Pick up one of the many booklets available at the tourist offices.
They suggest various drives around Umbria based on different themes e.g. Art Trails, Wine, Life around the Lake. Discover Umbria at your own pace.
Cà di Cicala
San Leo Bastia, Cortona, Tuscany
- 8
- 4
- 2
FROM
£ 1,278
PER WEEK
Accommodation
At a glance
- Sleeps 8
- 2 Double Bedrooms
- 2 Twin Bedrooms
- 2 Bathrooms
- WiFi
- Small Party Rate (up to 4 people)
- Casa d'Estate
- Ground Floor: Kitchen/dining room (oven, microwave, dishwasher) with door to terrace. Living room with door to terrace (Smart TV (internet channels only), Bluetooth speaker, selection of books). Central heating throughout both houses (payable locally). WiFi.
- First Floor: Bathroom (separate shower). Steps up to half landing. Twin bedroom. Double bedroom with external door leading to stone walkway linking the two houses and steps down to the terrace.
- Casa Primavera
- Ground Floor: Twin bedroom with door onto terrace. Bathroom (separate shower).
- First Floor: Kitchen/dining room (oven, dishwasher, CD, selection of CDs and books). Living room. Steps up to double bedroom.
- Outside: Laundry room (washing machine, WC). Terraces. Shower. Pizza/wood oven. Parking area.
- Private swimming pool (5m x 4.5m) with Roman steps.
This idyllic setting must have been created for lovers of nature. A winding lane takes you past woods, vineyards and tobacco fields until you stumble across Cà di Cicala, set in seven acres of unspoiled woodland in a hidden valley on the Tuscan/Umbrian border. The walks through these forested slopes, teeming with wildlife, are delightful and one such farmer's track crosses the parking area below the property.
The owner has transformed a tumbledown ruin into two charming cottages, interlinked by a stone walkway. Craftsmen from the area have sensitively restored the cottages to reflect the local style and the designs of the stone chimneys, the tiled roofs, and the detail above the doorways are unique to the valley.
Inside, the poplar wood doors have been handmade to a local design, whilst chestnut wood furniture, patterned rugs, and paintings complement the 'cotto' tiles and white walls. Outside, the terrace with lavender bushes and hollyhocks and the stylish deep blue pool overlook the fields.
Whilst you may not want to leave this rural setting, the hidden jewels of Umbria and Tuscany are more than worthy of discovery. Cortona (25km), Sansepolcro (37km), Città di Castello (22km), Gubbio (53km), are all intriguing and entrancing places.
Closer to home, San Leo Bastia is a 10 minute drive and has a small shop attached to its village bar, as well as a local pizzeria. More amenities, including an excellent bakery, can be found in Trestina (15 minute drive).
- Parties paying the small party rate will have use of Casa d'Estate only. Casa Primavera remains closed and unoccupied.
- Please note there is an external stone walkway with low walls which links the two houses (on the first floor) and external steps down to the terrace. Younger children may require supervision.
- Property Licence No. IT054013C2A6036207
Pricing & Availability
Additional Pricing Information
All Prices are per property, not per person.
Please note: A local tourist tax of £4.50 per person per duration is payable for each party member aged 12 or over. We will add this amount to your booking.
Please Note: Parties paying the small party rate will have use of Casa d'Estate only. Casa Primavera remains closed and unoccupied.
Location of Cà di Cicala
Locality
Great Things to Do Near Cà di Cicala
Visit the birthplace of Michelangelo
The 14th century castle in the little village of Caprese Michelangelo houses plaster casts of this master's work. On the way back, stop at Anghiari, a beautifully preserved medieval hilltop town.
If you want to visit Rome,
take the train from Perugia (2 ½ hrs) and maybe stay overnight. Italian trains are actually very efficient and good value. The best way of getting into Rome.
Make sure you have some Italian ice cream
most towns will have at least one 'gelateria' (ice cream shop), where you will be able to pick from a vast array of flavours.
On a warm summer evening, sit with a glass of wine on the terrace and wait for night to fall,
to the sound of the cicadas. Count the number of stars you can see in the deep blue velvet sky.
