Casale In Pietra

Casale in Pietra is an architect’s home, and it shows. Restoring a heritage site of this nature inspired the owners to embrace a preservation approach, reusing all original materials. They tried (and succeeded!) to not conceal or “pretty up” the passing of time, nor the age of the structure, always allowing the history to be evident by retaining all original features including the handmade tiles and doors – one of which is around 300 years old.

At the same time, and adding to Casale in Pietra’s uniqueness, the main house and 2 floor cottage enjoy state-of-the-art comforts with underfloor heating, solar panel energy, full insulation, double glazed windows, all anti-seismic features, dual water pumps for extra water pressure, a bathroom for every bedroom etc.

Nestled in the verdant foothills of the Sibillini Mountains this listed group of buildings is located on a quiet country lane which was the first Roman road to Amandola. The site was once a “rocca” or defensive castle, and was destroyed in the year 1243. Hence, the building has particularly large and built of ancient stones of proportions befitting a significant structure. The main house is a non-conventional shape since it was probably reconstructed upon the foundations of the original rocca. The main house is a listed building, contains remnants of frescoes and has outstanding views.

Casale in Pietra’s main house has two living rooms, three or four bedrooms (depending on your preference), and is comprised of 260m². spread over three floors. The building’s stone walls are evident inside and outside on all floors.  Some of the stones are ancient and quite large, adding to Casale in Pietra’s rare character. All plumbing and wiring is in place for the kitchen, so the design of a very special kitchen for this very special house can be left to the buyers to suit their tastes.

On the ground floor we find the kitchen and a large dining area with fireplace. These form a very spacious room. Adjacent pantry room/utilities room and a small bathroom are also on this floor. Heading up the unique, custom-designed staircase we find the master bedroom with walk-in closet/dressing room and adjacent large bathroom are on a higher level, as is the main living room, with fireplace. Separating these two rooms is a large entrance room/secondary living room with frescoes. It’s very special to think you’ll be living in a space decorated with frescoes.  On this floor is the main door and two-story entrance hall with bookshelves built into the wall and stairs to the second floor where we find two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, on opposite sides of a hall that leads to a smaller fourth (single) bedroom and another room with an area for sauna with plumbing for a shower, alternatively to be used as storage.

Casale in Pietra has a very green energy profile. The Omnivore pellet system burns wood pellets and any biomass material. Solar panels heat the hot water and a cistern system captures and reuses rainwater.

Separated by olive trees from the main building is the Hay-barn, Casale in Pietra’s cottage, which may have originally been a chapel. This is used by the current owners as a holiday rental property. It’s prime feature is the wall that faces the mountains. It’s made of glass, and showcases the sublime views. This building is rarity unto itself, with gorgeous architecture and a truly casual feel about it with two open-plan floors and huge glass windows that slide open, providing ventilation and a sense of having the mountains at hand’s reach. The cottage also has a bathroom on the ground floor. This unique building can function as a separate residence, a rental property or even as a yoga or artists’ studio with a sauna.

Added value at Casale in Pietra comes in the form of a rare ruin at the site. It’s an ancient habitation that was originally joined to the main house by a bridge. This interesting structure offers a lot of scope within its footprint to build circa 270m².

The 8,000m² plot at Casale in Pietra is a study in biodiversity. Herbs and flowers grow on the side of the house. Grape vines, pomegranates, cherries, pears, olive trees and figs adorn the edges of the surrounding lawn. Guests who are ornithologists have identified many rare species of birds here, as well as falcons, eagles, and the more familiar wild boar, foxes, deer, badgers, etc. The sun-drenched plot is ideal for a pool.

The Sibillini Mountains form part of the Central Apennines and run north to south like a ‘spine’ between Umbria on the west, and Le Marche on the east. Casale in Pietra is located on the Marche side, which is notably unspoilt. Here time is punctuated by the hermit, Casale in Pietra’s neighbor, ringing his bell for prayer.

The province of Fermo in which Casale in Pietra is located has more theaters per capita than any other part of Europe. Each tiny gem-like hill town has an ancient and beautiful theatre with a range of events throughout the year. Amandola, the nearest town, has a Belle Epoch theatre and offers some outstanding classical music and operatic (lyrical) singing festivals. Amandola and nearby Sarnano have all the services one would find in a small city, as well as an excellent hospital. Both have libraries (with some books in English) and Amandola offers the illustrious Café Belli, which makes its own gelato and pastries. Both towns have dedicated wine bars and many restaurants to choose from. The capital city of an entire province, Ascoli Piceno, is a mere 45 minutes away and has lately been receiving more international publicity, as it is often considered the second most beautiful Renaissance city in Italy after Florence. Ascoli offers a hypnotically beautiful (and non-touristic) experience, and a wealth of cultural and gastronomic opportunities.

The area surrounding Casale in Pietra is the a rare place in the world where one can eat fresh truffles all year-round! The area boasts over eight kinds of wild truffles. Internationally acclaimed vineyards are within a half hour drive from Casale in Pietra – like Velenosi outside of Ascoli, or Dezi and Umani Ronchi even closer to home.

Ancona and Pescara airports are a one-and-a-half hour’s drive away. The Rome airport is a three-hour drive away. At only a ten-minute drive there is a riding stable and there is also a hand-gliding centre half an hour away.

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