Please note that the outdoor pool referred to is public, just a
minutes away by car, fabulous and set in the most stunning scenery.
Here, there are also bars and picnic areas.

This very pretty part of a 16C Convent was bought about 8 years ago
by an architect who very sensitively restored and converted it into 2
elegant apartments while retaining many of its original features. The
private entrance, by way of its original and impressive iron gates,
leads to the heart of the Convent where the library and the prayer
rooms used to be - hence its 8 huge arched windows through which the
nuns would contemplate the stunningly natural beauty all around.

When we first saw it and entered, there was absolutely no question in
our minds that we had to have it…and, we’ve seen many an old
building, having owned and restored our own house within the walls of
the nearby hill-top 10C San Mamilianese fortress some 17 years ago -
see Il Castello.

On one side of the Convent is a small farm-yard consisting of ducks,
geese and roosters. Up the lane is Bazzano’s main and very beautiful
church. On the other side of the Convent live an Italian family. So,
at any one time, you may hear roosters crowing, Italians chattering
and bells ringing - a cacophony of Mediterranean sounds. At other
times, silence ! Living in the Convent is not like living in a make-
believe picture postcard version of Italy. What you are about to
experience is as real as it can get.

The local Italians, all of whom are very friendly, will be fascinated
by you. So, best learn the odd word such as, “Piacere” ie “Pleased to
meet you” to show willing ! English is not spoken around Bazzano. It
is spoken occasionally at the posher restaurants in Spoleto and, of
course, increasingly so in the more touristy places such as Assisi
and Perugia. But, unlike Tuscany, where English is spoken everywhere,
Umbria has retained its Italian identity and has remained
authentically Italian.

La Passionata, a large, open-plan apartment of about 150 sq.mts, is
both sensuous and splendid. This spacious apartment, with its beamed
and domed ceilings, has 2 double bedrooms - 1 double on the ground
floor with a casement window overlooking the gardens and 1 twin in
the loft space with a sloping roof and a sky-light - a fully equipped
kitchen/breakfast room built into the rocks, an awesome L-shaped,
open-plan dining/sitting room with its own 16C fresco as a centre-
piece - the artist, Lo Spagna, also has work in the duomo in Spoleto
and the Vatican, a huge 16C stone fireplace and 1 bathroom. The
main “wow” factor, however, are the 6 huge arched windows on two
sides of the dining/sitting room that overlook the spectacular
countryside, the gardens and that evoke a feeling of intimacy with
the natural beauty surrounding you.

4 persons is the optimum number of guests for maximum comfort as
there is only 1 shower/bathroom.

Below, and to the side of La Passionata, is another smaller
apartment, La Romantica - please see its details too. Neither
apartment intrudes on the privacy of the other in any way.

Just 10 minutes outside of central Spoleto, Bazzano is a wholly
Italian enclave and heaves with a history reflected in many of its
wondrous old buildings, its awesome church and its grand palace
nestling amidst the olive groves. Bazzano is famous locally for its
walking territory. Albeit untouched by tourism, it's a little more
sophisticated than its neighbouring villages, particularly regarding
its small country roads that meander up and down the surrounding
hills and join the upper part of Bazzano with its lower part.
Strolling back down to the Convent with the stunning panoramic views
changing at every twist and bend in the road and enjoying a glass of
cold Orvieto at the end of your walk can best be described as a dream-
like experience.

Another huge advantage that Bazzano-di-Spoleto has over the other
tiny villages in Umbria is its local bus that goes between Bazzano
and Spoleto five times a day between 8.00am and 8.00pm and stops just
a minutes walk from the Convent. The bus terminates at the bus-
station in Spoleto, down the road from the train station. From here,
you can get to anywhere in Italy. The Italian train-service is
fantastic and so cheap ! Note that the bus doesn’t operate on Sundays
or on public holidays. However, we do recommend a car here.

There are also 2 very economically priced restaurants, Due Querce and
Il Ristorante Antico, that are within walking distance from the
Convent - between 1 and 2 miles - a wonderful walk or bike-ride
(bikes are included in the rental) on beautiful country lanes that
weave through olive groves and poppy fields. Here you can often spot
the occasional celebrity enjoying an evening away from the bright
lights and the intrusive lenses of the paparazzi……and the prices are
the same as any other country trattoria, their owners valuing their
less wealthy local customers just as much. Of course, while you are
in Umbria, you must sample the most famous Italian dish of
all….tartufo ie truffles. Umbria is the centre for truffles…black
truffles are common all around here and the white truffles are a
little further afield, towards Norcia.

The Convent in Bazzano is sufficiently off the beaten track to have
remained relatively undiscovered and, therefore, it is unusual to see
other tourists here. Yet, you still have easy access to all the main
attractions.

Local shops and many trattorias are all within minutes to half an
hour by car or bus. Eating out in the summer months is highly
recommended. It would be difficult to pay more than 16 euros for a 3
course meal with as much wine as you can drink in the local eateries.
Of course, the more “flash” places in Spoleto and the more touristy
places can cost more. However, all pizzerias tend to cost much, much
less. Eating al fresco on a warm evening with the sun setting behind
mountains silhouetted against a pink-streaked, azure blue sky takes
some beating.

In summing up, I’d say that La Passionata and La Romantica are to be
most appreciated by those who love walking in woods and mountains and
enjoying the beautiful scenery which looks up to the mountains and
over the surrounding valleys. In the surrounding woods and olive
groves, there is a diversity of wild-life: foxes, black squirrels,
wild boar, porcupine etc. and many different species of birds,
including nightingales. Occasionally, especially at night or of an
early misty morning, these animals can be spotted on the roads
leading to Bazzano.

The Convent and its surrounding area is perfect for those who wish to
savour the atmosphere of a bygone era in a relatively unspoilt and
beautiful part of the world while, at the same time, having the
world’s major Italian tourist attractions on your own doorstep.