A century ago in the Italian countryside there was a shift in architectural styles. Newly affluent and on-the-rise families opted for the style of a manor house, counting on that refined style to show that they’d indeed taken a step up in life. Fast-forward a century and you can take a step up in your search for a Marche property. There’s a unique, fully restored and exceptionally outfitted home in the countryside with a manor house faҫade and all the great features you’d expect to go along with that. We call this Marche property “VILLA MANIERO”, the “manor house”.
Villa Maniero is a very special Marche property. Yes, it’s got that manor house look, but that’s only the beginning. Add to that classic exterior look, the interior restoration and finish levels, the structural upgrades, the pool and grounds, the “walk-to-town” location and the sustainability features and it’s immediately clear that this property is a step up in Le Marche.
When you finish reading click on the VIDEO TOUR at the end of the listing
Villa Maniero is a fully restored Marche farmhouse. It’s quite spacious at 280 sqm. over three floors. The exterior of Villa Maniero showcases very old brick, locally fired. The manor house look is accentuated by the numerous arched windows and doors, with the main entry door having a single piece of sculpted decorative stone forming the archway. The house was restored to a high standard, both esthetically and technically, including a series of structural enhancements.
There are also a number of sustainability features at the property that really set it apart from other properties in this price category. Let’s start with the 6kw fotovolt panels that are discretely mounted on the roof. These generate electricity at a level that exceeds what the owner needs to run the house and the pool. That’s impressive. Also, in these times where water is becoming more and more coveted as an essential resource, Villa Maniero has a well, 5m deep, with 60,000 liters of water that is used for irrigation at the property via an irrigation system and pump. There is also rainwater capture from the roof of the garden shed. There are raised planting beds for cultivating your own vegetables. So, if your idea of living well in Le Marche includes doing so in a sustainable way, Villa Maniero steps up from the rest of the market.
Villa Maniero’s interior design and finish levels are another distinguishing feature. Entering the main door you find yourself in a proper foyer. To the right is the lounge or living room and to the left is dining room and kitchen, both spaces accessed though archways and both spaces are open and bathed in natural light. In fact, the living room has 7 windows and doors of various sizes that provide an open and luminous effect. The dining room has two double doors, all glass, that do the same for this space. The floor tiles and ceiling treatments are worthy of mention. Classic old cotto tiles are used on the floors, while the ceilings have beams with classic pianella tiles between them. The entryway has a lovely decorative floor tile treatment. The living room has a big fireplace with wood burner insert. The sizeable dining room has a wall of mixed stone and brick, giving textural warmth to the space. Moving to the kitchen, it, too, has a double glass door and an accent wall of stone and brick. The kitchen is custom fitted and will satisfy even the most discriminating cooks. The central kitchen island, with solid marble top, can accommodate 4 people. We love the kitchen sink, carved out of a big block of stone, adding a rustic touch to the manor house.
Heading upstairs you’ll note the old pietra serena slabs that surface the stairs. There is also a section of the staircase with some very old, recovered square tiles, adding another rustic and original feature to the house. We arrive on the first floor. To the right are two guest bedrooms and to the left is the master suite. Directly ahead is the luxurious guest bathroom with a big shower and excellent quality finishings. The guest bedrooms are open and airy, each with double aspect windows. Both these bedrooms are outfitted with air-conditioning units that do double duty as efficient heating units in winter. The master suite is comfortable and well-appointed. The master bathroom is very large and ideally appointed and finished, including a big, luxurious shower and double sinks and double mirrors.
Heading up to the 2nd floor of Villa Maniero there are two additional rooms, registered as “attic” space and used by the owner as multi-use spaces. The owner, for example, uses one of the rooms as a music studio. For private, non-rental use, you can consider these spaces as bedrooms, an office, a studio, etc. They add volume and use options to the floor plans. Also on this floor is a laundry with washer and dryer and also in this space the inverter and storage batteries for the fotovolt panels are found.