Barrel rolling in Montepulciano
The barrel race 'Il Bravio delle Botti' takes place in August in Montepulciano, a gorgeous Tuscan town well worth a visit at any time of the year. The race is a competition between the 8 districts of the town and involves rolling empty wine barrels uphill for over 1km, ending at the 'Piazza Grande' at the very top of the town.
Have a cheese tasting
Call in at the shop beside the bar in San Leo Bastia where they sell the very best pecorino (sheep milk) cheese. Select a piece each of fresco (new soft cheese), medio and stagionato (seasoned) - you will not be disappointed. You might be tempted at the same time by some prosciutto and other cured meats.
Pop over to Le Marche and the magnificent town of Urbino.
The drive takes you about 1 ½ hr and you go through some lovely countryside. Urbino itself is a Renaissance beauty, with fantastic architecture.
If you love jazz, go to Perugia in July for its world famous Umbria Jazz Festival.
Performers come from all over the world, and concerts take place day and night.
Take the country roads to Lake Trasimeno,
at the centre of the country, and its fourth largest lake. Go to Castiglione del Lago for a wander around, a fish lunch and then a paddle in the lake. If you are there between 24 and 30 July, you will see the Palio of the Boats - a big boat race on the lake.
Visit Arezzo on the first Sunday of the month and you will come across the famous antiques fair,
which takes place in the main piazza. Antique dealers come from all over Italy to attend. See if you can pick up a bargain!
Head to one of the markets and buy some fresh mozzarella, salami, tomatoes and salad
and have lunch al fresco on the terrace. Or attempt to make your own pizzas in the authentic pizza oven at Cà di Cicala.
Relax on the terrace at Cà di Cicala,
catch up on the books you have been meaning to read for ages, take a dip in the pool, sunbathe, or do nothing!
Make time to visit Gubbio, one of the jewels of Umbria.
Less well-known than Perugia and Assisi, but no less impressive, it is a wonderful place to wander around. A huge music festival takes place in the town throughout the month of July.
A 'must do' on anyone's list is to experience the 'passeggiata'.
No, it is not an Italian dance. In any town or large village, especially on a weekend or holiday, the inhabitants of the town will congregate in the main square in the early evening, to have a stroll around, talk to their friends, have an aperitif or ice cream, before dispersing for dinner. It is the perfect time to people watch!
The weekly open-air market is part of Italian life.
Stalls laden with produce, scents and smells filling the air, and a crowd of Italians - finish the morning's shopping with a coffee in a bar. Go to Umbertide on Wednesday morning, Trestina on Tuesday and Cortona on Saturday morning.
Spend the morning or afternoon in Cortona
wandering its narrow streets that lead to the main piazza. There are lots of little shops and plenty of stunning views to admire.
From San Leo Bastia, follow the road westwards,
which winds its way through the hills - a beautiful drive through the forested countryside until you arrive at the back of Cortona where the landscape opens out in front of you.
Drive or walk along the valley into the hamlet of San Leo Bastia
where you will find a pizzeria and a great village bar where you can enjoy an aperitif of the local wine.
Nearby
Towns/Villages
| San Leo Bastia | 10 mins | |
| Trestina | 15 mins | |
| Umbertide | 30 mins | |
| Citta di Castello | 35 mins | |
| Sansepolcro | 40 mins | |
| Cortona | 45 mins | |
| Gubbio | 1 Hr |
Airports
| Perugia | 55 mins | |
| Ancona | 2 Hrs | |
| Florence | 2 Hrs | |
| Rome Fiumicino | 2 Hrs 45 mins | |
| Bologna | 2 Hrs 45 mins | |
| Pisa | 2 Hrs 45 mins | |
| Rome Ciampino | 2 Hrs 45 mins |
Train Stations
| Camucia | 40 mins | |
| Perugia | 1 Hr | |
| Arezzo | 1 Hr 10 mins | |
| Florence S.M.N. | 2 Hrs 5 mins | |
| Rome Termini | 2 Hrs 55 mins |
