Italian Rental Villa - Rocca di Benano

Loved everything about the villa. Off the beaten path but easy to get everywhere we wanted to go. Wonderful local staff and US based owner. An amazing property (have to say I was very impressed with the accommodation and the Etruscan cellar. ) welcome dinner was to die for! A great value and we had a trip of a lifetime.

Our stay in the villa was absolutely magical. The owner has remodeled every aspect of the villa - the kitchen, bathrooms and even the laundry room. The bedrooms are luxurious with bedding and mattresses that are incredibly comfortable while maintaining the classic decor of the villa. After a day of sightseeing, it was wonderful to come back to the villa, take a hot shower, enjoy a glass or two or three of wine enjoy the view. There was always plenty of hot water for showers.

We took advantage of recommendations for a guide, restaurants, wineries and historic places to see provided by the owner. True to form, it was all A+.

It was also wonderful meeting people who live Benano, they were very welcoming. Included in this review is a photo of Benano I took when out walking and another photo is the view from the village of the surrounding area. Yes, it truly is that beautiful! The towns we took day trips to were easily accessible: Orvieto; Perugia; Todi; Montefalco Civita di Bagnoregio and spa treatments at Bagno Vignoni.

We are already planning our next trip to Rocca di Benano. We absolutely appreciated the fact that the villa has all the modern amenities and historic charm of the area.

My husband and I travel a lot and our week spent making Rocca di Benano our home base for Italy explores during the day, while working at night was truly magical.

Firstly, Rocca di Benano is tucked away in the sweetest Italian hamlet of cobblestone streets and arched walkways that open up into beautiful countryside vistas. The villa itself feels worlds away, but is beautifully maintained and has all the modern convinces and appliances, including: a gorgeously remodeled, state-of-the-art kitchen, speedy internet (which is hard to find in these parts!) and plentiful hot water with good water pressure. There are scenic paths for walking around the villa and taking in the landscape and dramatic sunsets. Plus the villa is so accommodating. We were a party of 5 and could have easily accommodated 5 more.

I’m a graphic designer and was short on vacation days, so worked from the villa during the evening and the wifi was plenty fast enough for me to run my cloud-based design software and take Zoom calls. The accommodating downstairs living area was perfectly set up with a desk for working. I even remotely Zoomed in for my weekly piano lesson! (Photo attached!)

Benano is the perfect base for exploring a myriad of nearby medieval cities and attractions and that we did! We visited Orvieto and took a fantastic walking tour with one of Karen’s recommended guides, who we wished we could have folded up in our pocket and taken EVERYWHERE. She was so knowledgable and such a joy to be around. Also based on Karen’s recommendations and plentiful guide books we visited: Civita di Bagnoregio, Villa Lante, a buffalo cheese farm in Montefiascone, Perugia, Pienza, Radicofani and relaxed at one of the many beautiful spas in Bagno Vignoi, Posta Marcucci.

Another plus, Benano is so close to Orvieto’s train station that we even hopped on a train from Orvieto that took us directly to Rome. Couldn’t have been more convenient!

I can’t recommend Karen and Paul’s villa enough for an authentic Italian experience with modern conveniences and its fantastic location to historical places.

Our week at Rocco di Benano between weekends in Florence and Rome, was simply fabulous! From the high end, comfy beds and amenities, to the well equipped kitchen and spectacular view, we loved every minute. The welcome dinner, prepared by local chefs, was delicious and exactly what we needed that first night. There were also so many interesting day trips to explore from our perfect home base villa! Thank you Karen and Paul for your wonderful hospitality!

We had a totally perfect week at Rocca di Benano with our family. This is our second stay here - the first with a group of 10 friends 10 years ago, and this time (June 2022) with our family, including our grandchildren, ages 10 and 12. They fell in love immediately with the tiny hamlet, befriending the cats and dogs and neighbors. Every detail, large and small, has been done well. The 1000 year-old house feels both luxurious and casual at the same time. We ate breakfast each morning - and had wine each evening on the patio overlooking the beautiful valley. Day trips to Orvietto, Pitigliana, Civita and many other places were great and interesting. Simona came to us to cook one night, and we went to her farm for a cooking class - which was the best part of the fabulous week. We can't say enough good things about the way Karen supports your planning and stay.

My recent stay at Rocca di Benano was the magical experience of a life time. The villa is gorgeous, private, well equipped and incredibly comfortable. It’s minutes from Orvieto and close to “must see” destinations. You can tour the area by car and easily take the train to nearby towns including Florence and Perugia.
The hostess has all the insider’s tips and advice down, so I experienced Umbria from a local point of view, which made my visit unique and special. I can’t say enough good things about the villa and my wonderful visit.

Home after spending one week at the Villa and already we’d like to return. Beautifully decorated, smartly appointed, this home feels like…home. The downstairs family room leads to a terrace that affords a relaxing view of the countryside. Indoors is a tv that allows one to stream Netflix, Prime, etc., a reading nook, laundry room, and glimpses of an ancient Etruscan wine cellar! Benano is a perfect home base from which to explore Rome, Florence, and Assisi, which we visited this time around. There is no shortage of adventures to take — museums, shopping, historical sites from 1 BC that put our experience into perspective. And, if you run out of ideas, the hosts are wonderfully knowledgeable and responsive and will provide recommendations. Plenty of space to share with another group if the price seems steep. One of our best vacations ever.

A fantastic experience! So comfortable yet a rustic feel. I recommend highly! The owner and all folks we interacted with couldn’t have been more supportive. We loved it!

Amazing week in Benano! 10/10 this was the best place to be! Amazing wineries and small villages around the area! The villa itself was perfect! It was great for our family of 5 and could have fit many more!

