2 bedrooms apartment, 70 m²

Arpino, Frosinone (province)

Wonderful 70 m² apartment full of historic charm and character in a beautiful old building in the heart of Arpino, one of the most important historic old hilltop towns in the region. Arpino is an ancient place, an exceptional place, not only famous as the birthplace of Cicero, it is the city of the Acropolis of the Civitavecchia, the very walls of which are a wonder of megalithic construction and the subject of the legends of the Cyclops. In Arpino, in the old quarter known as Civita Falconare, neighbourhood of the Church of Santa Maria di Civita and the Ladislao Castle in a beguiling old building this charming apartment offers new owners all of the joy that living in such a place can bring. 

The apartment had both plumbing and electrical systems renovated in 2010 and aside from the charming character and excellent location it represents therefore a sound property investment. Accommodation is on the first floor of a three floor building but has an independent entrance at street level through double leaf timber doors. The front door opens onto a welcoming hallway and from here we can access the 4 m² bathroom and the 6 m² kitchen, cleverly and very pleasantly illuminated by an interesting external window and internal glass partition which is close to the living room window. The living room itself is nicely proportioned, just under 14 m², brightly lit with a double casement window, with a fireplace and lovely terrazzo floor. 

There is excellent potential here to remove the internal partition wall with the kitchen which would provide a generous open plan area suited to more contemporary living yet with all of the charm of the venerable old building. With imagination and flair a tasteful combination of the old and the new, the modern and the ancient, some relatively minor work would lend this property a unique character and result in a very desirable residence. The fireplace and the wonderful windows along with the easy and convenient layout would provide a delightfully open bright spacious living area.

Connected to the living area by a good sized 7 m² hallway are two bedrooms. The first is 9 m²  with a double-leaf window and lots of natural light. The Master Bedroom of 18 m² faces outside and has a double-leaf French door. The master bedroom has a very functional and splendid built-in wardrobe, decorated as if it were a painting on the wall.

The property is completed with the 30 m² cellar accessible with a convenient independent external doorway. Here we find the new methane heating system with a new generation Beretta boiler and a very useful autoclave. The heating system elements inside the house are all in cast iron, a material that has a high thermal capacity, able to accumulate a considerable amount of heat slowly and release it just as slowly into the environment, allowing the home to enjoy a pleasant warmth for many hours. With charm and character, excellent potential to easily create  a wonderful modern living space and located in a very desirable location this apartment really is a very attractive property and at a very attractive price.

Arpino is one of the major medieval hilltop towns in the area of Italy called the Ciociaria, the name given to the fertile land that lies south of Rome but north of Naples, situated inland in the hills in the heart of Italy. The Ciociaria region is within easy reach of both Rome and Naples and their respective airports. A day's shopping in Rome is a common pastime, while an even shorter drive brings you to the charming beaches south of Rome. Alternatively, drive east, and the mountains of the Abruzzo National Park await with horse trekking in the magnificent beech forests, and sparkling mountain lakes and rivers where you can swim in the heat of the summer. And at the other extreme of temperature, although Arpino itself is temperate, less than an hour's drive brings you to the winter ski slopes.  

Often overlooked, both by tourists and by those foreigners in search of an Italian home, in favour of the more publicised regions of Tuscany and Umbria, the Ciociaria remains largely an unspoilt gem with beautiful scenery and medieval hilltop towns. A home or second home in the Ciociaria, in the hilltop towns of Arpino, Veroli, Alatri or Alvito or in the rolling countryside that surrounds them, will afford you a setting where over two thousand years of history combine with an idyllic rural Italian lifestyle, where you can still discover the 'real' Italy and take time out from the busy crowds of the larger tourist cities, while being less than ninety minutes journey from central Rome or either of Rome's two airports.