The house was purchased by Julian and Susan Berry in 1999, at which point it was nearly a ruin and inhabited by a shepherd, his two dogs, and numerous sheep. The construction appears to date from the C18th, and the original quite small building was extended at least twice since building started. It is now over 500 square metres in size.

The house had been a traditional ‘contadine’ or tenanted farm, with animals living downstairs, and several families with up to 20 human occupants upstairs. This explains the external staircase which used to be the only means of access to the first floor. The farm was tenanted by landlords who lived in the castle at Trevinano. It is clear that farming was truly ‘mixed’ with pigs, cattle, arable, chickens, pigeon, and fruit all featuring. The medieval system of tenant farming came to an end in Italy after the Second World War, which led to the house being deserted, and the inhabitants finding other means of support.

The position of the house almost touches the borders of Tuscany, Lazio and Umbria although technically it is in Lazio, which means that we are administered by the Municipality at Aquapendente who control such important issues as planning permission, and provide services like the Carabinieri. However those who come to the house regard the view out over Lago del San Casciano as traditionally Tuscan.

Our nearest village is Trevinano to the south which is simple and quiet, but which has a shop and two good restaurants; to the North we have the medieval town of San Casciano dei Bagni. The latter has an original Etruscan thermal baths which are open to the sky and free to all comers.

The large 60 hectare field around the house is on ‘set-aside’ until 2017 which means that it must not be farmed except for a partial mow once a year. The consequence is that it has become a wildlife paradise inhabited by deer, hares, foxes, wild-boar, stoat and many other creatures; we have seen buzzards, kestrel, doves, woodpeckers, woodcock, pheasants and swallows, who nest under the eaves of the house. The wild flowers change almost by the week and in the late summer the field is covered with fennel, whilst the hedgerows are full of zambouca.

The house has been restored over a period of eight years using nothing but traditional materials and working practices (with the exception of the plumbing and electrics) and, for instance, every single tile in the building is handmade.

The antique furniture and paintings in the house represent a collection built up mainly by our parents and grandparents, although the modern art has been purchased more recently. We have decided to leave it in the house whilst it is being let to visitors, and we hope that the contrast between the sophisticated contents, and the simplicity of the building, will appeal to our visitors at it does to us.

The water comes from our own well to the East of the house and is stored in a substantial underground tank before being purified on entry to the house. Prior to our building the well the farm had drawn water from two nearby natural springs. The electricity is mains, and we have a GPL gas tank for water heating and cooking.