Il Palazzino is a family-owned stone house in Marcignano, below Monte Santa Maria Tiberina and ten to fifteen minutes from Città di Castello.
The house looks across the wooded Aggia Valley, named for the stream that runs below Monte Santa Maria Tiberina. Cultivated fields and scattered stone homes sit between the ridges, while Città di Castello remains close enough for its market, supermarkets and dinner in town.
This is the meeting point of northern Umbria and eastern Tuscany. Anghiari, Sansepolcro, Monterchi and Arezzo are easy to reach; Perugia, Assisi and Gubbio suit a longer day among art, old streets and wide Apennine views.
Il Palazzino sits inside a working rural landscape rather than a sealed resort garden. Wildlife moves freely through the woods, terraces and open sky; the pleasure is noticing what happens to be present.
Buzzards and Eurasian kestrels circle over the valley. Italian sparrows, collared doves, European goldfinches and woodpeckers are regular garden birds, while swallows and swifts fly low over the pool on hot afternoons and sometimes touch the water to drink. Large green lizards use the warm stonework; snakes also belong to the countryside, and an occasional shed skin may be found without the animal itself being seen.
Crickets begin the evening, followed by a surprisingly strong chorus from small frogs and toads. Little owls call, bats work around the garden, and wild boar or deer can sometimes be heard carrying across the Aggia Valley. In wetter spring and autumn periods, the Aggia stream and its small cascade become audible below the house.
Useful estimates from the house. Check live navigation before travelling, especially for the final country roads.
| Destination | Typical drive | Useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Monte Santa Maria Tiberina | About 5 minutes | The hill village above the valley, with a pizzeria and far-reaching views |
| Città di Castello | About 10 to 15 minutes | Markets, supermarkets, restaurants and the two Alberto Burri collections |
| Monterchi | About 20 minutes | A small Tuscan town known for Piero della Francesca's Madonna del Parto |
| Anghiari and Sansepolcro | About 30 minutes | Two handsome Tuscan towns for art, food and an easy day out |
| Arezzo | About 45 minutes | A larger historic centre, antiques market and useful rail connections |
| Perugia and Perugia Airport | About 55 minutes | Etruscan streets and the closest airport to the house |
| Gubbio | About 1 hour | A beautifully preserved city of pale stone below Monte Ingino |
| Assisi | About 1 hour 15 minutes | The basilica, medieval streets and views over the Umbrian plain |
| Florence and Florence Airport | About 1 hour 30 to 40 minutes | A long day out or a useful arrival airport with more international routes |
| Bologna, Pisa or Rome airports | About 2½ to 3 hours | Alternatives to compare when flight times or fares work better |
The medieval village crowns the hill above the valley, enclosed by old walls and threaded with narrow stone streets. Its Bourbon del Monte palace, parish church and far-reaching viewpoints make an easy evening outing for pizza, coffee and a slow walk before returning home.
Official Umbria tourism guide Read our evening at Monte’s summer festa
This is the town for everyday provisions, cafés, restaurants and its Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday markets, but it also rewards a slower visit. Alberto Burri's work is shown in Palazzo Albizzini and the former tobacco drying barns, among Renaissance palaces and lively streets.
Explore Città di Castello A market morning and the pizza we return forThe landscape around Monte Santa Maria Tiberina carries the history of old local families, the former Bourbon del Monte marquisate and the two world wars. The clearest traces for visitors belong to the Resistance and the passage of the front in 1944.
Città di Castello remembers Venanzio Gabriotti, decorated for service in the First World War and later a central figure in the local Resistance. He was killed by Nazi and Fascist forces in May 1944, shortly before the front reached the Upper Tiber Valley.
Città di Castello’s liberation historyFollowing hard fighting involving the 4th Indian Division and British armour, Allied forces entered Monte on 13 July; British and Indian troops entered Città di Castello on 22 July. Local historians have documented the fighting, civilian experience and partisans of the area in detail.
War and Resistance around MonteA week can move easily between frescoes, market squares, mountain views and long lunches. Leave room for the house too: an afternoon swim and supper beneath the pergola are often the moments people remember best.
Three Tuscan towns associated with Piero della Francesca, linked by a beautiful route through the Upper Tiber Valley. Stone streets, small museums and unhurried lunches make them easy to combine without a long motorway journey.
