Staying in Carinola

This year for the first time we are able to offer guests the option of gite style accommodation with private parking in a quiet, country area a few minutes drive from the ancient town of Carinola and the other side of the Monte Massico from Sessa Aurunca.

The beautiful countryside at the foothills of Monte Massico

This property would suit larger groups or families who would like more spacious accommodation in glorious isolation yet not too far from local villages and market towns.

Facilities and information at a glance

General:

Central Heating, Free standing fans, TV, Video / DVD player.

Standard Utilities:

Kettle, Toaster, Iron, Hair dryer, Cooker, Microwave, Fridge, Freezer, Washing machine

Rooms:

Bedrooms / Sleeping areas (2/3), Bathroom with shower and WC (1)

Furniture

King-Size bed (2/3) or extra single beds (3) / Sofabeds (1), Single beds (2/3), pull-out beds / futons (3) Cots (1), Dining seating for 8, Lounge seating for 3 / 5, Sleeps maximum of 11

Other:

Linen and towels provided.

Outdoors:

Secure parking, table, chairs and parasol

Access:

Parking space, Nearest Airport: Naples (65 km), Nearest Railway: Falciano (4 km), Nearest Beach: Mondragone / Levagnole (5 km)

Notes:

Pets welcome with extra damage deposit to be paid in advance.

This ‘villino’ (spacious gite) is located in a country area known as San Ruosi, it is a comfortable walk from the village of San Donato where you can buy a few basics from the village store, have a cappuccino at the local café or visit the ancient local church. If you want to go to a slightly bigger town and visit its local market, the market town of Carinola is a short drive away; at this market you will be able to buy fresh produce as well as clothes and shoes, leather goods, jewellery, bags and fantastic local pottery produced in Cascano a few miles from the villino.

The ancient town of Carinola (www.ilquiquiri.com/2007)

The property itself is detached; it has its own gated driveway and garage with garden / patio and bbq area and outdoor seating. It is next door to a vineyard and orchard and guests are very welcome to pick their own fruit on a daily basis to eat whilst there and take back with them when they leave if they wish. If you go in the spring or early summer you will have access to unlimited lemons, limes and oranges from the ‘citrus corner’, if you go in summer you will have access to peaches, apricots and kiwis; if you go in late summer and autumn you will have access to several varieties of fresh figs, hazelnuts, walnuts and, of course, grapes. In fact, if you are there at the right time, you can assist your neighbour with the grape harvest and the wine making (you would be generously compensated in wine to drink there and take back home with you I am sure).

Fresh grapes - all you can pick and all you can eat (italymondo.com)

Pick your own lemons in spring and early summer (citydirt.net)

As with the other two properties on this website, we do not expect our guests to spend all their time in Italy sitting at home; San Ruosi is a short drive away from the beautiful sandy beaches on the Sinuessa coast, so you would certainly be able to benefit from your daily dose of sun, sea and sand.

One of the beach resorts available to our guests

Like Sessa, the town of Carinola is an important local heritage site. The 15th Century Palazzo Novelli is certainly worth a visit as is the Castello Cittadino built by the Conte Riccardo in 1134. In the village of Ventaroli, a short drive from Carinola, the church of Santa Maria in Foro, is quite unique. This stunningly beautiful church dates back to the 6th Century when it was the local Bishop’s palace up until the 11th Century.

The Ancient Cathedral in Carinola (piazzettaonline.blogspot.com)

The 15th Century Church of L’Annuziata in Carinola

The Ancient Church of Santa Maria in Foro in Ventaroli

What is particularly special about the town of Carinola is that is has the Convento do San Francesco (St Francis of Assisi), founded by St Francis of Assisi himself in 1222 when he moved south to spend time in the Carinola community which fellow monks had established in 1216. Although Carinola is a relatively small town, this historical link with St Francis of Assisi has roused historical interest in it from all over the world.

The Convent of St Francis of Assisi in the town of Carinola (ilquiquiri.com)

The Accommodation

This is a single storey rustic gite style property which is situated in the rural area of San Ruosi which is about a 5 minute drive to the market town of Carinola; it has two large bedrooms, each with a king size bed and ample storage space; the king size beds can be separated into two twin beds if preferred and each of these rooms has an extra pull-out single bed which can be used if required.

The separate living room has a three seater sofa which opens out into a comfortable properly sprung and slatted double bed if extra sleeping space is required. The matching armchair also opens out into a single bed so if necessary this room could be used as another bedroom. The well equipped kitchen / dining room has a beautiful solid oak table with matching chairs as well as a three seater sofa which can also open out into a double bed if required. So in actual fact this property could sleep up to eleven people if necessary; though we should point out that there is only one bathroom; ideally it would be perfect for 4 – 7 people but if other friends join you for a few days then you could certainly accommodate them.

