dates or request a quote for Villa Barbi, write to [email protected].