A Renaissance Woman and Her Palazzo
Written: Mar 28 '01
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Pros: The colors of the bedroom walls and the colors of the hillside.
Cons: The obstacle course, uh I mean road, leading up to the Palazzo.
The Bottom Line: An utterly unique, tranquil Umbrian paradise where you are fed fruits and vegetables from the Garden of Eden (no, not the Manhattan market).
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| Epicure's Full Review: Assisi |
I wasn't going to do it. I wasn't going to share with you the secret of my favorite hotel in Italy if not the world, but for aplatt's heartfelt plea. He reached out to me - one hotel connoisseur to the another, and I caved. So if you do indeed benefit from this review, you have aplatt to thank for it.
A Mirage in the Desert
An overnight flight from New York with a transfer and delay in Frankfurt plus a 3-hour drive from the Rome-Fiumicino airport plus an additional 40 minutes spent driving back and forth in Ronti (a speck of a town which one can drive through in 2 minutes), looking for the road that lead up to the Palazzo Terranova ("PT") had turned us into specimens of the walking dead. By the time we finally found PT, we felt like we had just survived a trip through the jungle. You'll understand once you drive up the "road" to PT. This road is actually a dirt path beset with enough rocks, pits and other obstacles to test the endurance of a SUV but only wide enough for a Fiat Punto. And this is a 20 minute drive UPHILL. Thinking back to the steep road, I have now come to the conclusion that the grueling drive is meant to be a test which you must pass to prove your worthiness of the paradise offered by PT.
So there we were, searching desperately for PT when suddenly we spot a couple of weathered pick-up trucks parked on the side of the road. Assuming that must be the parking lot, we parked and began dragging our luggage up the dirt path to the main house. As we stumbled into the clearing, we saw what appeared to us to be a mirage - an utterly tranquil dining scene set on a grassy knoll overlooking the graceful Umbrian hills.
The scene: Elegant cream-colored canvas umbrellas, crisp white table linens and sapphire glassware. Equally elegant guests dressed in white, lounging in chairs, adjusting their wide-brimmed hats and expensive sunglasses. Standing there in our dusty jeans with sweat glistening on our brows, we felt like rednecks who had accidentally stumbled into a very exclusive party at some posh hillside estate. But then Sarah appeared, like a fairy godmother.
Sarah Townsend - resident fairy godmother and Renaissance woman extraordinaire. The fact that PT is graced with an inordinate number of interesting literary works, gorgeous musical instruments, magnificent artwork and antiques is due in no small part to Sarah's efforts. Originally from England, Sarah and her husband Johnny fell in love with the PT property when it was nothing more than run-down rest stop for animals. They fearlessly took on the daunting task of restoring PT to its former glory. Now every splendid inch of PT reflects their exquisite eye for design and decor. It was clear to me from the first moment upon meeting Sarah that she is the life's blood of PT.
"Put those down at once! The boys can get it." Sarah looked almost outraged that we were dragging our own luggage up the hill. We later learned that there is a parking lot for guests directly adjacent to the house. She ushered us to a beautiful, beautiful table where the glittering Umbrian sun and the gentle hillside breeze played host to the perfect lunch. As we quickly learned, there are no menus (except a wine list) at PT. The lunch and dinner menus change everyday depending on what's fresh.
For lunch, we requested "something light" since it was already 2:30 and dinner was right around the corner. Within minutes, an amazing display of fresh produce was placed on our table. A huge antipasto plate, consisting of juicy sliced tomatoes and grilled eggplant, drizzled with fragrant olive oil; a huge salad, garnished with finely chopped green and yellow peppers, cucumber slices and shredded carrots; an assortment of local cheeses and fresh peaches, pears and apples; and two steaming bowls of penne served with fresh tomato sauce. It was such a simple meal, mostly unadorned fruits and vegetables, yet the incredibly fresh flavors made it one of the most memorable meals we had ever had. This is how I imagine fruits and vegetables from the Garden of Eden would taste. Every item embodied the essence of that item - especially the tomatoes. These are the best tomatoes on earth - so perfectly tangy with a touch of sweetness, firm and not the least bit mealy. We later learned that most of the produce is picked fresh from PT's own gardens.
