Country House, Umbria

Sitting on a hill above Lake Corbara, near Orvieto in the beautiful Umbrian countryside, is the house of Daniela Levy. It was built from the remains of an old church dating back to the beginning of the 1700s, with alongside a barn, set amidst a large swathe of land with over 700 ancient olive trees. Daniela strove to use only local materials and craftsmanship in the restructuring of this country house, and this can clearly be seen in the style as well as the details of the interior – terracotta tiles, antique oak doors, walls rendered with white plaster, imposing oak beams in the ceilings, natural stone and wrought iron handrails are evident throughout. The bedrooms and bathrooms are located in the old church section of the house and feature wooden flooring, marble fireplaces and cast iron bathtubs and stoves. Needless to say, the views are spectacular from the upper floor windows… view interior feature

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Nice Village, I’ll take it. Italy

When Brunello Cucinelli, the cashmere king of Italy, bought a huge house in a 14th-century hill town, he couldn’t stop there. He had to have the town as well If you had to describe your dream home, it would probably be much like Brunello Cucinelli’s. The cashmere mogul lives in a 17th-century manor house in Umbria, just up the road from Perugia. It’s set in an impossibly romantic 14th-century hill town, which he also owns and which forms the HQ of his business empire. And casa Cucinelli is the dream: flagged floors and vaulted ceilings, 400-year-old charm with 21st-century air conditioning. The house is filled with Renaissance art and antiques, the gardens with cicadas and cypress and olive trees. Terraces lead off every room and there’s even a choice of swimming pools, for goodness’ sake – indoor for winter, outdoor for summer. If Cucinelli weren’t such a nice, sincere chap, you could easily hate him. Or at least not buy his clothes in protest. But it’s difficult to begrudge him his house, because he’s worked incredibly hard for it, hauling himself up from humble beginnings... view feature

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