Cortona holiday apartment accommodation, Val di Chiana with walking, beach/lake nearby, log fire, balcony/terrace, internet access

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La Stufa at La Lombarda (apartment)

Home description

La Lombarda is located just twenty minutes by car from Cortona and its museums, Etruscan sites and great restaurants. Rural and quiet but close to hills, lakes, the art and cultural centres of Tuscany and Umbria and many excellent restaurants for eating out.

The garden mainly laid to grass, olive and fruit trees includes a 12M x 6M pool which is shared with guests from two other smaller apartments. The garden, patio and pool provide views of rolling countryside, hills and distant mountains. The patio is furnished with a table and chairs to enable you to dine al fresco. With two twin/double bedrooms, the apartment is ideal for families, with plenty in the surrounding area to see and do during your stay.

"La Lombarda" farmhouse	"La Stufa" - lounge
"La Stufa" - lounge	"La Stufa" - bedroom 1

To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/18284

The Tuscany region

TUSCAN LANDSCAPE: There isn’t one description of the Tuscan landscape because there are many of them; the North is characterised by the mountains of the Apuan Alps and densely-wooded difficult-to-penetrate hill country of the Lunigiana; thick woods are also to be found just to the North of Arezzo in the Casentino Forest National Park. Forty percent of Italy’s forests are in Tuscany. The images of open rolling countryside and the undulating clay Crete with isolated rows of cypress, so favoured of the guide books, are mainly to be found in parts of the South e.g. Val D’Orcia. A large part of the coastline is formed by the Maremma, a wide fertile coastal-plain boasting wonderful sandy beaches and nature reserves whilst the offshore islands of Elba and Giglio etc comprise the Tuscan Archipelago National Park; Europe’s largest marine park. The landscape of next-door Umbria is more heterogeneous being almost all hills and valleys a notable exception being the Sibillini Mountains in the East.
The regions’ hill towns e.g. Fiesole, Cortona, Montepulciano and Orvieto, each with Etruscan roots, their locations chosen for ease of defence and isolation from now-drained malarial marshes, are twinkling beacons in the night sky.

ETRUSCANS AND ROMANS
The Etruscans had settlements in what is now modern Tuscany from about the 9th century B.C. probably having displaced the Umbri tribes to the east side of the Tiber in the 10th century B.C. Scholarly debate has failed to establish if they arose out of indigenous peoples or whether they migrated here, possibly from Anatolia in what is present day Turkey. Not a huge amount is known about their thoughts or beliefs because so few of the written records remain. However, some idea may be deduced from terracotta figures and scenes depicted in wall-paintings and on pottery. It appears that the Etruscans were readily influenced by cultures with which they had contact such as that of the Greeks who had settlements in the south of Italian peninsular and Sicily. The Etruscan form of writing was adapted from the Greek but not the language itself. Currently, there is a great effort in progress to decipher the Etruscan language but which effort is hampered by the scarcity of surviving examples.

Two of Rome’s first kings were Etruscans but un-enlightened rule on the part of one - Tarquinius Superbus – led to a revolt of the Romans in 510 B.C. and the Etruscans were expelled. The Etruscans were crushed politically by 250 B.C. and in 205 B.C. the Romans started establishing a hegemony over Tuscany resulting in the gradual loss of the Etruscan language religion and distinctive culture. The Romans did not destroy the Etruscan infrastructure but rather set out to build and improve on it. They founded colonies e.g. Florentia (Florence) and built new roads to connect them to Rome. By the 1st century B.C. the Romans had control of Etruria (roughly the area of present day Tuscany & Lazio). They further established colonies at what are now Pisa, Lucca, Pistoia and Arezzo and even today Roman design is visible in their city centres. Drainage systems in Tuscany’s fertile plains of the Arno valley and the Val di Chiana and road systems are a further visible legacy of the Etruscans and Romans. Under Roman administration much of Tuscany flourished for more than 400 years.

