3 bedrooms farmhouse, 240 m²

Gallinaro, Frosinone (province)

Ancient country house on a commanding site with 360 degree panoramic views. This wonderful 19th Century farmhouse, in need of complete restoration, is nestled in the gorgeous countryside of rolling hills near Gallinaro, one of the oldest of the venerable medieval hilltop towns of the beautiful Val di Comino. The property includes not only the marvellous old stone house and a 50 m² stone barn, but a substantial parcel of land of about 50,000 m² (12.35 acres), roughly half of which is planted with olive trees (about 450 trees) as well as fruit trees, hazelnut trees and arable land. The entire property is protected by a concrete and steel lattice fence which runs to approximately 1.5km and has a 40 metre stone wall and iron gated entryway from the road. 

The ashlar built (stone block) house retains its fine character even though it is in need of complete restoration, the beautifully crafted old stone lintels and doorways, the period proportions the wonderful setting are all here. Accommodation is (or at least was) arranged across three floors totaling about 240 m² and the views across the tranquil countryside are simply stunning. The ground floor has two rooms and a kitchen room, the first floor has two large rooms and had access to a terrace which needs to be rebuilt and finally the second attic floor has one large room, each floor has an approximately 70 m² footprint.

This property has both a substantial area of bountiful land and a glorious ancient stone building ready for an imaginative restoration project. The beautiful old bones of this building will form the foundation of a wonderful new residence or a hospitality business, perhaps a stylish combination of the two. Various incentives may be available for those investing in a restoration project like this, the renovation of older homes and the development of tourism business might both be eligible for some support. The location is within easy reach of services and commercial centres and has good road access and would be easy for any potential customers or clients to find. 

The setting for all of this is quite simply marvellous. Nested in the almost magical Val di Comino, an unspoilt haven of small farms, terraced olive groves and craft vineyards, the idyllic landscape is dotted with trees and scattered farmhouses and bejewelled by impossibly charming hilltop towns. These ancient medieval stone citadels, each one unique, each as if a different precious manifestation of history, at night seem to float, amber lit and luminous forming a necklace of light around the valley. The valley itself, defined and embraced by the towering mountains of the Abruzzo national park, snowcapped and unbelievably picturesque in winter, hazy blue, emerald  and umber, shimmering and towering in the summer offering cool sanctuary on the hotter sun baked days of August and July.

Gallinaro is one of the 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 Gallinaro 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 Gallinaro, 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.