If you are looking for a base from which to explore Le Marche, look no further than Casa Montalto, in the southern part of the province. The setting is exactly what we’d hoped for - a large, beautifully converted 1930’s country house looking down over a valley of olive orchards, sunflower fields and villages perching on hilltops. You look up the vineyard covered slopes to Montalto delle Marche, the local town where you can get everything you need – and it’s walkable from the house.
On a clear day you can see the Adriatic. If you’re there at the right time, cherries, peaches fall off the trees, so you don’t need to worry about breakfast.
The best thing about Casa Montalto, however, is the family. Thomas and Debbie Manz and the 3 kids (Dominik, Issy and Lara) are incredibly welcoming. They give you as much or as little attention as you need. You feel as if you’re part of the family. The kids are enrolled in the local school, and Italian lessons are free, over a glass of wine in the sun by the plunge pool. If you ever need to know what ‘squirrel’ in in Italian, Dominik can tell you! If you need cherries, the kids will shin up the tree with their butterfly nets for you.
We stayed (for the second time in less than a year) in the apartment. It is fully kitted out with a great kitchen, good bathroom, tv, DVD and CD player. You get a welcome pack of locally pressed olive oil, bread, a carafe of Marche wine and maybe some of Debbie’s homemade jam. The attention to detail is superb. The apartment is full of books, guides and maps. Often you’ll find a basket of fruit or veg from the garden outside your door in the morning.
There are 2 double ensuite rooms as well, so you can hire the whole floor. They’re also very reasonably priced.
It’s easy to get to - 1½ hours by car from Pescara or Ancona, or 3 hours by car from Rome – and an easy and very picturesque drive through the mountains.
It’s perfectly located - ½ hour from the beach and about the same to the beautiful Sibillini Mountains. So potentially both a summer and winter skiing base.
The place is MAGIC!
- Casa Montalto Delle Marche