BARBARIANS
Italy was invaded by the Visigoths, a Germanic Tribe, during the 5th century and in 401 B.C. Rome was sacked by Alaric. In 476 AD the last (western-) Roman emperor – Romulus August – was forced to abdicate by the Germanic tribal chieftain Odoacer. The year 552 saw Florentia (Florence) invested by the Visigoths under the King Totila . For another 200 years Tuscany and Central Italy undergo further violent barbarian invasions and occupations most notably by the Germanic Lombards and Franks.
The Frankish King Charlemagne, on invitation by the Papacy, invaded Italy and defeated the Lombards in 774 AD. With Papal support Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor on 25th December 800 in St. Peters, Rome. The Franks ruled the area until the death of the last Frankish ruler Matilda in 1115 AD. Matilda left all her land to the Papacy with the exceptions of Florence, Siena and Lucca, thereby sowing the seeds of future conflict between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy.

MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE PERIODS
By the end of the 11th Century AD the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy are in conflict, one with the other, which draws in wealthy traders and merchants, feudal rulers and bishops. Supporters of the Pope came to be called Guelfs and those of the Emperor were known as Ghibellines. It became convenient however for competing factions within a city to adopt one or the other of these titles in an attempt to confer legitimacy on their own petty interests. Despite the often turbulent situation the times saw the emergence many wealthy and independent citizen. The major cities saw the formation of the Tuscan Communes which evolved superlative commercial skills and craftsmanship all of which endowed huge wealth and power on the region. The Communes were self governing associations of middle-class citizens which subsumed the power and influence until then held by the feudal landowning nobility. Some of the Communes of the 11th and 12th centuries eventually developed into republics e.g. Florence, Pisa, Siena and Lucca and most became become modern day Towns and Cities. These centuries see the accumulation of great wealth through an expansion of trade and commerce particularly in; Florence (high quality textile manufacturing and banking), Siena (wool trade and finance), Lucca (silk trade) and Pisa (international sea trade).
During the 13th and 14th centuries, driven by the wealth of the communes, the region saw a further increase in economic and artistic activity notwithstanding the continued friction between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire. The results of this activity were new churches, cathedrals, civic buildings and city walls with the various cities often vying for the biggest and most beautiful. Eventually, it is Florence, then, in the 14th & 15th century that gains the ascendancy over most of the other Tuscan cities. Siena is the last city to capitulate to Florence, in 1559. The effects of Florence ascendant are still to be seen in its cultural and artistic heritage.
The “Renaissance”, a French word meaning “rebirth” was first used in an Italian context by 19th century historians to define a historical period – roughly the 14th to 16th centuries – of a revival of learning based on classical resources which took place in Europe generally but was centred in Italy and, in particular, in Florence.
The period is characterized by development in the arts, culture and science; the most visible being painting, sculpture and architecture. There was an explosive development in all of these faculties driven by a variety of factors, the most important being a growing civic consciousness and patronage on the part of the wealthy merchant families, city rulers and the Papacy. Of the wealthy merchant families special mention must be made of the powerful and influential Medici whose wealth, founded upon banking, made them for a time the richest family in Europe. Their involvement with Florence lasted from the 13th century into the 17th and for a period they were its effective rulers. So prolific were they as patrons and collectors of art that they were obliged to buy a palace (the Pitti in Florence) in which to house it.
Examples of artists and architects that benefited from Medici patronage and whose work may be seen in Florence (and elsewhere) include:- Massaccio, Donatello, Fra Angelico, Michelangelo, Piero della Francesca, Brunelleschi and Leone Battista Albertini.
According to statistics produced by UNESCO about 30% of the World's artistic heritage is to be found in Florence.

Cortona / Val di Chiana area

Cortona was an Etruscan town as early as seven hundred years BC and remained so until the Romans took over in the 4th century BC. From its lofty position much of the Valdichiana and Lake Trasimeno are surveyed. From a ridge above and behind the town, through a cleft in distant hills, a distant Umbrian landscape is admired. Hikers will note the many trails that lace through Cortona’s hills.

There is much to see including museums including that of the Etruscan Academy with its fascinating and priceless Etruscan relics, many churches amongst which Santa Maria del Calcinaio the renaissance masterpiece by Giorgio di Martini, works of art, the most delightful being the Annunciation by Fra’ Angelico, and Romansque/Renaissance/Byzantine buildings. Within the city walls and without are to be found various Etruscan remains including the incredible tumulus tombs just below the town.

