The Times Weekend - UK (2020-08-01)

Best Italian villas Travel 47

fireplaces, maiolica tiles and exposed

stone walls. Effectively three limestone

buildings arranged around a shady

courtyard garden, the masseria is

dotted with quiet nooks and crannies,

from a rooftop terrace and dining

loggia to cushioned alcoves and a large

walled pool.

Details Seven nights’ self-catering

for ten from £5,350

(thethinkingtraveller.com).

Fly to Brindisi

17 Girolia Sardinia

The decor is a touch 1980s

pastel-everything, but that keeps the

price down, and it’s what happens

alfresco at this villa that really counts.

On the first floor, three bedrooms open

on to a balcony with massive wicker

armchairs and sweeping views over

the gulf of Arzachena; downstairs, a

poolside gazebo with white-cushioned

benches cries out for pre-dinner

Camparis in the cool sea breeze. The

property’s one-bedroom apartment is

a good place to banish couples with

babies. The beach resort of Baja

Sardinia is only a five-minute drive

down the hill.

Details Seven nights’ self-catering

for eight from £2,340

(sardinianplaces.co.uk). Fly to Olbia

17 Girolia, Sardinia

16 Masseria Scippi in Puglia

highlight for most is the private pocket

of rocky coastline, reached via a

twisting path through lush terraced

gardens. High on a cliffside estate near

Sorrento and Positano, the imposing

modern villa near Massa Lubrense has

dizzying views across the Tyrhennian

Sea to Ischia and Capri. Forget

functional rental decor; this is a well-

loved home that is filled with abstract

artworks, and its high-ceilinged interiors

are styled with considerable flair.

Details Seven nights’ self-catering

for ten from £3,820

(welcomebeyond.com). Fly to

Naples

14 Terzetto Sicily

In the hills above Sicily’s

north coast, Terzetto

comprises a trio of striking

stone and timber cubes shaded

by olive trees and Sicilian firs.

The largest of these houses

comprises a contemporary

kitchen-diner, spilling out on to a

poolside terrace and generous lawn.

There you’ll find a shaded sofa area

and sweeping views of the Tyrhennian

Sea; an alfresco kitchen and dining area

has a wood-fired pizza oven. Sant-

Ambrogio is less than ten minutes’

drive away, for the beach and pre-dinner

limoncello.

Details Seven nights’ self-catering for

eight from £3,050 (vintagetravel.co.uk).

Fly to Palermo

As for the top-floor bedroom with
panoramic bathtub: mamma mia.
Get bagsying now.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for
six from £3,680 (oliverstravels.com).
Fly to Venice

13 Villa Amalfi Campania

A bijou annexe to this three-bedroom
villa makes it a great choice for a family
travelling with grandparents, but the

15 Castagna

Italian Lakes

When only a lakeside villa with its

own sauna will do, Castagna sits in

two immaculately manicured acres on

the northern shores of Lake Maggiore.

A short stroll from the Romanesque

churches, cobbled piazzas and lakeside

trattorias in outrageously pretty

Pallanza, the villa has three

upstairs bedrooms, each opening

on to a balcony overlooking the

water. Mixing solid antiques

with striking modern

artworks, the villa has

fabulous floor-to-ceiling

views from the lounge,

which opens on to a

wide timber deck with

shaded dining table and

infinity pool.

Details Seven nights’

self-catering for six from

£4,059 (oliverstravels.com).

Fly to Milan

16 Masseria Scippi

Puglia

Less than 20 miles from the very tip

of Italy’s heel, this handsome masseria

(fortified farmhouse) is surrounded by

a sea of olive groves at the agricultural

heart of the Salento region. Decor

is a boutique mix of modern and

peasant-chic features, with original

More villas on page 49

Almirena in Veneto

12

THE THINKING TRAVELLER; GABRIELE MASTRILLI; SARDINIAN PLACES