Casale - Maridiana Alpaca, Umbria

MARIDIANA is one of the first certified agro-tourism (Farm stay), to be established in Umbria and the largest alpaca farm in Italy.

MARIDIANA has been running since 1983, when the Berna family decided to leave the congested city of Rome for a more rewarding life in the countryside of Umbria.

On the 30 ha of the farm (100 acres), alpacas and angora goats graze freely in the olive groves, pasture lands and the woods.

They are beautiful and gentle animals whose natural coloured fibers are used to produce high quality garments and blankets that are available for sale in a small in-farm shop.

MARIDIANA offers two traditional carefully restored stone farmhouses for rental. Both spacious houses have magnificent panoramic views of the countryside. Both of the houses are decorated with traditional antique furniture of the family and are completely furnished with all modern comforts.

The stay at MARIDIANA is optimal for families who love nature and culture: children can freely play with the many friendly animals around the farm, while adults can enjoy the unique nature of the Umbrian countryside and its richness of art and history.

MARIDIANA is situated in the Northern part of Umbria just 10miles from the border with Tuscany. The historical hill towns of Perugia, Assisi, Gubbio and Cortona are all less than a 45 minutes drive from MARIDIANA.

The House (Casale )
The CASALE was originally built as the tobacco drying barn for the farm. The two-story building (200mq) has been completely restored. The external features have been maintained, while inside has been totally modernized.
Located on the ground floor are the spacious sitting room and the dining room connected by a large archway. The kitchen is situated just off the dining area. All of the rooms on the ground floor have doorways opening to the private garden. The sitting room has three large sofas that can seat comfortably 7 people, a corner with a table to play card or chess and a library. The dining room has a long table for 8 people with comfortable chairs. During sunny days, you may also choose to eat outside on the patio, overlooking the valley.
The house has been carefully restored and the traditional architectonic features of local farmhouses have been preserved. All the walls are painted white, the floor is made from Tuscan terra cotta tiles and on the ceiling there are the original chestnut beams. The house is furnished with beautiful antiques, giving an atmosphere of brightness and comfort.

A wooden staircase brings you to the upper floor with the master bedroom that has a beautiful original “art nouveau“ queen-size bed. Adjacent to the room, there is a bathroom with a wonderful view. On the other side there is the second bedroom, very spacious, with three single beds, of which two can be made-up together upon request.
There is an en-suite bathroom with a shower. The view that can be seen from the windows of the two bedrooms is just spectacular.
You can easily see the Niccone Valley below, the town of Umbertide, the Subasio Mountain (Assisi) and the Apennines in the distance.

What to do
MARIDIANA is situated close to the border between Umbria and Tuscany, 30 Km north from Perugia in the Upper Tiber Valley. UMBRIA is known worldwide as the “green heart of Italy”, for the magnificent nature of its territory. The area is also renown for its historic and cultural heritage. The historic hill towns of Perugia, Assisi, Spoleto, Gubbio, Siena and Cortona are only a 30-60 minute drive from Maridiana

MARIDIANA offers more than the average farm-stay, because it is the only one in Italy to combine the breeding of woollen animals with handicraft production and rural tourism.

While children freely play with the many animals on the farm, adults can have pleasant walks in the nature or… relax in the garden and enjoy the beautiful view of the valley.

Around the farm, there are well marked walking paths, of various lengths and difficulties, through the woods reaching the crest of the hills from where marvellous panoramas can be enjoyed.

Guests will also be given maps (or can be guided) for visits to traditional handicrafts laboratories, (ceramics, wood carvings, wax objects), eno-gastronomic sites (wine tasting, truffles hunting, honey processing) and undiscovered places to eat local dishes in family run "trattorias".

At MARIDIANA there is a well stocked shop where scarves, sweaters, gloves, throw blankets and bedspreads produced with the fine fibers of the alpacas and the angora goats raised in the farm are available for sale. Each of the products is unique in its style, hand made/handy crafted, natural coloured, extremely warm and with a touch of Italian design!

At the nearby Lake Trasimeno, a 70 square mile lake, the largest lake in central Italy, swimming, sailing and surfing are attractive sports activities. Modern tennis courts, both indoor and outdoor and an Olympic size swimming pool are available in Umbertide just 4 miles away from the farm.

Also at 20 minutes driving distance there are two exclusive golf clubs, one is a nine hole course, other is an 18 hole course (in a magnificent recently restored medieval castle). Two horsebackriding centres, available for private lessons or for rides in the countryside, are just at 15 minutes away.

The Berna family can assist you in organizing personalized sightseeing tours away from the most common tourist routes for the discovery of ancient castles, monasteries and art sites of unforgettable value!
Many nearby historic towns stage festive enactments of jousts and horse races, complete with music, parades, medieval costumes and colourful flag throwers.

Moreover, in the area guests can enjoy celebrated music festivals, theatrical events and art exhibitions.