If you wanted to try staying right in Panicale – to experience our Italian “home town” up close and personal – we have any number of personal recommendations.
· Ciao Trasimeno) This is a lovely well-stocked rental site focused on the area around the lake. It is headquartered in Panicale where it seems you really can see Lago Trasimeno everywhere you look. Some call it The Balcony Above Trasimeno. And who better to be your rental guide than Panicale and its surroundings than long time native Katia Mughetti. She knows (and often related to) everyone in town and she knows all the properties for miles around. She’s equally comfortable in English and her native Italian.
· Umbria Rentals) Around Umbria, bordering Tuscany and the Trasimeno Lake, Umbria Rentals offers short-term vacation rentals, farmhouse stays, hotels, B&Bs as well as long-term accommodation. In-between day trips, you can book activities such as pottery and cooking courses through them as well. Francesco or Alison will take your enquiries in fluent English. Alison is English and Francesco speaks it like a native. He can also take your calls in Swedish or Italian.
http://www.umbria-rentals.com/
· Hotel Albergo Masolino) Clean, private hotel owned by the very well known local restaurant (a family affair that has chefs from all over the world flocking to it). The Belfico family will take good care of you. Coffee on their balcony overlooking Lake Trasimeno is one of our simple pleasures. Any given night there can be three generations in the kitchen. Andrea speaks some English and more every day.
· Cesarini Apartments) Apartments in the medieval castle walls and one in the nearby Italian countryside. All the apartments are equipped with modern comfort; shower, toilet, kitchen, washing machine and satellite-TV.
Bobby and Ann live in Panicale full time and they will be your contacts. They are fluent in English, Italian and Scandinavian languages.
http://www.italianholydays.info
· Villa LeMura) At the "oh, my God" end of the scale is the Hollywood splendor of Villa Lemura just outside the gates of the village. I’m not exaggerating when I say "Hollywood" as it is often used in fashion photography shoots. It is jaw dropping wonderful. As elaborate as you will find in this part of Umbria. Every wall and every high high ceiling is covered with original frescos, period furniture. It was the local countessa’s formal country villa. Emma and Luca are not at all formal, very down to earth. She’s British and he is Italian and a former officer on Carnival Cruise lines so their English is, naturally, stellar.
http://www.villalemura.com/
http://www.argoweb.it/bedandbreakfast_villalemura/Welcome.html
· Casa Monte) But, say you want a private town house … Casa Monte is a newly renovated home in the heart of Panicale. Just a few paces from the main piazza. Australian friends of ours spent over a year renovating this and it is, well, so stupendous I am just totally jealous! I’ve already been asking Who is your painter? Who did this iron work? Beautifully, tastefully done, with every detail considered. Go to the Casa Monte web site to see for yourself. Dozens of photos under the “Photos” section (middle of their top navigation bar) will tell the story better than I ever could. But know this, glorious as the photos are: it is even better in person. The site also has a lot of great shots in and around Panicale.
Is this an amazing amount of choices for such a tiny Italian village? We think so. These Panicale links will all take you to places we know well, run by friends we have known for years.
More about Panicale.