Torre di Moravola

  • Location: Countryside
    Cultured village of Montone: 10km (15 mins by car)
    Perugia: 45km (45 mins by car)
    Brunello Cucinelli for cashmere: 45km (1h by car)
    Assisi: 60km (1h by car)
  • Perugia Airport (PEG): 45km (45 mins by car)
    Florence Airport (FLR): 160km (2h by car)
    Airport transfer available on request
    Car recommended
    Free parking
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An introduction to Torre di Moravola

How would you describe Torre di Moravola in a nutshell?

Torre di Moravola is a small luxury boutique hotel in a remote and beautifully restored watchtower with grand views overlooking the rolling hills of Umbria, Italy. It's an incredibly dramatic place. Although we’re only 10 mins from the nearest village called Montone, which is picturesque and stunning, we’re off the beaten track.

You really have the sense that you’re in the middle of nowhere. You’re surrounded by hidden valleys, so you can’t hear the sounds of cars and there’s no one around, so you feel as if you’re back in Medieval times with only the sounds of nature. It reawakens the senses and offers a healing effect. I’ve seen it change some of our guests in a matter of days. They come from big cities very irate and angry, and within about three days, they’re quite happy, coming into the kitchen making cocktails and singing opera.

What was your inspiration to buy this tower and turn it into a small boutique hotel?

Christopher and I both had enough of working for other people. I remember we saw a Destination Architecture article about turning an old building into something that was very contemporary. We thought the idea was beautiful.

We began looking in Tuscany, which we didn’t like — it was far too British and too commercialized. We stumbled upon Perugia, drove around and saw literally hundreds of buildings.

We chose the tower because of the views and its history. There’s something incredibly dramatic about the place. We knew within five mins that it was the place.

We didn’t realize how much work it would take to clean it up however. We were rather naïve about that. It was a ruin with trees growing out of the center. There was no water or gas or electricity. Nothing. It took us five years to restore the building.

How would you describe the style of the hotel?

We couldn’t change the size of the windows or do anything that was going to interfere with the outside, except the terraces and the pool, so we created a minimal but comfortable interior, which contrasted against the style of the tower. The most important thing to us was maintaining the stonemanship. We wanted the stones to speak for themselves so the signatures of the builders from the 10th, 11th, and 12th centuries are still there. It’s a winning combination that works very well.

Please tell us a bit about the food you serve at the hotel restaurant.

Our food here at Torre di Moravola follows the localvore philosophy. We have a huge vegetable garden and our meat is all organic. The menus are reinterpreted Italian and Umbrian dishes, but the quality is extremely high.

At the end of October and in November we have truffle season around here and people come from all over — Japan, Australia, America — to experience the festivities.

Why did you decide to move to Italy?

We had both lived in Italy before, so we had a little knowledge of the language and a love for the people. Here, not so much in the big cities like Milano and Roma, the Italian way of life is very basic. It’s wonderful.

What exactly is so different here in Umbria from other places?

There’s still a sense of humanism that is lacking in many other parts of the world. There’s a caring quality here.

There’s more awareness and people are more in touch with nature. They are also far more in touch with the cycles of the seasons. In January every year, the church gives out a calendar of when to plant your broccoli and other vegetables. This kind of thing is woven into their culture. They have a respect for nature, and in turn believe that nature will respect them. That’s the basis of it.

For example there’s nothing more beautiful here, than stepping onto the terrace and watching the fireflies come out and twinkle everywhere. It’s absolutely magical. It reminds you you’re alive in nature.

To you personally, what has been most rewarding about running this small retreat.

When we finished building, we had no money whatsoever. The first night, we put the electric lights on in the tower and the whole place lit up. It was about 6:00 or 7:00 on a winter’s night. A tiny village nearby rang the church bells to say that they could see our tower. To me, that just made my heart burst with pride. It was absolutely amazing to see that after all these centuries, the place had come alive again.

And now to see people laughing, music playing, people around having great fun in this Medieval tower is worth all the hard work.

Torre di Moravola pool area
Torre di Moravola lounge
Main Tower Suite
Main Tower Suite
East Tower Suite
West and North Tower Suites
Kitchen and dining area
West pavilion terrace
Garden and east terrace
Fountain and view at dusk

Torre di Moravola rooms & rates

Apart from the seven suites, we have a huge terrace with lots of space all around. There are two large sitting rooms with ancient fireplaces — one is from the 12th century and the other contains our modern interpretation of that. There’s a dining room but most of the time we eat on the terrace, or set up tables in the olive grove or by the pool. We also have a massage room by the pool where we offer yoga and Pilates. If people are here for romance, they can have privacy in specific pavilions we set up. We ask the holiday guests what they would like and we work it out. It’s very laid back and quite casual, but in a professional kind of way.

  • West Room for 2 people / 21 m²
    260 / night
    • 1 Double bedroom
    • 1 Bathroom (ensuite)
    • Terrace
    • Air conditioning

    The West Room is on one level and has a vaulted stone bathroom created from a medieval arch lit by a window of alabaster. In the bedroom there is a queen bed, and a private external sitting area beneath an arch leads to the West terrace and the fire pool.

  • West Suite for 2-3 people / 31 m²
    330 / night
    • 1 Double bedroom
    • 1 Bathroom (ensuite)
    • 1 Sofabed (on req.)
    • Air conditioning

    The West Suite is on one level, accessed from the first floor of the tower with views over the fire pool and olive groves it has a golden afternoon light. There is a queen bed, a bed sofa and a bathroom area with double basins and a large stone bath and shower. Bidet and toilet are separated with sliding glass panels.

