Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report Casa Spello

What a pleasant surprise we had as we entered the lovely center of Spello, a charming hill town that has been unspoiled by tourists. It is a town built of stone hundreds of years ago and there are beautiful churches and public buildings as well as small shops with art, clothing, jewelry, and food and wine. The local people were so warm and kind and willing to help with directions or suggestions whenever we inquired.

We were met by Nadia who is so sweet and caring. She showed us to our place at Casa Spello ( http://www.italybackroads.com/ )and helped us get settled in and told us to call if we needed anything. This is a converted residence built about 700 years ago. It has been updated with all the modern conveniences and we felt at ease and comfortable while at the same time in awe that we were staying in such a beautiful and historic place. It is built of stone with very thick walls, (6-8 feet??) which keeps the place cool in the summer. There is air conditioning but we seldom had it on even though the outside temperature was 80-90 degrees.

The home is situated on the hillside with beautiful views and a delightful garden. We spent several lunches and a few dinners there under the trellis covered in grape vines, enjoying the views and italian wine as well as the cold fresh water from the natural spring fountain.

The town is perfectly situated in the hills of Umbria and is convenient for excursions to neighboring towns including Assisi which is very near and beautiful, (though pretty touristy). We also made it to Florence and Perugia. We rented a car for the week though the train station is convenient as well.

We had morning cappuccinos in one of several charming cafes, one with a large and beautiful garden setting overlooking the surrounding hills. You can walk to several very nice restaurants for evening meals.

This was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations we've had and we will definitely return and stay at Casa Spello. It really is a gem.