A Rainbow Palette of Rooms
I hate white walls. Mental institutions, hospitals, and law offices have white walls. Not gorgeous Italian villas. No, gorgeous Italian villas have violet, peach and mint-green colored walls - walls that soothe and enchant and romance you. Those are exactly the kind of walls that you will find at PT. Each bedroom suite is decorated using a different color palette. We had the good fortune of being able to stay in two different rooms because there was no one room available for the entire period that we wished to visit. Sarah named each of the eight rooms after an Italian opera. The room rates vary depending on the size of the room, ranging from 1,500,000 lira for La Traviata, the most expensive and elaborate suite at PT to 670,000 lira for Tosca and Turandot (my two favorite operas), smaller rooms on the top floor of PT. Even though I say "smaller," I mean on a comparative basis - all of the rooms at PT are really quite spacious. We stayed in La Boheme and Il Trovatore.
La Boheme is an apricot-colored tower room on the third floor of PT. From the windows of the bedroom, you can see the spectacular rolling hills and fields of Umbria in all their glory. The bed is a king-sized, half-canopy, wrought iron bed covered with a plump, silky lavender duvet. (We later discovered that all the Terranova linens were made of the same luxurious cotton). Across from the bed is a cozy sitting area with several fabric-covered loveseats and chairs, framing a massive stone fireplace. There is a separate dressing room with a huge stone wash basin at one end of the room. The bathroom is at the other end.
The bathroom, while a little on the small side, is extremely charming with a spacious shower but no tub. I love the immaculate, sparkling white, Devon & Devon bathroom fixtures, and the full-size L'Erbolario bath products (I'm such a sucker for nice beauty products - L'Erbolario is like the Italian equivalent of Crabtree & Evelyn or L'Occitane).
The most striking feature of Il Trovatore is the color of its walls. The PT brochure describes it perfectly - they are the color of crushed raspberries. Such a fanciful and amorous shade of pink. Made me giddy every time I looked at it. I decided right then and there that this was going to be the color of our bedroom at home.
The king-sized, wrought iron bed was clearly custom-made for PT. The headboard incorporated the letters "P" and "T" in its graceful curves. A delicate spray of lavender tied on the ironwork dangled in between our pillows - a thoughtful and charming touch. I had seen one of Sarah's staff picking fresh lavender from the hillside just that morning.
Unlike La Boheme which features a sitting area and a sleeping area in one large room, Il Travotore consists of two separate rooms - a bedroom and a living room with a comfortable love seat set in a lighted alcove, a small dining table, a huge wooden armoire and several beautiful antique furniture pieces. The bathroom is raspberry-colored like the bedroom with a pair of Devon & Devon sinks and double windows opening on to a wonderful view of the hills. I noted with glee that there were more L'Erbolario toiletries. What a collection I would have!
Another interesting fact about PT: There are no locks on any of the bedroom doors. I imagine that might make some of you uncomfortable, especially if you are from a place like NYC where people install deadbolts on their apartment doors. Let me assure you though that leaving your door unlocked is the most natural thing in the world at PT. PT is more a home than a hotel.
There's Nothing Common About the Common Areas
The lounge areas, sitting areas and libraries of PT are in a word - spectacular. Like the bedrooms, the public areas are enchanting and bright with walls the color of ripe melons and robins' eggs. I saw a lovingly preserved grand piano in one room, an elegant antique writing desk in another. All of the rooms are airy and light with soaring windows and exquisite archways and ceiling moldings. I was pleased to see an enormous selection of interesting books and magazines distributed throughout the rooms. One could easily spend a few hours reading and relaxing in one of these rooms undisturbed by the outside world.
Fall Bounty Brought to Your Table
Dinner
Dinner at PT is a memorable affair. We dined at PT on our first and last nights. On our first night we were surprised to see that a number of dinner guests were not overnight guests. The reason for our surprise - you remember our description of the road leading to PT, right? I could hardly believe anyone would be crazy enough to make the drive at night, but I must say dinner was worth it.
The dining room, which looked so casually inviting during the day with its sturdy wooden tables and majolica pottery, was now bathed in romantic candlelight. The rustic-looking tables were beautifully set and covered with snowy white linens. As I mentioned earlier, there are no printed menus at PT. Each night, your server will describe to you the evening's specials. Given that it was late September, we were blessed with an abundance of mushroom-based or mushroom-accented dishes. One night, we had a homemade fettuccini with porcini mushrooms. On another night, we had first-of-the-season white truffles in a homemade angel hair pasta with fresh parmesan. Of course since we were in Italy, we had to have the traditional four or five course meals every night. We would start with a salad (made with vegetables grown in PT's own garden, of course), move on to the pasta course, then the meat course (which I usually could not finish, but Mr. Epicure devoured the bistecca) and conclude with a dessert course, which was typically either fruit and/or cheese or fruit-based (the wild strawberry gelato is divine!)
