Hospitality in the Heart of Tuscany – La Dama Del Campo – Part 2

I mentioned the Italian hospitality in my last post when I visited several hotel resort/vineyard properties for sale in Tuscany.  Upon arriving in the heart of Tuscany, I was greeted and invited to stay by the hostess Daniela and her husband at the La Dama Del Campo, a unique vacation and business hotel.

After enjoying some wonderful lunches and dinners with my hosts, including delicious pastas, pizzas, bruschettas, olives, and of course Tuscan wines, La Dama Del Campo was a good location to understand the region.

La Dama del Campo is a beautiful 18th century palace in the historical center of Foiano della Chiana, a charming picturesque village in Tuscany and famous for their “Carnevale”, in the province of Arezzo, between the cities of Sinalunga and Cortona.

La Dama del Campo combines luxury and history with Italian furnished apartments that are adorned with artistic wall paintings and frescos.   The property includes four apartments, Ercole, Venere, Mercurio, and Cupido, and a magnificently painted conference room.  La Dama del Campo suits travelers on business and pleasure.

The apartments are characteristic of the historical center of Foiano della Chiana, with views of the central Piazza Cavour, the city hall of the fourteenth century, and the enchanting Palazzo delle Logge.

This is typical of the beauty of the Tuscan properties and villages and the Italian warmth and hospitality.

On your next stay in Tuscany, you can contact Daneila at www.damadelcampo.it or contact me on my website at www.clarusrealestate.com.

Hotel Resorts & Vineyards in Tuscany & Lazio Regions, Italy – Part 1

I just returned from a research visit of hotel resort and vineyard properties in Tuscany and Lazio, Bolsena Lake regions in Italy.

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, investors are looking to Italy for commercial real estate investments as confidence in the euro-zone strengthens and they are finding yields in excess of 7-8%.

The Italian economy was still sluggish in 2013, with GDP falling 1.8% due to a reduction in domestic demand. The economic outlook for Italy is looking better for 2014, with growth expected to be around 0.7%; however, prices are still falling which means there is room for negotiations on properties.

The Lazio region of Italy is the bridge between the Northern and Southern regions and accounts for 10% of the country’s GDP.  The Tuscany region lies adjacent just to the north. The landscape is similar in Lazio and Tuscany with lush countryside characterized by vineyards, olive groves, grasslands, woods, and gently, rolling picturesque hills with dots of castles and medieval villages.  Most of Lazio is agricultural, but it is also home to Italy’s largest and most visited city — Rome.

One property I visited was a large vineyard and olive grove estate property of almost 22 hectares near Bolsena Lake.

Bolsena Lake is the largest volcanic lake in Italy situated between Rome and Florence (distance to Rome 113 km, to Orvieto 20 km) and many tourists, especially from Rome, come to enjoy the lake and of course the food, wines and olives of this region.  The unique characteristics of the wines and extra virgin olive oil produced by this region are the result of very favorable climatic conditions and rich fertile soil.

Situated on the road built from Rome to northern Italy, the “Puri Charlotte” estate property has historic value and dates back to the 1500s.  The 18th century estate home was recently renovated and 2M euros went into the restoration of the building.  The  structures, exterior finish and roofs are completed.  The interiors were structurally reinforced and ready to be finished into a boutique hotel with 25+ rooms, spa, and health center.  A separate building adjacent to the main cross road is ready to be restored back to its former use as a restaurant, with tasting room and 11 private hotel rooms.  All architectural and building plans are available.

Visit http://www.clarusrealestate.com or contact me at christine@clarusrealestate.com for more information about this property and others in Lazio and Tuscany.

Stay tuned…I will write more about the wonderful Italian people and hospitality and other properties I visited.