Sant Elia Fiumerapido, Frosinone, Lazio, Italy

Villa Chiusanova is a charming and elegant 3 bedroom / 3 bathroom home built over three levels with very convenient access to Montecassino, Cassino, the Rome-Naples autostrada, and Naples international airport, while being minutes from all the restaurants, shops and services of the sought-after Sant'Elia residential district.

The principal gated driveway to the property sweeps up through a former vineyard to arrive at the house; a second drive, also gated, leads between neighbouring gardens to the road leading into the centre of Sant'Elia.

The main level of the villa is entered from an attractive covered porch, which wraps around one side of the building to create an attractive balcony with wrought-iron railings, and partway around the other side of the building as an open patio. A spacious entrance hall allows direct access to all of the rooms on this level. One entire side of this level of the villa has been designed to create a splendid double living room, bisected by an elegant archway, with an open log fireplace for winter and huge french windows opening on to the wide balcony overlooking the garden for summer. This double living room features beautiful sophisticated tiling with inlaid patterns. The concept of the inlaid floor patterns is continued into one of the two further rooms, which could be configured as bedrooms, as a master bedroom suite or as additional day zone living accommodation such as a study, TV room, etc. Also on this level there is a modern bathroom and a fully wired, plumbed and tiled kitchen with French windows opening on to the patio, awaiting only the white goods and cabinetry to be installed by the purchaser.

The upper level of Villa Chiusanova is currently configured as a separate 'granny flat' or guest apartment with its own separate access up an external short flight of stairs. At present this level is conceptually laid out with a sitting room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom (as well as capacious under-eave storage), although, if separate private accommodation is not required, this could instead become the main sleeping area / night zone. All rooms are immaculately tiled, the bathroom is fully fitted and the kitchen is wired and plumbed but not fitted-out.

The lowest level is configured with a large integral garage, a bathroom, a laundry and a number of work/hobby rooms. Even this level has been attractively tiled, including the garage. (Because of a slight slope to the land, most of the rooms on this level have external windows.)

The property has excellent street access, but is set a long way back from any road, protected from street noise by the surrounding grounds. There is a fully fenced garden surrounding the house, and beyond that, extensive further land running down to the road, also fully fenced. This land, which has a garden shed, is currently unused, but was at one time a vineyard.

There is a supermarket and cafe within easy walking distance, and the attractive centre of Sant'Elia Fiumerapido is only a few minute's drive away.

Energy classification: G


SANT'ELIA FIUME RAPIDO

Sant'Elia Fiume Rapido was founded around the year 995 by the Abbot Mansone of Montecassino and the name of S. Elia derived from the church of the same name which already existed in the plain crossed by the river. Visible remains of the walls and medieval towers of the old town, still well preserved, are clearly visible from long stretches of the surrounding hills and countryside .

Traces of a more remote past are the polygonal walls of the pre-Roman era, sections of a Roman aqueduct and the remains of columns and pediments of Roman buildings. The archaeological village of Valleluce is also interesting for its history, home to S. Nilo and S. Bartolomeo.

For over 800 years as a Montecassino fiefdom, S. Elia was also a centre of attention for royalty of Naples such as Federico II, Carlo I D'Angiò, Ferdinando D'Aragona, whose impact is still evident. From the 16th century it was an industrial centre for the manufacture of cloth and paper. Several seventeenth-century buildings in the historic centre are of importance as well as a number of urban and country churches of various periods and styles: Renaissance, Romanesque, Baroque.

Of particular naturalistic value is the area known as the White Mountains, one of the wildest places in Italy. Called the "Wilderness Area" it is a protected zone. By following the marked paths that lead to the Rapido river gorges in Vallerotonda, you can admire flora and fauna unique in Europe.



VIA ROMANA Srls and the CINELLI IMMOBILIARE AGENCY

Via Romana Srls is an Italian-incorporated company owned by a British/Australian Chartered Accountant and her photographer daughter, and offers a package of services to facilitate all aspects of the purchase and restoration of Italian property by overseas clients. The Via Romana team works in collaboration with various fully-licensed Italian real estate agencies including the Cinelli Immobiliare Agency. The Cinelli Immobiliare Agency aims at identifying unique buildings with outstanding locations in the beautiful Ciociaria region, including apartments, historic houses, villas, palazzos and farmhouses. Some of these properties are already renovated while others are to be restored. The Cinelli Immobiliare Agency also provides reliable and full service renovations focussed on the appropriate use of original materials, such as stone, wood and wrought iron, drawing on over 40 years' experience in the restoration sector of their partner company Cinelli Claudio Restorations and their technical office, headed by Ing. Valentina Cinelli.