The extraordinary transformation into a large, modern, luxury Italian villa for rent of this Franciscan convent dating back to the Middle Ages is all thanks to the film director George Lucas. In this top luxury Umbrian retreat overlooking Lake Trasimeno, he wished to give the place a new and different splendour, enhancing its beauty and history while preserving its architectural simplicity.
Always enshrined in an elegance rooted in its architectural simplicity and strikingly beautiful surroundings, the property's restoration plan was to maintain its sense of understated magnificence.
Originally inhabited by Capuchin monks, it was an important resting place for travellers who travelled long journeys between Florence, Perugia, Assisi, and Rome. Centuries of history have formed this place and much has remained from the past, such as the secular cypresses, the woods, and the type of stone which was used to build the convent and to define its property.
Lake Trasimeno, whose iridescent colours change between sunrise and evening, offers beautiful red-coloured sunsets, such beauty, which can be admired from the convent, thanks to its privileged position on top of the hill.
The large unique villa, called Viandante del Cielo, is available for weekly rental and consists of two main buildings; the main villa, which housed the original monastic building, and the library building. The main villa with its 1600 square meters (17200 square feet), is set up over three floors and each floor is reachable by elevator. The buildings are surrounded by a stone that borders a sixty-acre estate. The estate encompasses a wonderful garden designed as in the sixteenth century adorned with an orchard, grape arbour, and lavender rows. It is a formal garden that invites you to discover the most hidden corners, walk through passages adorned with roses, reach the native oak forest, which is ideal for mushroom and truffle hunting during the season, or visit the restored chapel on the grounds. On the other side of the property, you can reach a beautiful olive grove, which offers over 1800 olive trees, vineyards, and a forest reserve.
Viandante del Cielo has various spots to dine outdoors and vast lawns around the swimming pool which is large enough for relaxing laps in the morning. The villa hosts comfortably eighteen adults plus two teenagers and two preteen children in its ten bedrooms, all with an en suite bathroom, all featuring air conditioning, satellite TV with Kaleidescape entertainment units, and Geneva sound systems with iPod docks.
Near the main villa, you can find the elegant library building, a magnificent space located on two floors, with a spacious dining room that can accommodate up to thirty-four guests. The building, in addition to having hundreds of books in various languages, has a lounge with a Renaissance fireplace, a house bar area, a superb games room with a billiard table, a cards table, and a twenty-foot, American shuffleboard. Particularly appreciated is the elegant private cinema, which can host up to sixteen guests and features a movie database over a thousand titles. In the library building, there is a tenth bedroom with an en suite bathroom, a separate living room with a wood burning fireplace, and a balcony.
Last but not least, the villa also offers a fully equipped gym with Johnson Health Tech and Matrix equipment, a sauna & Hamman, a massage room, and a wine cellar with a tasting room.
main villa, sleeps 18/20
lower ground floor
17 steps down, laundry room.
bedroom 1 Sophie Loren Suite; king size bed (convertible into a twin) with direct access to the garden with private terrace, small living room with TV, walk in closet, and en suite bathroom with TV, double basin, bath tub (plus hand held shower) and shower cabin (plus extra hand held shower). This bedroom (1) is wheelchair accessible.
bedroom 2 Federico Fellini Suite; small living room, 2 steps up, king size bed (not convertible into a twin) with TV, direct access to the garden with private terrace, 2 steps up, en suite bathroom with TV, double basin and shower cabin (plus extra hand held shower).
ground floor
hallway, small living area with 2 couches, elevator, main, spacious living room with wood burning fireplace, house bar, table for 4 guests, games table, piano, direct access to covered outdoor dining area with view on the garden and fountain, fully equipped kitchen with cooking island and direct access to outdoor, dining room with table for at least 14 guests.
access from the courtyard, 3 steps up;
bedroom 3 Giuseppe Verdi Suite; king size bed (not convertible into a twin), satellite TV, and en suite bathroom with TV, double basin, and shower cabin (plus extra hand held shower).