Depending on how you feel about dogs, Sarah's three King Charles spaniels may or may not be an additional benefit of dining at PT. Mr. Epicure and I were missing our little pug terribly, so we actually felt comforted by the presence of the spaniels. They are very sweet and well-behaved, wandering around the dining room at dinner time, pausing now and then at each table to dispense their greetings.
Breakfast
An expanded continental breakfast is included in the room rate. In addition to the standard cereals, yogurts, fruits and bread, PT offers plates of various cold cuts (delicious proscuitto), a scrambled eggs dish, a linzer tart and something I had never tried before - fresh honeycomb. In fact, I never even knew the honeycomb part was edible. It's a little chewy, like nougat, but much sweeter. Reminds me of some Greek pastries that I've tried.
Overall, we found the food at PT to be sublime - not for its complexity of flavors or creative preparations, but for the incomparable freshness of every ingredient. You will walk away saying, "I never knew _______ could taste so good." That's what I ended up saying about the freshly squeezed orange juice, which was made with blood oranges from Sicily.
An Idyllic Base to Explore the Umbrian and Tuscan Countryside
Being as isolated as PT is, there really isn't anywhere within walking distance, except the swimming pool at the top of the small hill behind the main house, which is stunning. The pool overlooks the Umbrian hills and valleys from a slightly higher vantage point than the house. The setting sun casts an ethereal glow on the water.
That said, there are a number of small towns and villages within an hour's drive of PT. To discuss all the surrounding attractions of the Umbrian and Tuscan countryside would require an entirely separate epinion. There truly are so many amazing places to visit. Just to give you a general idea - PT is located in the northern part of Umbria right on the border of Tuscany, so guests can easily visit towns in both regions. Nearby Tuscan towns include: Cortona (which Frances Mayes describes so lovingly in Under the Tuscan Sun) and Arezzo. Firenze and Siena are both probably about 90 minutes away. I personally loved driving through Umbria, which tends to be greener and less congested than Tuscany. Nearby Umbrian towns include: Gubbio, Assisi, Perugia, and Orvieto.
One Big Happy Family
Sarah and her staff provide invaluable advice regarding the region's historic, cultural and culinary treasures. Every morning after breakfast, Patrizia (one of Sarah's assistants who, by the way, absolutely radiates warmth and charm) helped us map out our day. We were especially appreciative of the way she would direct us to smaller villages, unknown to most travelers and untouched by time. I often describe the service at top hotels as being seamless and professional, but when I think of PT the words "seamless" and "professional" suddenly sound so cold and impersonal. Staying at PT really is like staying at the home of a very gracious (and well-to-do) friend who knows how to enjoy all the finer things in life.
Birds of a Feather....
One other thing - we met more foodies at PT than at any of the other hotels that we visited. It's funny, the instant kinship that two foodies can feel even though they have only just met - the fascination and almost insatiable need to have the other party divulge all of their food secrets with undue haste. This is especially true when you are on vacation and have only a limited period of time to uncover all of a region's culinary gems.
Finally, as someone who thrills from looking at hotel brochures, I must mention that PT's brochure is one of the most beautiful brochures I have ever seen, resembling an invitation more than an advertisement. Take one look and those pictures will be fueling your fantasies for weeks.
We were quite sad when the day of our departure arrived. We reluctantly bid the entire staff farewell and wished Sarah continued success in her new home (PT has only been open since the summer of 1999). We told her that we would tell all of our friends about our wondrous experience (see, I'm keeping my promise) to which Sarah replied, "Only the best of friends."
General Information
Palazzo Terranova
Loc. Ronti Morra 06010
Perugia Italia
Tel: 39 075 857 0083
Fax: 39-075-857-0014
Email: sarah@palazzoterranova.com (*We found email to be a very convenient way to correspond with them. Sarah and her assistants were very prompt in responding to our questions and requests.)
*Note Regarding Posting: I posted under "Assisi" because there was no way to post under the more general category of "Italy" or "Umbria," and Assisi is the nearest city to PT.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov
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Epinions.com ID:
Epicure
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 100 members
About Me:
I generally avoid temptation....unless I can't resist it.
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