Welcome to Casa San Lorenzo
Casa San Lorenzo is a holiday rental with outstanding panoramic views of the Sibillini Mountains, close to the medieval village of Montefalcone Appennino.It lies on the edge of a small, almost deserted hamlet and is surrounded by fields and woodland. To get to either the sea or the mountains takes about 30 minutes by car.
Lovingly restored in 2007 and now available for you to be amongst the first to discover the hilltop villages full of wonderful trecento art and explore the mountains and lakes of a region as yet almost untouched by mass tourism.
Or you can lounge by the pool and take in the breathtaking views, and only rouse yourself sufficiently to walk to the local Agriturismo for your evening meal. The choice is yours!
Once you've browsed these pages and checked out our photo gallery we hope you will have fallen in love with this beautiful and mysterious region.
Click here to meet the Mayor of Montefalcone and see some of the delicious meals prepared by Bruno and Mauro at Locanda del Lupo
Copyright 2011
Like all Italians, the Marchigiani take food and wine very seriously.
Smart restaurants serving freshly-caught fish can be found on the coast, but inland you are more likely to come across small family businesses producing the same hearty peasant food that they have done for generations. Indeed, you may pass your lunch, still hopping about, on your way to the front door. Beware – meals can go on for hours and you should never fill up on the first three courses – there's always more to come. A real blow-out will only cost €15-20 each including wine.
To whet your appetite, we recommend the Bar Futura in Comunanza for cheap, cheerful food which never disappoints, and wine by the jugful. It's perfect for children, particularly since they serve a maxi pizza which usually is the subject of a dare for the unwary.
Even nearer - the Agriturismo Marulla does meals at weekends, and weekdays during summer. It is only 10 minutes walk away. Don't eat beforehand - you'll leave the table groaning. Stefano, the proprietor, does speak a bit of English and is very proud of his local produce. Beware if he offers you mistra at the end of the meal – it's the local hooch and not to be trifled with.
Le Marche is the other side of the Appennine Mountains to Tuscany and Umbria and stretches down to the Adriatic sea. Its landscape varies dramatically between rugged mountains, foothills with a village on every hilltop, and plains full of Roman remains leading to beaches full of bright umbrellas and seafood restaurants.
For those interested in recent history, thousands of Allied POWs walked the length of the Apennines after escaping from detention camps during the Italian Armistice (see Eric Newby's Love and War in the Apennines).
For those interested in art and culture Le Marche is full of undiscovered treasures in churches and other buildings almost completely devoid of tourist hordes (see the new Blue Guide to The Marche and San Marino by Ellen Grady).
For walkers, the Sibillini Mountains (the local part of the Appennine range) hold fantastic opportunities, for instance:
§ The Piano Grande high in the mountains with the tiny village of Castelluccio on a lump of rock in the middle. It is covered with wildflowers in spring and produces lentils which are famous throughout the world. It is also a hang glider's paradise.
§ The Gola d'Infernaccio (Hell's Gorge) which looks like something out of Lord of the Rings (according to my son) and from which a path leads upwards to a hermitage built by hand over 30 years by Padre Pietro who lives there still.
§ For those with a taste for religious kitsch in a gorgeous setting, go to the Madonna dell'Ambro a holy site where a mute shepherdess had visions centuries ago and still draws pilgrims in the summer.
§ Or our own local village of Montefalcone Appennino, perched high on a limestone outcrop, with views of the mountains and the sea, and pine-scented walks in the woods behind.
Side shot of the house with Wisteria
Warm, clean and very much inviting!
Your accommodation consists of 4 double bedrooms and two extra sofa beds, maximum 12 people. There is a main bathroom, with bath, shower, bidet and loo. Two of the bedrooms are ensuite, one with a shower and loo and the other a loo and basin.
Like most of the houses of its type, the ground floor used to be a cantina to house the farm animals and a wine cellar. Now it is an open plan kitchen, dining and sitting area. The door from the kitchen opens onto the loggia and the mountain views.
There is a second kitchen, if you need to spread yourselves, which opens onto a private terrace with arched railings which mirror the arches in the cantina.
The main kitchen houses a dishwasher and big fridge along with the usual cooking facilities. And there is a separate pizza oven for the courageous cook.For entertainment there is a TV/DVD player with a selection of DVDs; football table; CD player; various other games and plenty of books.
Casa San Lorenzo and its surroundings
Casa San Lorenzo is in Southern Le Marche, almost in the Sibillini National Park. The mountain towns of Sarnano and Amandola are 15-20 minutes' drive away, whilst Comunanza in the valley is the nearest for supermarkets and all other daily requirements. It also has the full range of pastry and fresh pasta shops and bakeries.
Click here to view a map of Le Marche.
Comunanza, Amandola and Sarnano are just north of the southernmost provincial centre, Ascoli Piceno.
Saturday is market day in Comunanza, full of local produce and fruit and veg as well as the usual market stalls full of clothing, jewellery and household goods. We've bought everything here, from bedspreads to pizza shovels.
For 2011, the prices are:
July and August : £1350pw
All other dates: £600pw
Additional £250 refundable breakages deposit
Linen, laundry and final cleaning bill inclusive of price. Please bring beach towels
25% deposit required on booking Final payment (including refundable deposit) to be made 8 weeks before arrival date
Directions and further information on things to do and see (and eat!) will be forwarded on receipt of final payment .
Distances
Ancona Airport : 1hr 40 mins
Pescara Airport : 1 hr 40 mins
Rome (Ciampino) Airport 3 hrs
Ancona and Pescara both served by Ryanair; Rome by all major airlines
Further info on local airports here.
Contact Us
info_lemarche.co.uk