Cortona boasts a large and excellent selection of restaurants serving from simple but delicious local dishes to the gourmet, which would satisfy the most discerning palate and all accompanied by local wines justly famous for their quality.

Summertime is the season of classical music concerts, opera and sacred music which are often hosted in Cortona’s piazzas but, also, sometimes in churches and other ancient buildings. It may seem incredible but entrance to some of these concerts is free. The Tuscan Sun Festival, Cortona’s own annual festival of Orchestral, Chamber and Operatic music will this year take place from 2nd to 10th August. It boasts a host of instrumentalists and singers of international renown; the festival currently schedules for 2008 Danielle de Niese, José Cura, Pinchas Zukerman, Ana Maria Martinez, Joshua Bell, Natasha Paremski, Piotr Anderszewski, Zukerman Chamber Players, Venice Baroque Orchestra among others.

Not to be missed either are the glories of Florence and Siena both of which amaze the visitor with their sense of architectural harmony and historical contexts. The visitor to Siena will always remember that astounding experience on his or her first sight of the Palazzo Pubblico viewed from across the Campo and just as unforgettable is Michelangelo’s statue of David to be found in Florence’s Accademia.

Wine lovers are spoiled by the proximity of winemaking regions based on the towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino world famous for respectively Vino Nobile and Brunello. Less aristocratic but fresher and cheaper are the more simple Rosso’s, of both towns. For many the approachability of the latter wines makes them just as acceptable as the former.

Opportunities for sightseeing, hiking and biking are enormous. In addition to those provided around Cortona close by Umbria’s Lake Trasimeno, Italy’s 4th largest, provides nature trails, pony trekking, wine and historic routes, boating, fishing and sailing. In season Monte Amiata provides ski and snow boarding facilities. For the man or woman who needs their golf-fix during their annual holiday there are three worthy golf courses quite close by: 18 holes at Perugia (45 minutes), 9 holes at Valdichiana (20 minutes) and Lamborghini’s at Panicale (35 minutes).

Nearby Umbrian towns worthy of major investigation include Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto, Spoleto and Gubbio. Other very pretty and charming hilltop towns are Paciano, Panicale and Spello. The towns around Lake Trasimeno also boast music festivals; possibly the most important being the Trasimeno Blues Festival – 24th July to 3rd Aug, 2008. Entrance to most of the concerts is free, being funded by local private business and local authorities for the promotion of tourism.
The reputation of Umbria’s wines is not as diffuse as that of their neighbouring Tuscan’s, however the Umbrian producers are bold in their approach to winemaking which often results in something quite delicious and unusual.

How to get there

Travelling by aeroplane:

The following airports in Italy are situated either conveniently or fairly conveniently for traveling to Cortona by road:-
1. Perugia – San Egidio: 40 miles
2. Florence: 80 miles.
3. Rome – Fiumicino: 125 miles.
4. Rome – Ciampino: 125 miles.
5. Pisa: 130 miles.
6. Bologna: 135 miles.
7. Bologna (Forli): 125 miles.

Who flies to where and wherefrom:-
1. Perugia-San Egidio. – RyanAir from London-Stanstead.
2. Florence. - Meridiana from Gatwick.
3. Rome-Fiumicino. –
- (i) British Airways from London Heathrow and
- (ii) Alitalia from London-Heathrow.
4. Rome-Ciampino.
- (i) RyanAir from Glasgow (Prestwick), Liverpool, London-Luton, London-Stanstead and
- (ii) EasyJet from Bristol, East Midlands, London-Gatwick, Newcastle.
5. Pisa.
- (i) RyanAir from Bournemouth, Doncaster-Sheffield, East Midlands, Glasgow. (Prestwick), Liverpool, London-Stanstead and
- (ii) EasyJet from Bristol, London-Gatwick
6. Bologna-G. Marconi.
- (i) British Airways from Gatwick and
- (ii) Alitalia from Birmingham and London-Heathrow
7. Bologna (Forli)-L. Ridolfi. - RyanAir from Stanstead.

Transport links:

After arriving at your preferred airport the most convenient way to get to La Lombarda is by car. We are only a 20 minutes drive from the Valdichiana exit on Italy’s A1, autostrada del sole.
Comprehensive route details will be provided on booking.

