Sant'Antonio is the perfect place to relax after a day spent checking out the hill towns and wandering the byways of Umbria. Relax in the garden or by the fire, light a barbecue and try the delicious sausages from a local butcher and some fresh pecorino or ricotta from the shepherd up the road - plus a glass of red, maybe a Rosso di Montefalco? It really doesn't come much better than this! Sant’Antonio is a magnificent, 16th century historic home that was originally one wing of an Augustinian monastery. Situated in rolling hills and surrounded by vineyards, fields and olive groves it is only 20 minutes from the Umbrian capital, Perugia and overlooks the Region’s most prestigious Renaissance Villa, La Villa del Cardinale. It has been our home for more than 25 years. The location is fantastic - halfway between Rome and Florence, close to many of the iconic Umbrian and Tuscan hill towns such as Spoleto, Assisi, Spello, Todi, Corciano, Cortona etc and just 15 minutes from one of Italy’s biggest lakes, Lake Trasimeno, with its beautiful villages and islands. Festivals, galleries, museums, archaeological sites, shopping, great restaurants and adventure are all within easy reach - while peace, comfort and tranquility await at home! Sant’Antonio has been carefully restored and maintained and retains many of its original features. We live on the top two floors and the spacious, independent ground-floor apartment is for our guests. The main garden is large and shady with lots of fruit trees and there is also a courtyard garden -plus barbecue - reserved exclusively for the apartment. There is a small library in the apartment and lots of local information, restaurant recommendations and suggestions for places to explore and things to do. It is all very child friendly and we do have lots of ideas for things to do with children. The house is also a great base for golfers. A course designed by Robert Trent Jones 11 around the magnificent medieval castle of Antognolla is only 7km away. Check out their. The apartment is spacious, comfortable and beautifully furnished. It consists of a large living room, a small sitting room, a kitchen/dining room, a double room (queen bed), and a twin bedroom. There are also two bunks in the main living room and a small french divan that can double as a bed for a small child - plus there’s a cot and highchair. The bathroom has a bath and a separate shower. A double sided fireplace opens onto both the dining room and sitting room. The walls are very thick so the apartment stays cool in summer. It has central heating and guests are requested to pay on departure for the gas consumption if the heating has been used. In summer months the only additional charge is for the final cleaning - 100 Euros. Olive oil, wine and free-range eggs are available from the neighbouring farm and great pecorino and sheep ricotta from the Sardinian shepherd up the road (directions in the apartment!). The olive press at the end of our road welcomes visitors to taste the new oil and watch the production process. Many local vineyards offer wine tasting. The butcher in nearby Capo Cavallo is famous for his sausages and people come from far and wide for the Umbrian cheese bread ( torta di formaggio) made by the baker in Mantignana, one of our local villages. A home cooked Italian meal? Silvia, our friend and neighbour across the road can oblige and she will also give cooking lessons in the apartment! Plus she speaks English! Like to explore the Umbrian hills on horseback – and check out an Etruscan tomb en route? Call Veronica for a trail ride or a lesson. She is great with kids and and speaks English, French and German – as well as Italian! Silvia also runs a community workshop in Perugia making beautiful leather goods – bags, albums, lamps, diaries, photo frames etc – and she will organise a class for anyone wanting to try their hand at working with leather. Look her up at Relegart. The University for Foreigners in Perugia offers courses in Italian language, culture and history throughout the year. A vehicle is necessary to take advantage of everything Umbria has to offer and we can recommend an agency if required. The Perugia airport is San Francesco d’Assisi - about 40 minutes from the house. We may not always be in residence but we will always make sure that you are well looked after and everything possible is done to ensure your time in Umbria is fun, enriching and memorable.