Heading outside at Villa Maniero you are immediately taken in by the peaceful, classic views…views of rolling hills, cultivated fields (including summer sunflowers!) and open skies. Taking in these soothing views from Villa Maniero is a breeze. The 12m×5m pool with an ample surround is centrally aligned on a direct line to the house (north) and to the views (south) There are flower beds and old paddock spaces where the old stones have been integrated into the landscaping plans. To one side of the house is a trellis with a seating area below. To the other side is the impressive loggia, running along an entire side of the house. From both the kitchen and the dining room you can access this impressive shaded space. Also, from the loggia, the view is of hill-town Loro Piceno, a beautiful sight particularly at dusk when the town is illuminated up on the hillside. Just off the corner of the loggia is a purpose-built brick BBQ. You can enjoy meals, cocktails, coffees or just simple relaxation from any number of places on the plot. There is subtle outdoor lighting all around the plot.
The plot is a very manageable 2,800 sqm. It’s mostly flat and is south-facing, meaning full-day sun. The landscaping is pleasant and easy to maintain. There are cypress trees on the plot, as well as some fig trees, oak trees, mulberry trees and lots of rosemary, sage and lavender. There’s even an olive tree…and the plot can step up to accommodate more if you’d like.
Speaking of taking a step up, you can walk up to the nearby hill-town of Loro Piceno. Everyone wants a villa walking distance to town. Villa Maniero is the rare property that actually checks that box! You’re a 15 minute walk to the center of Loro Piceno, and a 3 minute drive. We can’t over-emphasize how rare it is to find a restored property that is walking distance to its nearest hill-town. This convenient location means you can easily enjoy the centro storico, its shopping, tavernas, services, restaurants and weekly market.
Villa Maniero is fortunate to be as close as it is to Loro Piceno, a lively market town whose history dates to Roman times and is today noteworthy for award winning vineyards, its Vino Cotto Festival, highly rated restaurants, an atmospheric bar with live music, called the L’Enosteria and proximity to mountains, beaches and airports. Villa Maniero is 8km from the La Murola vineyards and just across the valley are the renowned Saputi vineyards. Both are makers of excellent Marche wines. There’s an organic restaurant just 5km away. Neighboring hill-towns of Mogliano (very close by), Colmurano, Urbisaglia, Ripe San Ginesio and San Ginesio are all within a 10-15 minute drive. The Fiastra Abbey nature preserve with picnic grounds, restaurants, hiking/cycling trails and equestrian center is 10 minutes away, while the cities of Tolentino and Macerata are, respectively, 15 and 20 minutes from Villa Maniero. The location is ideally situated between the mountains and coastline that define Le Marche, with the mountains around 35 minutes away and the coast around 30 minutes. All this makes Villa Maniero a particularly good base for enjoying all there is to sip, sample and see in Le Marche! You’re also very close to three airports – Ancona, 50 minutes…Perugia, 1:15…Pescara, 1:25.
Some practical considerations at Villa Maniero are these – the house sits just off a municipal road that has recently been paved. That means you get everywhere quickly and easily without any long access roads to navigate or maintain. There’s an automatic gate that enters the plot. Heating is by underfloor heating on the ground floor and gas-powered radiators on the first and second. All windows and exterior doors at Villa Maniero are excellent quality double-glazed with insect screens. There’s excellent broad-band internet service and notwithstanding the FV panels and well water, the villa is on mains water and is fully connected to the electrical grid.
As you can see Villa Maniero is truly a step up from the usual property. It’s also super-versatile…you can enjoy it as a fantastic holiday home, or, if you want to take it to another level, Villa Maniero is ideal as a full-time residence and its potential as a lucrative rental property is obvious.
So, we return to a century ago when the manor house style meant a big step up in the Marche countryside…it’s good to see how little has changed…step up to Villa Maniero!
VIDEO TOUR
Learn More About Villa MANIERO & Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel
