House for sale in Montecchio - 11 bedrooms, 6 reception rooms, 8 bathrooms

Large restored 17^th century villa

Magnificent walled gardens

Panoramic views

Many original features

1 hour 30 minutes from Rome airport

A faithfully restored historic villa in the south of Umbria

The Palazzo, which is located on a hillside on the east side of the Tiber valley just south of Orvieto,  takes its name from the Ancajani family of Spoleto, a family who trace their origins back to ancient Roman times. There are mediaeval and possibly Roman traces in the foundations of the present building which was constructed in the mid-17^th century by the Marchese Marcello Raimondi. He acquired the Tenaglie estate, including the nearby Castle of Carnano,  by order of Pope Urban VIII in 1644, from the heirs of the Monaldeschi family of nearby Orvieto, who in their turn had bought it from the debt-ridden Andrea Ancajani in 1630. The building must have been completed by  1664 because in August of that year Baron Decio Ancajani re-acquired the Tenaglie estate, including the villa, for the sum of eighteen thousand scudi!

The main building has a surface area of approximately 1400 sq.m. with the accommodation on 4 floors as follows:

-          a large vaulted wine cellar with several smaller annexes

-          on the ground floor the imposing front doors lead into a magnificent cobbled hall,  where the spirit is soothed by the gentle sound of water from an everlasting spring falling into an underground cistern. To one side of this hall is an imposing pillared and vaulted reception room for formal occasions. On the other side is  an independent 3 bedroom apartment .

-          From the hallway a stone stairway, in the manner of Bernini, leads to the first floor. In the centre of the house is a very large and high ceilinged reception room, with a monumental fireplace and frescoes. To one side of this central room are a sitting room, dining room, kitchen, and study. On the far side are a second sitting room, a library, and 2 double bedroom suites.

-          The Bernini staircase continues to the second floor where there are 4 independent guest suites with a total of 6 bedrooms.

Outbuildings, grounds and other features

The property is entered through an imposing gateway , with the façade of the villa in full view across an immaculately kept lawn. On the right hand side a long 2 storey building of about 400 sq.m.has been structurally restored and currently houses a folk museum with agricultural and domestic artefacts showing how people lived and worked in the 17^th century. This museum is private and could easily return to being part of the living accommodation on the property. Just outside the entrance gate is a lodge house with accommodation for domestic staff and a garage. On the south side of the property  is a large limonaia or greenhouse, surrounded by a herb and vegetable garden. In addition to  the walled garden the property has a further 2  hectares of steeply sloping woodland .

Rome is  about 110 kms away and easily accessible by motorway and train. The nearest airport is Perugia with direct connections to London.