Vacation Houses & Apartments in Italy

Recommended Self Catering Apartments and Houses

(Continued from Page 1: Self Catering: Explore and Experience Italy!)

Here are more recommended places to stay around Italy. I've stayed and in all of these places and would stay again. Here's the top list, from north to south in Italy.

Torre Barolo - Piemonte

Torre Barolo, as its name implies, is a 17th century tower, modernized inside to have all the creature comforts. It looks down upon Barolo castle. You can do so while eating dinner n the summer because there's a terrace on top. There are great restaurants withing walking distance, (in Barolo, food is art) and you can go to nearby Barbaresco and drink the regions famous wine in a former church. See Wine Tasting in a Church: Barbaresco. Lots of stairs, as you might expect, so if you can't deal with them then this isn't the place for you.

Calboccia - Umbria

Calboccia was our very first vacation rental. Calboccia was once a large family farmhouse (almost 4000 square feet of area) that's been split into an upper and lower apartment. We stayed up top.

The location is perfect--right on the border between Tuscany and Umbria. You can take cooking classes at the local restaurant (La Chiusa--excellent food!).

Il Rustichino - Tuscany, Pisa Province

Il Rustichino sits just outside the center of Chianni, a medieval borgo 40 kilometers from Pisa. We stayed at the 2 bedroom over 10 years ago. The wonderful thing was the great breezes that pass through the master bedroom at night. Il Rustichino was once probably a barn out in the country, but has been masterfully rebuilt into a stout beamed vacation cottage with great views of the countryside and a town with services within walking distance--the best of both worlds.

Castello Ripa d'Orcia - Tuscany

Castello di Ripa d'Orcia is a thirteenth century castle that offers a Bed and Breakfast in addition to self catering apartments. It's in the Val d'Orcia near the favorite tourist towns of Pienza and San Quirico d'Orcia in Siena province. There's an on-premises winery and restaurant as well, so you don't have to cook unless you want to. There are some great walks in the area. See my review on Europe Travel.

Your friends will be impressed if you tell them you've stayed in a castle apartment, believe me.

Farnesi Apartment - Rome, Piazza Farnese

Farnesi Apartment in Rome is located just behind the Palazzo Farnese near the Via Giulia, a two minute stroll to the Campo dei Fiori (If I were to stick a pin in my favorite part of central Rome, I'd likely hit the location of Farnesi Apartment.) The Apartment is what Italians call a "monolocale" or one-room apartment, but it's quite a huge room, partitioned into living area and bedroom. There's wifi and it's amazingly quiet for being in the center of Rome.

Masseria Selvaggi - Puglia

Masseria Selvaggi is a 16th century fortified farm near the Puglian coast with a couple of rental apartments inside the walls. Owner Francesco Selvaggi is a renowned glass artists, producing fine art glass as well as stained glass for churches. He holds glass workshops for guests who choose to learn.

But the interesting thing about Francesco is that he is very much in tune with the history of the Messapic civilization that settled in Puglia. I made a video of him explaining the finds of a recent excavation of a child's tomb: Inside the Manduria Archaeological Museum Video.

If you want to know about the local area, near Francesco's Masseria. It's just outside the town of Manduria, known for the up and coming wine Primitivo di Manduria and an interesting destination in itself.

Masseria Li Mennuli - Pugia

If you can't get a room at Masseria Selvaggi, you can stay at Masseria Li Mennuli, a three minute walk down the drive. The owner, also named Francesco, produces some very fine Passito, a sweet dessert wine composed of Gewurztraminer and dried Muscat grapes.

Podere Fiana - Tuscany, La Lunigiana

Podere Fiana is an independent stone building with beamed ceilings and a great kitchen for you gourmet cooks who really want to take advantage of Tuscany's fine food and outdoor markets. I haven't slept at Podere Fiana, so that's why it's at the end of the list. But I've seen it, I know the owners, and know you'll probably have a good time if you like the rural life. Be aware, it's quiet out there.

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