We do not have photos of this property available at the moment as we are in the process of refurbishing it, but the pictures below will give you an idea of the furnishings. We can assure you, however, that it will be ready by the time we start letting it in the summer of 2011. We also have plans to develop the garden and put in a swimming pool but we cannot guarantee that this will be ready for this summer, especially as we would not want any building work to be taking place when guests are in the property. For the coming summer we will provide guests with outdoor table and chairs with parasol and, of course, secure parking space for your car.

As this is the first year we are renting this charming ‘villino’, we are offering a highly competitive promotional price as well as hospitality vouchers at a beach resort on the Levagnole coast.

Bedrooms 1 and 2

Both these bedrooms will have Kingsize beds (which could be separated into two single beds if preferred) plus a pull-out single bed and large double wardrobe and dresser.

This picture shows flexible twin / king size bed sleeping arrangement with linen cupboard on the left next to large double wardrobe and drawer unit on the right with TV and DVD player. Please note that the bedrooms in the Carinola villa are larger than the bedroom pictured here.

This picture will give you an idea of the size of the double wardrobe that will be erected in each of the two bedrooms in the Carinola villa

This is the type of drawer unit which we will put into each of the bedrooms in the Carinola villa. There will be a larger TV with DVD player in the living room.

These are two possible folding single beds which could be put into the two bedrooms and the living room (the living room is likely to have the one that looks like a sideboard so it blends in with the living room furniture)

Twin beds used as Kingsize bed, bedside table, linen cupboard, double wardrobe and free standing fan. Please note that the bedrooms in the Carinola villa are much larger than those pictured here.

The Living Room / Bedroom 3

The Living Room, which can double up as a third bedroom if required, it will have a sofa that can open out into a proper sprung and slatted double bed; it will also have a matching armchair that can open out into a sprung and slatted single bed. This room will also have a beautiful mahogany dresser with crockery, cutlery, linen and more. A brand new TV with digital receiver and built in DVD will be in this room as will a foot stool and charming glass coffee table with matching lamp.

Beautiful mahogany dresser and oak table that will be part of the Living Room and Kitchen furnishings in Carinola

Chairs that are part of the Dining set for the Carinola Villa

The Kitchen

The kitchen will be equipped with gas cooker, a good sized fridge-freezer, washing machine, new sink , new taps, ample crockery and cutlery, new food storage units and matching solid oak dining table and chairs as pictured above. All appliances will be purchased new this year and will still be under warranty when the villa is let in 2011.

Kitchen appliances and furniture for villa in Carinola featuring fridge freezer, brand new washing machine, new sink with new tap with new drainage unit.

White goods and storage units for villa in Carinola

The Bathroom

The newly refurbished bathroom will have a bath with shower, a new shower curtain, a new toilet, a new basin, a new bidet and a new storage units.

Bathroom furniture for villa in Carinola.

Why Carinola

This villino will suit those who would like total privacy in a quiet country area yet have the beaches, the excellent restaurants, the shops, the local markets, the village festivals and, of course, the most amazing historical wonders that only Italy can offer: Pompeii, Herculaneum, Caserta, Paestum, Naples, the Amalfi Coast and much more, just a short drive away.

It would suit a family, larger family groups, a group of friends, or maybe two families going on holiday together with children. But above all it would suit anyone who wants to avoid the usual extortionate prices of renting villa style accommodation anywhere in Italy in the summer months. As explained above, this year we are offering very competitive rates for this villa as it is the first year we are letting it. So, if you want comfortable, spacious accommodation but you want to keep expenditure low, then this could be the property for you.

Free open air Operatic Concert at Carinola’s summer festival

Carinola is certainly not a tourist resort so if you are looking for the package holiday experience then Carinola is not for you. In Carinola you would be living as the local community lives in a rustic gite style villino; in fact your neighbour has vineyards and orchards which you would be welcome to explore and pick any fruit you can eat (though do read our Health and Safety sheets on this). You are unlikely to find accommodation of this type anywhere else in Italy at such low prices.

Do remember that all guests that book a stay in this villa in 2011 will have access to several local private beach resorts and an acqua park at a very discounted rate. The acqua park and beach resorts are 20 /30 minutes from this villa by car or taxi. Guests will have free parking for the day at these resorts, plus a parasol and two sunloungers or deck chairs, life guards are on duty at all day and the cafés can provide drinks, snacks and even lunches if ordered in advance.

The beautiful beaches, the aqua parks, the historical wonders all around and our incredible low introductory prices, will give you a holiday experience that you will treasure forever.

Sinuessa Beach – just a short drive away

The Aqua Park in Itri

One of the luxury resorts guests would have low cost access to