Villa Metato

  • Location: Countryside
    Shops and Restaurants: 3km (5 mins by car)
    Città di Castello: 25km (30 mins by car)
    Arezzo for its history: 40km (60 mins by car)
    Perugia for chocolate and art: 55km (50 mins by car)
  • Perugia Airport (PEG): 55km (45 mins by car)
    Pisa Airport (PSA): 200km (2:30 hs mins by car)
    Airport transfer available on request
    Car recommended
    Free parking

Villa Metato is such a stylish hideaway, very private and so romantic, you might just be enchanted.
Your hosts are right next door and easily available whenever you need something or have a question.
There‘s no need to bring a huge suitcase, just use the washing machine at the villa whenever needed.
Take your breakfast right by the villa‘s private saltwater pool, before or after your morning swim.

If you want to venture out beyond the villa and explore Tuscany, you will have to rent a car.
There is a spiral staircase connecting the two floors, which might be a challenge for some guests.

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Bottle of local Villa Metato wine on arrival

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An introduction to Villa Metato

How would you describe Villa Metato in a nutshell

Villa Metato is an 18th-century villa, a small, one-bedroom holiday rental in the Upper Tiber Valley in Italy. It is a little bit of paradise away from busy city life. The villa's open-plan space is split over two floors and furnished with mid-century design classics and cool artwork. There is a private pool and a terrace with grand views of the Umbrian countryside. This could be your private sanctuary, surrounded by the stunning Italian countryside and ancient forests.

What is the idea behind Villa Metato?

The whole idea was to enable busy people to get away from it all, to find a little bit of paradise or sanctuary in the middle of the countryside in a traditional Italian environment. I used to live in London and I know what it’s like when you work in a large city...

This area, which is called the Upper Tiber Valley is still unspoiled. When we bought the property in 2004, someone said that it was basically like living in the ‘70s. I think that really is true. It’s an area where one can come and sit in a restaurant where the only voices you hear are Italian. In Florence nowadays, you’re just swamped with tourists.

Please tell us a little bit about Villa Metato.

The property was originally owned by a middle class farmer. It is quite unique because it used to be an old barn which hasn’t been converted in the sense that it still has a very open plan feel about it. This is very difficult to find in this area and one of the things that drew me to the house.

It has beautiful, almost Norman rather than Roman arches, and all original flooring. There are no dates on most of the buildings here in this part of Umbria and nobody really has an exact date of when all the buildings were built, but there’s a stone on the wall of the guest house which says 1855.

What was your inspiration to buy the property and convert it into vacation rental?

I didn’t want to start an agriturismo or a larger hotel. The idea of the vacation home or Bed & Breakfast is really for couples to come and enjoy the countryside, to find themselves again and to get away from their hectic lives.

We have this life nowadays where we rarely see our partners. We end up sleeping with them, but the amount of time we see them Monday through Friday is maybe three to four hours a day. I thought it would be nice to have an area where one can go relax and enjoy each other’s company.

What would you describe to be the essence of Villa Metato?

I think it’s really a place for people to spend some time getting away from their existence, their lives, and maybe by doing so, they have an opportunity to rediscover themselves or just take some time out.

We would like to welcome people to stay in our home. We all know when we go to hotels that things don’t always turn out to be exactly the way you expect them to be. What we are trying to do is make sure that people get an opportunity to spend some time on their own to relax. We are there to help them for whatever they would like to do and to give them an opportunity to see what the real Italy is all about.

What is the real Italy all about?

Finding things to see which are, in a way, different from what’s in the common tour books. I think the real world is something which is off the beaten track, a small town that’s a little gem which unless you know about it, you’ll never find. Or a little restaurant where a woman works as a teacher in the morning and then cooks traditional food in the afternoon. Those things are hard to find, and you need knowledge to be able to find them.

We cannot give our customers the whole of Italy, but what we can offer them within our area is an opportunity to enjoy parts of Italy other tourists don’t see.

How would you like your vacation guests to remember their stay?

A vacation is a journey which one comes away from thinking it was an experience that one really enjoyed. It’s important that guests enjoy the environment they are in, the service they are receiving, and the experiences which are presented to them.

Although we live next door, the guest house is very private. You become, in a way, a part of the family. We want people to feel very comfortable and secure and we want them to have a really fantastic time.To you personally, what has been most rewarding about running Villa Metato?

