This place is a gem situated in a chestnut forest on the side of a mountain overlooking the Pellice Valley and the town of Torre Pellice, which is a charming little town with good restaurants and cafes and only 35 miles from Turin, which is city worth visiting and not overrun with tourists. Torre is the center for Waldensian history. (Waldensians are pre-Reformationist non-Catholic Christians who inhabited these valleys in the Italian and French Alps possibly as long ago as 800 AD and are the only heretics whose religion survived the Inquisition.) The B&B building itself is an ancient stone Waldensian home built into the side of the hill. We stayed in the second-story suite which was very comfortable and clean and completely modernized with lots of hot water and heat, yet retained the charm of the building’s unique history.

This is no Holiday Inn; you will feel as if you are sleeping in a comfortable old Italian farmhouse; you’ll have to climb a few steps and duck your head when walking between rooms. If you want to enjoy the “sense of place” when you visit a foreign country, then this is the place for you. The bed is very comfortable and there are reading lights on each side. The views from the balcony outside our room were fantastic. Every day we delighted in the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, the snow-capped peaks in the distance, the fog that drifted through the valley and lit up in the sun or moonlight, and the glowing orange and gold colors of the larches and chestnuts garbed in their autumn leaves.

Breakfast is served in a cozy outbuilding, which is chock a block with books and curiosities. Plenty of good food and coffee can be left out for you or served about 8:30, if I remember correctly. Baked goods, toast, cheese, meats, fruit, yogurt etc.

The owners are Ian and Laura and they have two young children and a playful dog, whom my husband enjoyed playing fetch with. Ian is from Great Britain and is fluent in many languages. Laura speaks English and Italian. Ian feels passionately about the local history and natural landscape and is a fount of information. He often sleeps outdoors in his sleeping bag so he can enjoy the stars or goes on long treks with his dog. He can advise you on hikes or scenic drives if you wish. He is one of those rare people I have come across whom I instantly hold dear to my heart because of his wry since of humor, keen intelligence, eclectic knowledge, reverence for the natural world, and intense drive to live life his own way.

As mentioned in an earlier review, the road up to the house takes some guts to drive, not that it is a sheer drop off or anything like that. The unpaved road is 1-car wide with 2-way traffic. Occasionally someone has to back up. Hopefully it will be the local farmer from up the hill, not you! We did get used to it. It is also possible to walk back and forth from a parking spot lower down if you aren’t the couch potato type, and Ian can and will pick you up. You just have to be a bit flexible with his schedule since he drives up and down frequently to deliver the children to daycare and to do errands etc.

This is a good place to relax and use as a base for exploring this undiscovered and beautiful place in the Italian Alps. You can arrange group or private guided tours of the historical sites through the Waldensian Museum in Torre; these are highly recommended! You can enjoy day hikes in the valleys and excellent and inexpensive Italian fare in the restaurants in town. And live like an Italian.