3 bedrooms historic house, 450 m²

Boville Ernica, Frosinone (province)

Forming a part of the old walls of Boville Ernica, extending over the Santa Maria Gate, this elegant house combines sweeping views across the valley with complete privacy: a large enclosed courtyard garden, and a rooftop terrace with panoramic views.

One end of the courtyard garden is covered by an old stone portico, providing a cool and shaded area for summer, while the rest of the garden and terrace are ideal for catching the winter sun.

The large old stone cellars feature vaulted ceilings and an original stone olive mill.

An entrance door from the garden opens onto a small hall, from which you can access a further large storage area and the stairs to the main living floor.

The upper floor has a large kitchen with fireplace, three sitting/dining rooms, one opening onto the 50 square metre terrace, three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a pantry/laundry room. One of the bedrooms forms part of the Porta Santa Maria, one of the original entrances to the walled city of Boville Enrica, and has elegant frescoed ceilings and a curved balcony looking over the balcony; another bedroom has vaulted ceilings.

The house is habitable, but would now benefit from some maintenance, redecoration and modernisation.

The current house dates back at least to the 17th century. It is in a quiet but easily accessible location, and only a short walk from all the shops, restaurants, cafes etc around the principal piazzas of Boville Ernica.

BOVILLE ERNICA AND THE CIOCIARIA
Boville Ernica is one of the medieval hilltop towns in the area of Italy called the Ciociaria, the name given to the fertile land that lies south of Rome but north of Naples, situated inland in the hills in the heart of Italy. Once heavily fortified, the historic centre of Boville Ernica remains completely enclosed by its medieval walls, with its eighteen round and square towers and its massive gates remarkably well preserved. One of 'I Borghi più belli d'Italia', the town not only has a wealth of historic and artistic treasures, but also throughout the year a wide variety of festivals and cultural events.

The Ciociaria region is within easy reach of both Rome and Naples and their respective airports. A day's shopping in Rome is a common pastime, while an even shorter drive brings you to the charming beaches south of Rome. Alternatively, drive east, and the mountains of the Abruzzo National Park await with horse trekking in the magnificent beech forests, and sparkling mountain lakes and rivers where you can swim in the heat of the summer. And at the other extreme of temperature, although Boville Ernica itself is temperate, less than an hour's drive brings you to the winter ski slopes.

Often overlooked, both by tourists and by those foreigners in search of an Italian home, in favor of the more publicized regions of Tuscany and Umbria, the Ciociaria remains largely an unspoilt gem with beautiful scenery and medieval hilltop towns. A home or second home in the Ciociaria, in the hilltop towns of Boville Ernica, Arpino, Veroli, Alatri or Alvito or in the rolling countryside that surrounds them, will afford you a setting where over two thousand years of history combine with an idyllic rural Italian lifestyle, where you can still discover the 'real' Italy and take time out from the busy crowds of the larger tourist cities, while being less than ninety minutes journey from central Rome or either of Rome's two airports.