Umbria, Italy

ReschioA castle estate on the Umbria-Tuscany border

A castle in Umbria, restored by the family that owns the estate, with farmland, stables and separate houses around it. Guests ride out across the fields, walk the lanes and eat at long tables. The hotel is one building; the stay covers the whole property.

On a private estate where Umbria meets Tuscany, near Cortona, Perugia and Lake Trasimeno. Guests usually drive in from the airports at Perugia, Florence or Rome.

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PlaceUmbria, Italy

TypeCastle estate

SuitsArchitecture, riding, families

Stay3-4 nights

Beyond the castle, the estate keeps working

Umbria, Italy — Castle estate hotel.

Reschio sits where Umbria runs into Tuscany. The Bolza family has kept restoring the castle and the farmhouses, and the result mixes old stone walls and hand-made furniture with contemporary interiors. You feel the repair work in the details rather than in a plaque in the hall.

Staying in the castle and taking one of the estate houses are different holidays. The castle puts you near the public rooms and the restaurant; a house suits a family or a longer stay with country life around it. Neither is a downgrade, but they are not interchangeable.

It suits couples and families who like restored buildings, country life and long lunches, and riders who want a stable on the property. A car makes the surrounding towns much easier. The estate is large, and the difference between a room in the castle and a private house is bigger than the brochures suggest.

Layered wooded hills disappearing into dense fog, in the muted green of early morning — Wooded hills fading into fog on the border

A stone-walled kitchen with a timber beam ceiling and a wide opening onto a green lawn — A stone kitchen opening onto the lawn

A circular stone water basin at the end of a gravel path between hedges and flower beds

A castle that has been lived in again

Old walls, staircases and furniture make the rooms, and the restoration is visible in the material rather than explained on a sign. Give yourself time to wander the public rooms; that is where the choices show. Looking at the castle from the outside tells you very little.

A stone courtyard under vaulted arches, with pots of flowers and plants arranged along the walls

Riding out across the fields

The estate has its own stables, so beginners and experienced riders can be given different routes. Say what your experience is, how old the group is and how far you want to go when you book, because that decides the ride. The fields and lanes belong to the property.

A bedroom with a high timber-beamed ceiling, pale walls and a large bed against one wall

A day without leaving the gate

The lake, the gardens, the pool and the dining table sit inside the estate, and a whole day can pass without a car. The nearby towns are worth the drive, but a run of daily outings costs you the thing you came for: the ordinary rhythm of a country place.

An elegant bedroom with a metal-framed bed, white linen and a small upholstered bench at its foot

Route

Three nights at the centre of Umbria

Three to five nights works as the Umbrian core of a trip, and it links easily to Florence, Tuscany or Rome. Keep one day entirely on the estate; the drives to Cortona, Perugia and the lake are good, but three days of them is a different holiday.

Three nights, one of them on the estate

The last stretch is a country road, so arrive in daylight and plan the first evening close to home, with the car parked.

Stay

Three to four nights, with one day left entirely on the estate. That is enough for a ride, a long lunch and one drive out to a hill town.

Getting there

Drive from Perugia, Florence or Rome, whichever airport you fly into. Confirm the final stretch of country road before you set out.

Season

Spring and autumn suit outdoor days and riding best. Summer is hotter and the estate fills earlier, so book further ahead.

Watch out

The estate is big, and a room in the castle is a different experience from a private house. Say which you want.

Plan this into a journey

Tell us whether you want the castle or a house on the estate, and we can set the Umbrian nights between Florence and Rome.

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