Città di Castello, Perugia, Umbria, Italy

Villa Mosaico is a splendid luxury villa on the outskirts of the Umbrian town of Città di Castello, sitting atop a gentle hill from which to enjoy a panoramic view.

The property has 1290 square metres divided into the four floors of the main unit, a spacious dependence, and the caretaker's house. The whole lies on two hectares of land and an elegant garden with refined plants, including a majestic thousand-year-old oak, framing and shading the days spent at the villa.

In the 1700s, Villa Mosaico was a convent that later turned out to have been built on top of ancient Roman ruins, the history of which pervades the entire upper Tiber Valley area. The greatest testimony to this is what gives the property its name: the beautiful mosaic floor on the underground level, dating back to the 1st century AD. To this historical soul of the house was added in the 1980s the Japanese touch of the renovation by the renowned designer Kazuhide Takahama, which definitely contributed to give this unique style to the villa.

The ground floor of the manor house is traversed by a long, high hallway dating back to the 1500s that leads on the left to an original chapel, and on the right to the more modern living room with fireplace, large windows with access to the park, and an entire wall covered in gold leaf. The other locals are two bathrooms, a dining room, a kitchen with direct access to the garden, pantry and access to technical rooms.

From here one descends to the smallest but most atmospheric wing of the house: the basement. It is in one of these rooms that the Roman mosaic, completely restored and protected by the Superintendency for Archaeological Heritage, lies. This floor includes three more rooms with characteristic brick vaults dating back to 1800, a cellar, and comfortable access to the outdoor swimming pool. This heated pool, measuring 16 x 9 metres, is one of the best points from which to enjoy the panorama on the valley.

The first floor features the same large and bright vaulted hallway, a study with a view, four bedrooms with walk-in wardrobes, and a bathroom.

Finally, the second and top floor is the one with the most distinctive features of the Japanese designer's latest renovation, with its asymmetrical arches and panoramic oval windows. This area could also become an independent living unit, offering two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dressing room, living room and a local with provision for a large kitchen.

The 170-square-metre outdoor dependence is structured on two levels and is reminiscent of a typical Italian farmhouse. It offers a kitchen, living room, dining room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, attic and dressing room. Adjacent to the entrance staircase is a fully functioning wood-fired pizza oven.

The third building of 160 square metres, formerly designed as a caretaker's house, offers four heated garages, a living room with kitchenette, two bathrooms and two bedrooms. This annex has also a small vegetable patch.

The garden of this villa is as cosy as its interior, featuring a small pergola under which to eat on summer days, and a perfectly preserved 16th-century well a few steps away. The large swimming pool reaches a depth of three metres and is equipped with changing rooms, a gym and white marble bathrooms.

Villa Mosaico is a canvas that tells and encloses many different stories, starting with the ancient Romans and arriving at the most modern Oriental touches. Close to all amenities, just five minutes from the nearest town, it also offers sheltered and peaceful living.