Would anyone know of a castle in the Tuscany/Umbria area? We will be going to Italy this summer for the first time and in between Venice and Rome we want to stay in a castle for 5 or 6 days that is in a good location from which to explore the region.
Thank you.

Do you want a hotel in a castle or do you want to rent a castle as self-catering accommodations?

Here's one link:http://www.tuscancastle.com/

Just curious,why do you want to stay in a castle in Tuscany?

We would like a hotel in a castle. The reason - merely something one of the kids heard about and now that's all they talk of. Also, thought it would be a nice change from the big corporate hotel in Rome (Westin Excelsior) and the charming boutique hotel in Venice (Lodra Palace).

In Umbria there is the Castello del Oscano near Perugia. In Tuscany, there are the Castello di Ripa d'Orcia, Castello di Montalto, and the Castelletto di Montebenichi. If you want to research castle hotels, pick up two books that list many: "Italian Country Hideaways" by Kelley Hurst and "Hotels and Country Inns of Character and Charm in Italy" published by Hunter Rivages.

Here is a list of castles in tuscany for rent.
http://www.tuscany-villas.it/castles-in-tuscany.php