PARADISE IN THE HEART OF UMBRIA

At Monte Castello di Vibio, the organic Sorelle farmhouse offers a unique experience of life in contact with unspoiled nature and with the memories of the ascetic Umbrian land, home of San Francesco and Iacopone da Todi.

by Fabio Massimo Penna

Umbria between mysticism and unspoiled nature

Umbria with its panoramas of incomparable beauty and its amazing natural views has earned the definition of "green heart of Italy". Its hilly territory shows a luxuriant and varied vegetation. With its uncontaminated nature and its genuine products, Umbria is the queen Italian region of agritourism. In this enchanting land, home of asceticism and mysticism, in Doglio , a hamlet of Monte Castello di Vibio in the province of Perugia, the estate of the organic Sorelle farmhouse stands out for its beauty and clarity, an authentic jewel nestled between hills and valleys.

Monte Castello di Vibio

A classic medieval fortified village, Monte Castello di Vibio dominates the Tiber valley from its elevated position. The center is delimited by mighty defensive walls in which the access doors to the inhabited center open, among which the Torre di Porta di Maggio stands out, characterized by a portal with a round arch and finished at the top by an important crenellated crown. Within the walls we can admire some architectural masterpieces. The Church of Santa Illuminata , dating back to the fifteenth century, has a rustic facade, with few concessions to aesthetic pleasure and decoration, defined by a circular rose window and a bare portal. The Church of Santi Filippo e Giacomo declares from the façade the internal structure with three naves, with the advancement of the central part and the retreat of the lateral wings. The façade, outlined by powerful pilasters and a raised string course cornice, is adorned with a semicircular rose window and a grandiose triangular pediment. The jewel that, however, marks the area in a characteristic way is the Teatro della Concordia , the smallest theater in the world. It is a structure with a small bell-shaped plan, with a set of boxes (the so-called 'beehive' structure) and the archstage hidden by the upper part of the red velvet curtain with golden fringes. It is a typical Italian-style theater with a wooden structure built in the early nineteenth century. The interiors were frescoed by the very young Perugian painter Luigi Agretti . The system can count, between stage and stalls, ninety-nine seats.

Biological Sisters

Paradise a stone's throw from Perugia. At Doglio, a hamlet of Monte Castello di Vibio, there is the Sorelle B iologiche farmhouse, a vast estate founded on love for nature and care for the environment. It is an enchanting oasis of peace with a landscape as far as the eye can see in which olive trees alternate with cultivated fields and ancient stone farmhouses. Guests are received by the open and cordial smiles of the sisters Letizia and Costanza who, with kindness and availability, accompany visitors on a unique and unforgettable journey into unspoiled nature. The Biological Sisters offer a stay in contact with nature, in the name of love for the environment and ecological awareness, which allows you to rediscover a deep interior dimension away from the noise and frenzy of the cities. While respecting the characteristics of the territory, the cultivations of olive trees, cereals, truffles and spontaneous local fruits extend as far as the eye can see. The crops return organic, delicious and genuine products, ranging from extra virgin olive oil to jams (plums, blackberries, apples), from flour to dry pasta with ancient grains. Among the many possibilities that the structure offers there are 'the approach to the horse', with the care of the animal and the baptism of the saddle, and the relaxing 'walk with donkeys'. There is also an educational farm with paths that allow you to reconnect with that peasant and animal world which, although overshadowed by the stress of city life, is part of our DNA. Finally, the rooms, while keeping the memory and history of the place intact, offer the comforts of a modern environment that takes into account the psychophysical well-being of the guests.