Palazzo Terranova, Perugia, Italy
Palazzo Terranova 4 Stars
Exquisite style and elegance in a country-house retreat high in the Umbrian Hills.
- A complimentary bottle of prosecco with strawberries.
Hotel Overview
Review of Palazzo Terranova, by Gemma Pitcher
Hidden away up a steep, winding track in the hills of the Umbria/Tuscany border, Palazzo Terranova thoughtfully also provides a helipad for its more upwardly mobile clientèle. Once arrived, however, the peace of the remote location and the ravishing views from almost every room – including bathrooms – make up for any difficulty in access. The palazzo is a honey-coloured building, beautifully restored and with an interior suited to such a dramatic setting – colour schemes change with each room, from muted cream and pale green to operatic plum and violet.
The restaurant is proud of its regional, seasonal masterpieces, which include plenty of local game – wild boar, pheasant and venison – and porcini truffles at the right time of year. Vegetables and herbs and soft fruits are picked straight from the garden, and pizzas are fired in a traditional brick kiln.
Bedrooms are all different shapes, sizes and – universally demanding – prices. Each has an operatic name – Turandot, Violetta and Verdi – and décor to match, with delicate cast iron four posters, appliquéd wallpaper and hand-painted panelling. The grounds and terrace provide ample space for outdoor wandering, but there are also various activities on offer - a pool, a boules court, walks in the surrounding countryside, riding, golf, cookery or art classes and tennis.
Facilities
Hotel Policies
Rooms
9Who stays here?
Dignitaries and celebs; posh Londoners and New Yorkers.
Come for...
- Real peace and quiet
- ELLE DECO-caliber surroundings
- Exquisite cuisine
Not Suitable for...
- Anyone needing easy access to a city—Terranova is remote
Children
Reasonably family-friendly; the villa can be rented in its entirety, cots and extra beds are available on request, and the chefs will happily modify the menu for little ones.
Eating in
The inn’s restaurant is utterly first-rate, with prices to match.
The Press Say
"The honey-hued palazzo is a tranquil hilltop retreat, complete with swimming pool...The cast-iron four-poster beds and views of the rolling countryside from every window add to the romance of the place." The Independent 05Reviews
Review of Palazzo Terranova, by The TI Review Team
For almost a decade, Palazzo Terranova has set the standard for the Italian country-house hotel. The palazzo itself, whose origins date back to the 11th-century, has been lovingly and meticulously restored under the watchful and unfailingly tasteful eye of former owner Sarah Fortin Townsend. With its mix of fine 18th and 19th-century English and Italian antiques, sprawling terrace gardens, and vast lawn overlooking the dramatic Val Niccone, Palazzo Terranova is a stylish escapist's dream bolthole.
The hotel's gourmet restaurant has such a reputation that visitors book from as far afield as Montepulciano and Spoleto to sample the bio-organic meats and produce from Palazzo Terranova's own gardens-and to take private cookery classes as well. The hotel can be let in its entirety for villa vacations and special events; the owners can arrange walking tours and wine tastings, riding and golfing excursions in the area. There's a very small but flawlessly edited collection of local crafts and gifts for sale in the entrance foyer gift boutique downstairs. And on the Palazzo's grounds there's a full service spa, using products made with ingredients-honey, lavender, sage-sourced from its own gardens.
No one of the eight suites is alike-each boasts a dizzyingly impressive collection of antiques and prints, contemporary art and objets. La Traviata's bathroom (easily the size of a one-bedroom London flat) has a free-standing antique copper bath and a lovely chaise longue; Bellini is frescoed in shades of peach, with an enormous wrought-iron bed, a working fireplace, and staggering views into the valley. All have full mini bars.