Castelliri, Frosinone, Lazio, Italy

Nestled in the historic centre of Castelliri, but very convenient for both road and public transport, Casa VecchiaTorre is a spacious and beautifully designed home.

An attractively curated front garden leads to the house (which is much larger than it appears from the street). The front rooms of the house, overlooking the garden, are taken up by the sitting room and by the winter kitchen.

To the back of the house, there are two large bedrooms and one smaller one, as well as two bathrooms, one with a shower and one with a hydromassage bath. A door leads out onto the spacious back courtyard, which has a large dining patio overlooking the valley.

Doors from the courtyard lead to the cantina, the garage, and the large and beautifully fitted out summer kitchen (which is also in fact nice to use in winter, since it has a large fireplace), as well as to another bathroom.

A few steps lead up to a larger back garden area. From here you can access two roof terraces (on top of the garage and the summer kitchen respectively), and from one of them enter an attic area currently used as a gym and hobby area - it also has a w.c.. (There is another small roof terrace above the cantina, with access to a further attic room - this area is not currently used by the owners.)

The garden itself is spacious and dotted with trees. It is lit throughout, and ends with a large stone grotto, formed from the ruined base of a centuries' old watchtower.

The Codarda quarter of Castelliri, where the house is located, was the site of an Ernici (pre-Roman) stronghold, which was eventually destroyed during the barbarian invasions, and replaced in the medieval period by a small castle called locally 'Castelluccio' (the inhabitants of Castelliri are still known today as 'castellucciani' - those from Castelluccio, rather than 'castellirani'). Of these fortifications, only the remnants of a few watchtowers remain - of which this is one.

As well as the garage, there is a second outdoor parking space beside the house, and much nearby free parking.

Well cared for and maintained, the owners have kept a generous number of spare tiles, for any future repairs or redesigns.

About five minutes from a stop for the bus into Rome. Convenient for shops, restaurants, cafes etc, all with walking distance, while still being in a quiet, residential area.

Available furnished.

Energy classification: F

CASTELLIRI, ISOLA DEL LIRI AND THE CIOCIARIA

Castelliri stretches from the flat land around the Liri river up into the foothills of the Ernici mountains. Originally inhabited by the Ernici, by the 3rd or 4th century BC it had fallen under the sway of Rome. Today it has a charming old town, which hosts among other things the big Tarantaliri festival. It has fast road and public transport access to Rome.

Neighbouring Isola del Liri is one of the major medieval 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 historic centre of Isola del Liri is actually on an island formed by the convergence of two rivers with a spectacular waterfall forming the focal point of the old town. It is full of bars, cafes, restaurants and shops. Isola is twinned with New Orleans, and has for many years hosted the international Liri Blues festival.

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 Isola del Liri 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 publicized 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 in the rolling countryside including Isola del Liri 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.

VIA ROMANA Srls and CASE & CASALI REAL ESTATE 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 Case & Casali Real Estate Agency represented by Sig. Ciro Tomei. Sig. Tomei has been enrolled in the register of real estate agents at the Chamber of Commerce in Frosinone, Lazio since 2007 and has much experience in the international marketing of Italian real estate.