Testimonial

The stay in Madi’s house was in one word fantastic! Such a beautiful sunset every evening, the smell of lavender and rosemary .. Big swimming pool, old house with a very good atmosphere .. lovely kitchen with full equipment .. and Madi as a great host. All ingredients for a unforgettable Italian holiday.

Fantastic house on a hill in the area of Umbria Italy, next to the town of Guardea. Beautiful big garden with olive trees and all other sorts of great plants. Very big swimming pool and a big house with a lot of antiques en very nice kitchen for big cooks like us. Madi, the host took care of all our request, spoke very good English, and most of all was very nice to us. Highly recommend this house!

We had the most fantastic stay at Madi’s beautiful home from home in Umbria. The photos really do not do the house justice. It’s packed with family heirlooms and antiques wherever you look. The house is decorated with style and care, but with comfort and every modern necessity you could need.
The grounds are HUGE you have fruit trees and a huge field of olive trees on the property to wander around. There are many colourful plants including huge lavender bushes and herbs in the beautiful gardens.
What we loved most was all the different comfy private seating – lots of little areas to lay or sit and read a book grab a coffee or eat alone or with family and friends. You are not overlooked anywhere – we loved the peace and tranquility.
The pool is amazing – we’ve rented all over the world and this had the biggest and most well equipped pool we’ve encountered. It had incredible views, lots of pool furniture, plenty of towels, places to eat and decent shade.
The views from the house and gardens are breathtaking – you can see for miles across the valley and the lake. The four bedrooms are all large and the four bathrooms well equipped plus there are extra sleeping spaces on a mezzanine at the top of the house. The kitchen was better equipped than mine at home – I’ve never seen so many pots and pans – it’s beautifully rustic and traditional but had modern conveniences like dishwasher and microwave.
The self contained flatlet upstairs was brilliant for our teenager and his friend who popped over – they had their own private suite of rooms to hang out in.
The sofa and TV in the main living room have been updated since these photos and it’s a lot brighter than it looks in the photographs. There are two sets of double doors and two large windows – plus it opens onto a pretty patio with a huge table for dinner al fresco with a view but under cover so no sun burn.
There’s a state of the art bbq we didn’t use it but it was a good one.
The house is on an unmade rural private road but it’s a very quick drive into the pretty town of Guardea. There’s a supermarket that has everything you could need, a brilliant butchers and friendly coffee & pastry shop that makes good cappuccino. We loved the Z bar for delicious takeaway pizza.
Madi was a delightful and caring host – she organised a delicious meal for our first night, did a fabulous first shop for us and her restaurant recommendations were brilliant. We’ll be back for sure.

Hi Madi
Just wanted to say thank you for allowing us to rent your beautiful villa. We loved it there and had a wonderful 2 weeks in Umbria. We especially loved our cooking class with Ettore and Scott at Palazzo Farrattini in Amelia, so thank you for that recommendation. They were great and we had such fun! They also recommended a great place for a wine tour (Zanchi) which we thoroughly enjoyed as well. The whole holiday was fabulous – what a lovely part of Italy! We all want to go back.

Alison Rowe
Toronto

What can I say about Il Poilio? I spent two glorious weeks at the villa and, months later, still miss being there. Having been lovingly restored, this beautiful country home is comfortable and well maintained. There was more than enough room for eight of us but it would still be cozy for a small group. The grounds are filled with olive and fruit trees, the pool is large, overlooks a rolling valley, and perfect for a cool dip (and late afternoon cocktails!). The view in all directions is breathtaking and the sunsets are spectacular. The nearby Town of Guardea is delightful … filled with a warm Italian community who take pride in their specialty foods and tranquil lifestyle.

The central location was perfect to spend a day of relaxation, alternated with a visit to a nearby hill town. We visited Amelia, Assisi, Bagnoregio (don’t miss it), Montecchio, Orvieto, Spoleto, and Todi. Each was very distinctive but equally magnificent. (Be sure to stop for a meal at La Locanda in Montecchio … delizioso!) The train station is located in neighboring Alviano which made it easy for a day trip to Rome.

Our villa owner Madi, and caretaker, Quinto, are warm and gracious and were helpful as we acclimated ourselves to the countryside. I plan to return many times to beautiful Umbria and Il Poilio.

Mary Marcarelli
New Haven, CT, USA

Staying at Il Poilio is always special. Our two weeks last summer were the perfect mix of relaxation and touring. We looked forward to ending our days of sightseeing in a blisteringly hot Rome with a refreshing swim in the pool, a glass or two of local wine, and a meal prepared together in the wonderful kitchen. And after our day trips to Orvieto, Assisi, Todi among others, returning “home” was such a treat; in fact we set aside days for simply lolling in the hammocks, smelling the rosemary and lavender. Thank you for generously sharing the charms of such a lovely place. It was another restorative stay for us and we are planning our next visit!

A presto,
P & D, Ottawa

We were absolutely thrilled with Il Poilio. It was gorgeous and more than met our expectations. From the moment we stepped in, we felt right at home.

All the rooms were beautifully decorated and contained many lovely and interesting antiques. The plantings around the villa added a unique flavour to the place, as well as a wonderful fragrance. Also, it was very well equipped and contained everything that we needed.

The location was wonderful with fabulous views. It was magical to awake early on misty mornings with the birds singing and the sun coming up over Lago di Alviano. And sitting by the pool, looking at the flowers and scenery in the early afternoon quiet was so very pleasant and relaxing.

While we can’t say enough about Il Poilio, we also enjoyed the many hilltop towns in Umbria, the friendly people of Guardea and other towns and villages that we visited, and the many lovely walks/hikes in the surrounding countryside.

Thank you, and all the very best for the future,

Wendy and John Abbott