La Cupa - Todi/Orvieto

Here we have one of the best-positioned houses we have encountered in Italy. Nestled in the woods, this 300-year-old casa colonica is a private retreat for its Roman owner who furnished the place for her own use. The setting is really something special, with a drop-dead view, well-maintained grounds, and a large pool just a short walk from the house (people with small children may especially like the distance separating pool and house).

Reached by a secondary road about 3 kilometers from the main road between Todi and Orvieto, La Cupa is on two levels and can be rented in two different ways. One way to rent it for a group of 5 or fewer persons is as follows: On ground level is the comfortably furnished living room with large fireplace and a collection of etchings on the walls that are particularly noteworthy. Up a step is the dining area which in turn leads into the brand-new kitchen with dishwasher and washing machine. Also on the ground level is a narrow bathroom with shower stall. Upstairs are the three bedrooms: one matrimonial, one with two joinable twin beds, one with a single bed. All have bathrooms en-suite. Both of the larger bedrooms have large antique wardrobes, and one bedroom has a television. Reading lamps in the bedrooms are particularly good.

If you are a larger group of up to 7 persons, or if you simply prefer the luxury of more space overall, you can take the house along with its annex. The annex is another wing of the same structure, with a beautifully furnished living room about twice the size of the living room in the “main” part of the house, plus a matrimonial bedroom with its own bathroom en-suite.

A telephone is provided and the house does have heating for cooler weather. You will be nearest the little village of Acqualoreto and about 10 miles from Todi.

If you take the main part of the house alone, the owner herself will stay in the completely self-contained (and in this case, closed-off) annex for one or two nights upon your arrival and again on the night before your departure. She likes to greet guests personally, wants to stay initially to be sure all is OK. She then departs for her home in Rome. She is a perfectly charming person, and everyone loves her.

La Cupa is for people who appreciate simplicity, not those who need grandeur. The truly grand asset is the location. Tranquility is assured in this peaceful setting overlooking the rolling Umbrian hills. All the attractions of Umbria and Southern Tuscany are within a short drive. We highly recommend La Cupa.