Hotel Altieri

Eye-catching color scheme

by karenincalifornia

The terra cotta, mustard, salmon and beige colors of the buildings in Todi are very pleasing to the eye, and so very Mediterranean.

I've referred to Todi as being medieval on my pages, but the settlement of Todi is actually quite older than that. Todi was founded by the Umbrians in 2700 B.C, but almost nothing remains of that era. Then along came the Estruscans and Romans, who built many significant structures in the 3rd century B.C., but most of that is all gone, too. Then after the fall of the Roman empire, the town was sacked repeatedly by the Goths, Greeks and Lombards.

The good citizens of Todi, undaunted, just kept rebuilding. Most of the earliest structures in Todi still standing date back to the 15th century.

Down my country road

by karenincalifornia

Just about everything around Todi is off the beaten path. Outside of the town of Todi are hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland and fields.

Every morning I stayed in Umbria, I would arise out of bed early and take a walk along the country road that ran along the ridge of a hill. It wound through sunflower fields, olive groves, alfalfa fields and vineyards, which were dotted here and there with old stone farmhouses.

The road is a two lane country road which gets some traffic after about 8:00 am with farm vehicles and other traffic, but early in the morning, it was a very peaceful place to be.

More Le Mandorelle - Country Villa in Umbria

by karenincalifornia

"Heaven"

This is the lovely view we had from the side of the house. Our nearest neighbors were hundreds of meters away.

"The garden"

The beautiful gardens made it very tough to leave the villa for sightseeing. In the gardens and lawn area, we could meander on down to the pool, relax in the porch swing or spread a blanket on the immense lawn in the backyard.

"The solarium"

Too cold to eat outside? It wasn't for us, but we could have, if we had wanted, taken our meals in the solarium. The walls on two sides had glass doors that opened up into the gardens and gave you a feeling of being outside.

"Herb garden"

No need to make a run to the market to pick up a few sprigs of thyme or a bunch of oregano. The herb garden at Le Mandorelle had just about every herb imaginable. The owners let us know that they are there for our picking.

"The foyer"

Need a hat? There were plenty to choose from on the hat stand in the foyer. Your peaches and cream complexion can be safely shielded from the hot Umbrian summer sun.

"The dining room"

And if the terrazzo and the solarium didn't provide enough places to eat, there is always the indoor dining room with its charming country decor.

"The vineyards"

On the east side of the house are several acres of vineyards and olive groves. The owners now press their own olive oil. Maybe in a couple of years, they'll be producing their own Umbrian wine? Look for that Le Mandorelle label to hit the wine stores and restaurant wine lists in a few years.

"Abandoned cottage"

What country villa would not be complete without its own abandoned cottage? No, this was not advertised as a mother-in-law unit, but I suppose with a little dusting and air freshener, it might do the job.