Arezzo brings grand piazzas, frescoes and its celebrated antiques market. Cortona and Lake Trasimeno pair hill-town lanes with a lakeside lunch and a softer, more open landscape.
Perugia rewards a full day among Etruscan foundations, galleries and lively streets. Assisi combines some of central Italy's greatest medieval art with pale stone, olive-covered slopes and walks above the town.
Gubbio climbs the lower slopes of Monte Ingino in pale limestone. Piazza Grande forms a magnificent suspended terrace above the countryside, dominated by the Gothic Palazzo dei Consoli. Continue through the steep medieval lanes, then take the wonderfully unusual open-basket cable car towards the Basilica of Sant'Ubaldo and a sweeping Apennine panorama.
Official guide to GubbioHidden beneath the Marche Apennines, the Frasassi Caves open into immense limestone chambers filled with crystal formations, stalactites and towering stalagmites. Timed entry and a shuttle from the main car park keep the visit organised, while the cool underground air makes this an especially welcome outing in high summer.
Official times and ticketsNear Terni, Cascata delle Marmore falls 165 metres in three dramatic leaps. Created through Roman engineering, it is described by Italy's official tourism portal as the world's tallest man-made waterfall. Woodland paths reach thunderous, spray-filled viewpoints, but the water follows a release timetable, so plan the visit around the official schedule.
Opening and water-release times
Città di Castello is the practical centre for supermarkets, bakeries, butchers and fresh produce. Around the markets and specialist food shops, look out for Umbrian cheeses, cured meats, seasonal vegetables, local wine, olive oil and porchetta. The exact mix changes from week to week, which is part of the pleasure.
Summer brings small village festas, music and communal tables. Marcignano has its own celebration, where wild-boar dishes are a local speciality; Morra holds a lively summer festa, and Monte Santa Maria Tiberina is known for food events including its porchetta and bean festival and the autumn celebration of chestnuts, mushrooms and truffles. Dates and menus vary each year, so we share the current local programme before arrival.
The wooded lanes around the house suit walking, mountain biking and gravel riding, with climbs towards Monte Santa Maria Tiberina and quiet routes through the surrounding countryside. The ground is rural and can be steep, so choose routes that match the group and the weather.
For a gentler day, the official route follows the river through the Upper Tiber Valley on a mixture of quiet roads and long stretches of dirt track. Hybrid, gravel and mountain bikes are the most practical choices.
View the official routeShorter walks and rides can stay close to the house, following wooded lanes between Marcignano, Meone Vecchio and the slopes below Monte Santa Maria Tiberina. Routes can be steep or loose underfoot, so match the distance to the weather and the group.
Useful answers for flights, driving and the first day at the house.
Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi Airport is the closest, at roughly 55 minutes by car. Florence is usually about 1 hour 40 minutes away. Bologna, Pisa, Forlì, Rimini and Rome can also be useful when their seasonal routes or fares work better, but compare live drive times before booking.
A car is strongly recommended. Public transport does not conveniently cover the final rural journey, everyday shopping or most outings.
Yes, with an early start and a plan for parking or a rail connection from Arezzo. Allow around 1 hour 30 minutes each way by car before traffic and parking time.
Yes. Its steep medieval streets, Piazza Grande and Palazzo dei Consoli are memorable, and the open-basket Funivia Colle Eletto climbs Monte Ingino towards the Basilica of Sant'Ubaldo and broad Apennine views.
Il Palazzino has a rural address. We send clear property-specific directions before arrival, including the final turns that postcode navigation may not describe well.
Città di Castello is the best all-round choice for supermarkets and specialist shops. It is sensible to collect the first shop before driving to the house, especially after a late flight.
Yes, but both are longer outings. Frasassi uses timed cave entry and a shuttle from the main car park. Cascata delle Marmore follows scheduled water releases, so check the official sites before leaving.
Yes. The lanes and wooded hills around Monte Santa Maria Tiberina suit confident walkers, mountain bikers and gravel riders. For a gentler ride, the official Tiber Cycle Route follows mostly quiet roads and dirt tracks through the Upper Tiber Valley.
Usually. Summer village festas and autumn food celebrations are part of life in the valley. Dates change each year, so check the local Pro Loco and event listings close to your stay.
We include current restaurant suggestions, shopping advice and practical route information with every booking.