The House

The accommodation is in an original stone and brick marchigiana farmhouse in the foothills of the Sibillini Mountains close to Montefortino and Amandola.
The house is set in an agricultural area in rolling hills and woodland with splendid views onto the nearby mountain range.
Casa di Pietra has been loving restored, preserving lots of the original rustic features but offering all modern conveniences.
There is a lot of exposed original wood and stonework.
The property also has a couple of cosy woodburning stoves to snuggle up in front of in the cooler seasons.

We live on site but in a separate building and would be pleased to offer you tips on our favourite local places to eat, what to see, where to visit
and offer any other information on the area. Your privacy will of course be respected at all times.

The Grounds

Sitting in its own large plot of land surrounded by forest and agricultural farmland wild animals such as deer, wild boar and porcupine are frequent visitors and birds of prey regularly circle above.  There is also ‘our hill’, the woodland and the meadow to explore or to just seek out a secluded spot.
There are various seating area for dining outside or just relaxing in, also a gravelled sheltered courtyard area.
Garden furniture, sun loungers and parasols are provided.
The garden offers various fruits in season from figs, apples, plums and cherries to grapes and walnuts, vegetables in the ‘orto’ and an abundance of herbs, all of which guests are invited to help themselves to.

Please note: Due to the nature of the terrain some of the grounds are not suitable for young children unaccompanied or for disabled persons.

What to do

For nature lovers seeking tranquility and serenity this is the perfect place to escape from the stresses of everyday life.


The turquoise Adriatic sea with its blue flag beaches is also close by offering sun, sea and sand in abundance. It boasts numerous blue flag beaches - go and experience the beaches the Italian way - hire a  sunbed and parasol and just soak up the Italian beach culture, enjoy a long lazy fishy lunch then back to the sunbed to sleep it off = the perfect way to relax!
The walking in the Sibillini National Park offers a very mixed range of landscapes and there is something suitable for all levels of ability.
Markets - there are local markets selling locally produced fruit, veg, cheeses, meats, honey etc as well as clothing and haberdashery on every day of the week. There are also numerous markets at the coast during the summer months.
We can also organise cooking lessons with a focus on local specialities or how about going truffle hunting for the highly prized white and black truffles?
There is an abundance of historical sights in Le Marche begging to be explored. The area is dotted with medieval hilltop villages with beautiful piazzas, churches, museums and many fine art works as well as many sites of archaeological interest.





Not enough?  Le Marche produces a lot of exceptionally good wines and the local wineries are more than willing to welcome you for tours and tastings, we are happy to arrange wine tastings and to recommend some of our favourite Le Marche vineyards.

Best times to visit?

Spring..

.....is the perfect time to get up into the mountains as the winter snow starts to recede and admire the Marche countryside as it bursts into life with a colourful array of wild flowers covering the mountains and foothills. Marvel at the oh so brightly patterned butterflies and the exotic wild orchids which grow here in abundance.

Summer..

.....is for chilling, sitting in the local piazza sipping coffee or enjoying an aperitivo in the evening sun, lazing in the garden or visiting the beaches.
Sailing, windsurfing and sea kayaking facilities are all on offer at the coast.
Self-piloted motor boat cruises are also available in the Ancona region.

Autumn..

....is just cool for walking through enchanting woodlands tinged with red, orange and burnt golden hues .... collecting walnuts, sweet chestnuts and looking for the truffles, a speciality of this region. Visit the many autumn festas, each celebrating its own individual treasures of the area - chestnuts, truffles, pepperoncini and of course a palate-boggling selection of pasta festas!

Winter..

....is maybe for some skiing (downhill, cross country and if you're up for a challenge there is a strong interest in telemark skiing here), the local slopes are about ½ hour drive. Maybe just enjoy some winter walking and afterwards you can snuggle up in front of one of the cosy woodburning stoves with a glass of.

Walking

The walking in the Sibillini National Park offers a very mixed range of landscapes and there is something suitable for all levels of walkers.
The Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga regions in Abruzzo, just south of Le Marche, also offer some fabulous walking/exploring terrain.

There are countless opportunities to explore the local hills either on our self guided holiday option or take advantage of our walking Wednesday option (weather permitting) when you can be accompanied free of charge to explore the more out of the way places in the park.
Collection from local walks can be arranged.
Regardless of whether you decide to stay at Casa di Pietra, local walking advice is always available & freely given; please don't hesitate to get in touch.

An alternative to walking is mountain biking with some exhilarating tracks to explore.
Bike hire is available locally and we would be pleased to organise this for you.

We are dying to welcome you & share this beautiful, unspoilt gem and all its hidden secrets!

What's On

Throughout the year there is a multitude of local festas and sagras in the villages celebrating old traditions and always serving mouth watering local specialities.
From the amazing medieval Quintana jousting festival to the open air antique market in the heart of Ascoli Piceno,  the famous truffle festa in Amandola, the incredible Fire Horse Festival in Ripatransone (Il Cavallo di Fuoco), all kinds of local speciality pasta festas (check out the interestingly named Sagra di Strozzapreti, a festa serving delicious homemade pasta which translates as priest-choker or priest-strangler!) to the numerous wine and olive festas ..... and autumn chestnut festas in small hilltop villages and  .... the list just goes on!

Markets & Shops

There are local markets on various days throughout the week offering a wide variety of fresh local fruit, vegetables as well as clothing and fashion items.
The house is about 3 km from the village of Montefortino with a supermarket shops, bars and restaurants and weekly market.
Also close by are the picturesque towns of Amandola and Sarnano, and Comunanza is a very handy little town offering lots of basic necessities.
For the serious shoppers there are also numerous outlet shops towards the coast selling  designer hats, shoes and belts for which Le Marche region is famous.