House with private pool and peaceful rural views

About Mrs Diane Noel

We first came to Italy in 1988 and restored a remote, ruined, farmhouse on Monte Civitella in Umbria. We moved in 2006 when we found what was then an old barn just across the border in Tuscany with astounding views of Monterchi, in the “paese di Piero della Francesca”. This is our second restoration project and we think we’ve got it right! The upper floor of the barn had open brickwork to allow the maize to dry, the lower floor housed ancient carts and farm equipment. We have recreated the open brickwork on the first floor while the ground floor is open plan, to preserve the spaciousness of the old barn. Using local materials, chestnut beams, stone and terracotta, combined with modern insulation and underfloor heating, we now have a comfortable and cosy home.