Casa Mary is a beautiful old rural stone farmhouse, once the home of four families and now completely rebuilt and renovated by the present owner who has created an understated but luxurious home. All the building materials: the reclaimed roof tiles, the terracotta flooring, the chestnut beams, the old style mortar has been sourced locally and the work done by local craftsmen in the traditional way.
The house is built into the side of the hill, surrounded by olive trees on two and a half hectares of ancient rocky terraces and has views of the regional park of Campo Soriano famous for its rare wild flowers; recently reported in Italy’s most discerning daily paper, La Republica, as being one of the last unspoilt places in the country.
The house is decorated in a typical rustic Italian style; beautifully painted doors and details such as rococco style headboards and skirting painted straight on to the walls give it Mary’s personal touch. The four huge double bedrooms have their own spacious fully equipped bathrooms with large basins and power showers. Each bedroom has plenty of space for moments of quiet relaxation.
The cosy drawing room has comfortable sofas in front of an open fire which throws out a good heat on cool spring and autumn evenings. The curtains come all the way from the Royal Palace in Stockholm – ridiculous and not very Italian but I could not resist! There are plenty of good novels and local guide books for those who want to have a quiet read rather than watch a DVD or the multi lingual television channels.
The kitchen, with its blue, beamed ceiling so useful for drying the herbs from the garden, large dining table and all mod cons, is designed for serious cooks with a five burner catering gas stove and everything else you could possibly need to create delicious Italian food.
Off the kitchen is a spacious terrace for alfresco dining, with an olive tree for shade and planted with jasmine, lavender and culinary herbs .