access from courtyard, 3 steps up;
bedroom 4 Liliana Cavani Suite; king size bed (convertible into a twin), small living room with satellite TV, walk in closet and en suite bathroom with TV, bath tub (plus hand held shower), double basin, and shower cabin (plus extra hand held shower).
first floor
bedroom 5 Michelangelo Suite; small library with wood burning fireplace, desk and table for 4 guests, two walk in closets, 3 steps up, king size bed (not convertible into a twin), living area with wood burning fireplace, large screen TV with multi-region DVD player and lake view, en suite bathroom with TV, double basin, bath tub (plus hand held shower), shower cabin (plus extra hand held shower) and private terrace overlooking the garden and lake Trasimeno.
bedroom 6 Leonardo di Vinci Suite; small living room with wood burning fireplace, king size bed (not convertible into a twin), TV and en suite bathroom with TV, bath tub (plus hand held shower) and shower cabin (plus extra hand held shower).
bedroom 7 Sergio Leone Suite; 15 steps up, rooftop floor (low ceiling), twin bedroom with 2 single beds (convertible into a king size bed) suitable for children and teenagers, with TV, walk in closet, and en suite bathroom with TV and shower cabin (plus extra hand held shower).
bedroom 8 Filippo Brunelleschi Suite; king size bed (not convertible into a twin), couch and TV, access to small balcony and en suite bathroom with TV, double basin, bath tub (plus hand held shower) and shower cabin (plus extra hand held shower).
bedroom 9 Giacomo Puccini Suite; king size bed (not convertible into a twin) with TV, en suite bathroom with TV, double basin and spacious walk in shower (plus extra hand held shower), separate area with bunk bed suitable for infants and small children and an upstairs loft with lounge area, TV, DVD player and PS3 player with dual hand controls.
library, sleeps 2
spacious living room with lake view, wood burning Renaissance fireplace, a house-bar area, a games room area with TV, CD player, billiard table, cards table, and a 20ft. American shuffleboard, a multilingual library, and 2 guest bathrooms. 17 steps down, spacious dining room with table seats 12 guests and direct access to outdoor covered dining area with lake view, adjacent wine cellar with wine tasting area which features over 115 bins. Private cinema, seating 16 guests and features a movie database over 1000 titles.
Fully equipped professional kitchen with TV, pizza oven, cooking island, table seats 10 guests, direct access to outdoors and guest bathroom.
bedroom 10 Michelangelo Antonioni Suite; queen size bed (not convertible into a twin), small living room with wood burning fireplace, balcony, and en suite bathroom with TV and shower cabin (plus extra hand held shower).
guest house
fully equipped gym with Johnson Health Tech and Matrix equipment, including 2 Matrix T7x treadmills, Elliptical (Johnson E8000), recumbent bike (Johnson R8000), a matrix multi-station unit for strength training plus free weight dumbbells and bench, 2x TV’s and a guest bathroom with shower cabin. Full-service massage room including Shirodhara (unique Ayurvedic treatment), Sauna & Hamman.
outdoor
25-acre estate; a 16th century garden with 13 acres of enclosed formal gardens, vegetable garden, orchard, grape arbour, lavender rows, olive groves and lawns, a pond, and an outdoor swimming pool with outdoor shower. Glass house located in the garden equipped with air conditioning suitable for spinning or yoga glasses. The remainder of the estate is made up of over 1800 olive trees, vineyards, and an oak forest. The gardens also offer a playground for children, tennis court with basketball hoops, a covered lounge area with fire pit and lake view, a lovely covered verandah, and a greenhouse (spinning lessons possible).
notes
the villa is suitable for 18 adults plus 2 teenagers and 2 preteen children. Non smoking villa, pets upon request. At some angles of the garden, you might hear some traffic noise. It is not allowed to bring food to the cinema. The staff requires the guests to bring a nanny for every 6 children. The whole property has Wi-Fi access, including the grounds and the swimming pool area. Helicopters can land directly on the estate, within the walled gardens in the backyard.
cinema room