I have stayed at Rocca di Benano two times -- about 5 years apart -- once with 10 people and once with 5. Both stays were amazing. The house and the views are beautiful with all of the amenities one would wish for. Many options for lovely outings and activities are available, including the nearby amazing villages. I am trying to figure out how to get there with yet a third group of friends.

What a fabulous stay! The place is amazing- our understanding is that it was built in the 12th century, but it was so nicely modernized and impeccably clean, while still maintaining the authenticity of the place. It has a nicely equipped new kitchen with sharp knives and All Clad pots. There are opportunities for walk/runs through the woods or on back country roads past sheep grazing, with views of a castle in the distance. It is off the beaten path, but is situated so that there are many easy day trips to be taken. Highly recommend!

Second time visitor, so that says something on its own and the second visit did not disappoint. Rocca di Benano owners really care about your visit being the best it can be. The villa is wonderfully appointed and I don't think there's any one thing that you could want they do not have there or recommendations they can make based on their own experiences there. Need a guide, a concierge, chef, places to go, they have suggestions for you. Really, they are the best owners who want to share their love of Italy with you so you will love it too. Umbria is a great place to visit!

Thoroughly updated, gorgeous villa in a charming area of Italy. Umbria is wonderful to explore by car. Karen and Paul, the owners, are very communicative, have extensive written information about the Villa, day trips, wineries, local chefs and more. Our family of 5 had room to spare at the Villa and spent every evening around the dining table enjoying local wine and playing cards. On a personal note, Karen and Paul are forever dear to me and my family as they are exceedingly generous and charitable. Our trip to the Villa was donated to the Karen Wellington Foundation and we were the recipients. We are forever grateful to them for their generosity!

Our stay at the villa was everything we were looking to experience on our Italian adventure! The Villa was very comfortable and well equipped. It’s perfectly located for our planned day trips.

The owners could not have been more helpful in our pre-planning to ensure we were well prepared for a great stay in Italy and the villa.

From the time we arrived at the Villa and before, we felt at home in the spotless, well-appointed house. But it is more than that, it is beautifully decorated with comfortable furniture and decor that reflects the original rock structure of the town. Plus, you can see Orvieto from the property. It was delightful.

As we planned our trip, Karen Smith assisted us to ensure we took full advantage of the surrounding sites and scheduled realistically. Importantly, she helped us identify Italian Lifestyle Concierge, Thami, who took care of us from the time he met us at the airport until he dropped us off at the end of our holiday. As a true concierge service, Thami worked with us on our planning, made logistical alterations, assured that all of plans were executed to perfection and he took the stress of driving away from us. Thami genuinely cared about all of us and became part of our group of friends.

This was not the first visit for some of us. My first time was 10 years ago. Loved the stay then and even better now. I truly felt immersed in the Italian culture, helped because of the architectural joys of the house and the in-house meals Karen offered and helped us plan, as well as the amazing cities we visited while there. At the end of our stay, I looked around so I could remember as many details as possible about the incredible house and firm those memories for future recall. Looking forward to the next time!! Arrivederci!!

It was a bit surreal spending a week at Rocca di Benano. By day, we mostly visited and marveled at neighboring ancient hilltop towns, and then had the opportunity to actually lodge in this similar yet much smaller village. You get to witness and enjoy some day-to-day life of the villagers who seem to regularly sit along the street and chat each evening. Their greetings were all so welcoming. The villa provides great views of the countryside whether from a window or the patio. It was very comfortable, well designed, and includes all the modern conveniences. Very clean. It was well supported with resourceful instructions, staff, and suggestions for day trips, restaurants, etc. Highly recommend the experience!

An authentic "hill town" living experience with comfortable 'up to date' amenities. Cannot say enough good things about the owner and all of the help she provided with advice regarding area activities. We had a wonderful trip. We also thoroughly enjoyed the extra offerings that came with the rental - a dinner plus a guided tour. We truly felt like a "guest" and not just renters.

The villa is beautiful and the owners have thought of everything to make your stay comfortable. Benano is a perfect location to explore the other hilltop towns in Umbria and Tuscany. Simona's welcome dinner was delicious. We highly recommend and can't wait to return!

Rocca di Benano is the quintessential Italian experience in the heart of Umbria. I was uneasy about driving in Italy, but this part of Italy is much easier to navigate that we originally thought. The house is beautiful, sitting in a small hamlet perched atop a hill surrounded by Umbrian landscapes. The lower floor has an outdoor terrace, and is a nice place to drink wine in the evening after dinner and watch the shooting stars. We traveled with a group of friends (7 total people), and everyone had their own bedroom and bathroom.

We had a private dinner the first night, prepared by Simona, a wonderful local chef, with ingredients from her garden. This dinner option is a good option for travel-weary guests to have an amazing dinner their first night without having to leave the villa and go to a restaurant.

Rocca di Benano is perfect for several day trips. It’s a 20-minute drive to Orvieto, which is one of the most beautiful cities we visited. Our week at the house was split between tour days and more relaxing days near the house at locations such as: Lake Bolsena, Orvieto, etc.. Our stay in Benano was capped off with a wonderful final dinner with Simona. After our week in Umbria, we returned our rental car in Rome and continued with our trip through Italy. We loved our stay at Rocca di Benano and have plans to return in the future and explore other portions of central Italy.

Misha & Graham

The Villa Rocca di Benano exceeded all our highest expectations! The Villa itself combined with it’s private and serene atmosphere and central location in the Umbria region was perfect! We highly the Villa on every level! The attached images are from in around around the Villa and town.