Seeing people relax, and seeing the villa develop after all the hard work we put into it. I also like watching the garden grow, which is something I never did before with my garden in London.

Villa Metato pool
Villa Metato interior
Sleeping area
Living area
Downstairs
Kitchen area
Outside seating area
Swimming pool
Swimming pool
View of the area

Villa Metato rooms & rates

I’ve been collecting modern furniture for 20, 30 years now. In the house there’s a prototype by Tom Dixon, some Eames chairs, a Scandinavian ‘60s teak table, little bits of Joe Colombo, some early pieces of Sir Terence Conran and an original poster from the first tour of the Sex Pistols. I think it’s a nice combination to mix and match between the very old and the contemporary. It complements one another.

I don’t think it’s to everybody’s taste, but what you’re really buying into is a personal house. It’s not the idea that you’re staying in some anonymous hotel room. First and foremost, you’re staying in our home. I think that’s what people like about it. It’s an extension of ourselves, our lives, what we’ve collected throughout our lives which we hope other people will enjoy.

  • Villa Metato for 2-4 people / 120 m²
    250 / night
    • 1 Double bedroom
    • 1 Shower room (ensuite)
    • 1 Living room
    • 1 Dining room
    • 1 Kitchen
    • 2 Extra beds (on req.)
    • Terrace
Included in the rates
Rates include cleaning and linen change, as well as a delicious breakfast served by the pool, if you want.
Optional extras
Services on request: yoga classes, private chef, massages, babysitting, horse riding, sailing trips on lake Trasimeno, and sightseeing tours.
Extra charges
Extra charges apply for central heating or fire wood.
Children & Extra beds
Children are welcome, cots, extra beds and babysitting are available upon request. However, the house might not be ideal for all children as there is a spiral staircase and only one bedroom. Extra beds and breakfast are EUR 10 for children between the age of 2 and 16.
Minimum stay
1 nights
Check in time
after 15:00
Check out time
before 10:00
Closed November 1 to April 31

Facilities & services

  • Children welcome
  • Maid service
  • Swimming pool
  • WiFi
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Washing machine
  • Babysitting on request
  • TV
  • Music system
  • Central heating
  • Iron & Board
  • Movies/DVDs
  • Playground
  • Hair dryer

There’s a stereo system throughout the house, providing music both upstairs and down, a DVD player and a very nice plasma television with surround sound. We also offer WIFI, which is not all around the property at the moment, but hopefully will be soon.

There’s a private swimming pool and five hectares of land to walk around in. We have three gigantic fig trees and all our fruits and vegetables can be enjoyed when they’re in season. You can just pluck them off the trees and eat them.

We have a bocce court up in the woods — it’s the Italian equivalent of boules — barbecue areas, bicycles and a scooter. Last but not least the service my wife gives is second to none. It’s fantastic.

Things to do in Umbria & Citta di Castello

  • Wine tastings
  • Cooking classes
  • Massages / Treatments
  • Golf
  • Hiking
  • Cycling
  • Fishing

There are many festivals one can go to throughout the year in the small, local town. There are music festivals, Indian festivals, there’s Umbrian jazz, there are wine tasting tours and shopping expeditions that sell the major Italian designers at a fraction of the price.

You could go to Lake Trasimeno or sit on a beach in an hour and 20 mins. There are wonderful small hamlets that you can find and walk to. There are other medieval towns that aren’t really in the guide books but they’re only a half an hour away.

We have a fantastic artist here I like very much called Burri — he lived in Citta di Castello and has a very nice permanent exhibition space in one of the museums.

The location of Villa Metato

Villa Metato is just outside the village of Morra, which is close to the Tuscan border. Within one hour you can be in Arrezzo and Cortona. The nearest airport is in Perugia but you can also fly into Rome or Pisa. This region offers so many things that you would not have in other parts of Italy. For example, the beauty and freedom of the countryside is just incredible. The people here are very honest, genuine and extremely hospitable. You’ll be welcomed with open hearts and arms.

When is the best time to visit Umbria?

It depends, really, on what you would like to do, and the weather. If you want to come in July or August, it will be very hot. My favorite time is May and June. The weather is beautiful, not too hot or cold. It’s extremely nice then but I also like the changing of the seasons, which are very distinct here.