If driving is not an option then:

From Perugia – S. Egidio airport: taxi or bus to Perugia railway station and thence train to Terontola – Cortona, about 40 minutes.
From Florence airport: – taxi to Santa Maria Novella railway station and thence train to Camucia – Cortona, about 1 hour and a half.
From Rome – Fiumicino airport: Either train or taxi to Roma Termini railway station (35 minutes) and thence train to Terontola, about 2 hours and a half.
From Rome – Ciampino airport: Either a) Taxi to Roma Termini or b) taxi or bus to Ciampino and thence train from there to Roma Termini (20 minutes); and thence a) & b) train to Terontola, about 2 hours and a half.
From Pisa airport: Bus or train to Florence Santa Maria Novella railway station and thence train to Camucia-Cortona, about 1 hour and a half.

Both Camucia-Cortona and Terontola railway stations are a 15 minute drive from La Lombarda.

La Lombarda is in a rural position and local buses are rare. Hence, independent means of transport is an essential.

Activities near Cortona

Facilities

Further details indoors:
“La Stufa”, once a tobacco drying tower, is charmingly restored on two floors in cotto and wood beams.
- Telephone, fax and internet services provided on request.

Further details outdoors:
Plenty of shade is provided by sun-umbrellas on the patio and pool areas. The pool benefits additionally from a shady pergola with table and chairs, perfect for a cocktail and a good book.

Further details

Welcome pack provided on arrival.
Swimming pool available May through September.
Garden is shared with the owners of the house.
English owners on hand to provide assistance and advice when required.

Rental rates

Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
High Summer	5 Jul 08	30 Aug 08	1050£  847	0-	0-	1 Week
Late Summer	30 Aug 08	27 Sep 08	750£  605	0-	0-	1 Week
Autumn	27 Sep 08	1 Nov 08	600£  484	0-	0-	4 Nights
Low	1 Nov 08	4 Apr 09	500£  403	0-	0-	4 Nights
Spring	4 Apr 09	23 May 09	700£  565	0-	0-	4 Nights
Early Summer	23 May 09	4 Jul 09	800£  645	0-	0-	1 Week
High Summer	4 Jul 09	30 Aug 09	1100£  887	0-	0-	1 Week
Late Summer	30 Aug 09	26 Sep 09	800£  645	0-	0-	1 Week
Autumn	26 Sep 09	31 Oct 09	700£  565	0-	0-	4 Nights

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion.
1. Please contact owners for daily and/or monthly rates
2. Prices include:- Final cleaning
- Welcome pack for minimum 7 days stay
- Towels, pools towels, bed-linen, electricity
3. Prices do not include gas central heating which is charged at cost. (Usually only required during the late autumn and winter months)
4. Stays between 2nd June and 31st August are Saturdays to Saturdays only.
5. Breakage/damage deposit Euro 150 returnable as applicable within 7 days of departure.
6. A deposit of 20% is required to secure any booking. The balance is due and payable 6 weeks prior to due arrival date. Please refer to owners for their returns policy.

Guestbook

An absolute perfect week. Wonderful hospitality and all home comforts.
Yvonne, George, Margaret and Janette. Sheffield.

It was great to return after two years .......... we look forward to coming again in the near future.
Steve, Vanessa, Judith, geoff and Sam. Colchester, Essex.

We have had a fantastic 2 weeks. ...... your hospitality and helfulness have made our holiday.
Lynda, Alan, Rebecca and Natalie. Tring, Herts.

Thank you for a lovely restful holiday and looking forward to our next visit already.
Ellen, Linda and Donna. Kent and Suffolk

La Lombarda was a lovely place to stay. Peter and Nina, thank you so much for warm welcome and hospitality.
Cees and Ineke, Alphen-am-Rijn, The Netherlands.

Availability notes

To see availability please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/18284

Contact owner

To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/18284

Contact details for home 18284 Please mention Holiday Lettings
Name:	Peter Shelley
Tel:	+39 0575 613204
Fax:	+39 0575 613204
Mobile:	+39 3343514363
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Contact Notes: Email
Advertiser joined: 24 Jan 2007 This property added: 24 Jan 2007

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