  • West Tower Suite for 2 people / 35 m²
    340 / night
    • 1 Double bedroom
    • 1 Shower room (ensuite)
    • 1 Living room
    • Balcony
    • Air conditioning

    The West Tower Suite has a light and open feel with interesting architectural movement. On the upper floor is a double bed and sitting area leading towards a balcony overlooking the west pavilion and herb gardens. On the lower floor is a spacious walk in shower and separate bathroom area.

  • East Tower Suite for 2 people / 35 m²
    340 / night
    • 1 Double bedroom
    • 1 Bathroom (ensuite)
    • 1 Living room
    • Terrace
    • Air conditioning

    The East Tower Suite was once the priest's room, it has a curved concrete wall spanning both levels, on the lower floor is a sunken stone bath with shower, massage area and separate toilet, and direct access to the East terrace. From the bedroom above there are magnificent views towards another medieval tower.

  • North Tower Suite for 2 people / 35 m²
    340 / night
    • 1 Double bedroom
    • 1 Bathroom (ensuite)
    • Air conditioning

    The North Tower Suite is located outside the archway leading towards the pool. On the lower floor is a large sunken stone bath with shower and massage area, and a separate bidet and toilet. Above, the bedroom has views over the Eastern valley.

  • South Tower Suite for 2-4 people / 52 m²
    390 / night
    • 1 Double bedroom
    • 1 Bathroom (ensuite)
    • 1 Living room
    • 2 Sofabeds (on req.)
    • Air conditioning

    A spacious, light-filled suite with sunken stone bath and shower on the lower floor and separate sitting area with a double bed sofa, wardrobe and private external entrance leading to the gardens and South Terrace. On the upper floor there is a large bedroom with queen bed. This suite can accommodate a family of five.

  • Main Tower Suite for 2 people / 220 m²
    660 / night
    • 1 Double bedroom
    • 1 Bathroom (ensuite)
    • 1 Living room
    • Terrace
    • Air conditioning

    The Main Tower Suite is a dramatic and majestic space at the highest point of the tower. The former watch gallery has been rebuilt in steel and acts as a library overlooking the vast sitting area with its original medieval stone fireplace.

    A bedroom with wonderful views over the valley down towards the Carpini village leads of the sitting area. On the West side is a dressing room with a roof terrace. It leads towards a bathroom with a large L-shaped heated stone bath, shower and massage area.

Included in the rates
Rates include breakfast of fresh squeezed orange juice/or other fruits, freshly made breads and patisserie, crostini, yoghurt, cereals and fresh fruit, eggs any way you want and scrambled with truffles (when in season), Pecorino, bottled water and fresh fruit.
Optional extras
Massages and spa treatments on request.
Children & Extra beds
Only children 12+ years old are welcome. Extra beds for children 12 to 16 years: EUR 50 per night. For children 16+ and adults: EUR 100 per night.
Minimum stay
1 nights
Check in time
after 12:00
Check out time
before 12:00
Closed November to March

Facilities & services

  • Air conditioning
  • Terrace
  • Maid service
  • Swimming pool
  • Concierge service
  • WiFi
  • Fireplace
  • Garden
  • Restaurant
  • Central heating
  • Pets welcome
  • Laundry service
  • Not suitable for young children
  • Hair dryer
  • Spa

Please note that we do not have air-conditioning but rather an underfloor chilling system for the hot months and underfloor heating for cooler months, which is much more pleasant and healthier than air-conditioning.

Things to do in Umbria & Montone

  • Art / Culture
  • Wine tastings
  • Cooking classes
  • Yoga classes
  • Hiking
  • Cycling

There’s lots to do around here. For example, if people want to go horseback riding, we can organize a ride to a picnic site. If you want to do Microlight flying, then we’ll find a way to sort that out... Basically, what we try to do with our holiday guests that really works is to keep things as simple as possible. Everything is related to the local area, and that’s what we want our guests to remember. We want to take them to places they would never discover normally on any tourist trail. There are little music concerts nearby, chestnut festivals, unusual restaurants. I usually give our guests a list of things not to miss, but it depends. We have some people who arrive here knowing exactly what they want to do. And there are others who just want to chill out and do nothing but relax.

Torre di Moravola reviews

5 of 5 stars
Verfied Welcome Beyond stay
Perfect! We had a great time and give it 10 out of 10!
Pierre G.
stayed at Torre di Moravola in August 2014

The location of Torre di Moravola

Torre di Moravola is located in the Tiber Valley in Umbria, so you’ve got the sacred river Tiber that runs all the way from Bologna through the mountains to Rome. It’s a land of oak forests and quite wild. It’s a bit like Scotland in many ways. The Tiber Valley has been a healing place for ages. St. Francis of Assisi was known to be here, so it’s a very calming, spiritual, beautiful area filled with nature. There’s a lot of history and culture here too. Most of the local villages are Medieval, and some possess a Renaissance quality as well.

When is the best time to visit Umbria?

I like the end of May, beginning of June when there’s the greenery of the spring and the flowers are blooming. The fireflies are out and it’s warm enough to dine outside on the terrace in the evening. Usually July and August get very hot and people will be at the pool a lot. It’s beautiful then too, but we’re so busy at that time that I hardly have time to notice. also love autumn when the weather is still warm and the pool is still open. The colors are changing, the fresh olive oil has been squeezed, the wines are being pressed and it’s truffle season. Every one of the little villages has its own fiesta during that time.