From the slender Cypresses standing sentinel along the driveway to the massive ceiling beams holding up this handsome home, Villa Forconi is the classic Italian country villa, cocooned in a fairytale Umbrian landscape. Surrounded by its own woodland, it’s beautifully secluded yet still blessed with seemingly endless views across row after row of gentle hills and as far as the central Apennines on a clear day.

Forconi’s look may be timeless, but the feel is comfortably contemporary, designed for easy holiday living and ideal for two or three couples or a family. You can spend peaceful summer days by the 12-metre long pool (gated for extra peace of mind) with lots of play space in the garden. There’s a covered dining area for enjoying all those delicious local delicacies and a very well-equipped kitchen-diner that opens onto the garden. For a late season break, when grape-laden trailers trundle along the ‘strade bianche’ and the local markets are piled high with all manner of mushrooms, Forconi has two open fireplaces to keep the feeling cosy once the sun goes down. Whatever time you choose to visit, this is an excellent spot for exploring Umbria and eastern Tuscany, with picturesque Lake Trasimeno nearby (8km) and the splendid restaurant Lo Scoiattolo with its extraordinary lake views just a ten-minute drive. Hilltop Cortona, walled Perugia and the wine mecca of Montepulciano are all reachable within 45 to 60 minutes by car.

Our choice of Italian properties is diverse, ranging from simple charm to genuine luxury and style. Much of our portfolio is privately owned, and price alone is therefore not a universal guide. We contract all our accommodation in person, and each property has its individual appeal.

To help you make the right choice based on your own priorities, we have devised a simple grading guide to be considered in conjunction with each individual property description, awarding up to a maximum of five stars for the below categories.