Palazzo Terranova

A breathtakingly restored palazzo on an Umbrian hilltop with huge bedrooms, magnificent views and first-class cuisine, plus a self-catering villa for 4

As you wind up the gravel road in a struggling car, gazing over layer upon layer of wooded hills, it seems astonishing that there should be anything at all at the top. And yet there, on a knoll, stands a monumental mansion with landscaped gardens, outhouses and bustling staff. Inside are vaulted dining rooms and high-ceilinged galleries with inviting sofas and bursting bookshelves. Bedrooms, painted in delicate Piero della Francesca shades, are large enough for a complete cycle of his frescoes, with double aspect views over Renaissance landscapes. The furniture is equal to the rooms: huge wooden wardrobes, specially-made iron beds, travertine bathtubs, power showers.

It's all the more extraordinary for its setting, deep in rural Umbria. Once the brainchild of a formidable English lady, Sarah Townsend, it passed to new owners and management in October 2006. And since then it's become less English manor house, more chic European country retreat. In our opinion, it's best suited to an exclusive hire - a fabulous house-party pad for friends or family - or one of the most amazing settings we can imagine for a wedding. Truly magnificent.

Highs

• Endless vistas of wooded hills and valleys
• Lots of comfy sitting areas, indoors and out
• The perfect balance between elegant and spoiling, and relaxed and homely
• Panoramic 40-foot swimming pool
• Excellent service, discreet yet friendly
• Historic hilltowns, churches and cities nearby, plus great horse riding, hiking, even golf!

Lows

• No TVs in the bedrooms (except for La Biblioteca), but that's a plus for some
• It’s expensive, but you’ll see why when you get there
• The 3km rough-gravel approach road might deter you from short excursions (e.g. for dinner)