Italy Real Estate from Piedmont Properties

Historic, Early 18th Century Property with Chapel, Spacious 3,000 m² Grounds and Excellent Views in Sought-after Village Location

Near Asti

The Situation : This unique property is located on the top of a hill in the centre of a very sought-after historic village that overlooks the famous wine town of Asti. It is nevertheless quite private and secluded, and includes beautiful grounds of about 3,000 m² (0.75 acre). The house is very sunny, overlooking open countryside with views reaching as far as the Ligurian Alps in the south. Only 10 minutes away by car, Asti offers excellent shopping facilities, hotels, restaurants, schools and hospitals, plus elegant coffee and wine bars. The spectacular Palio of Asti - just as popular among Italians as the one in Siena, but even more ancient - is staged on the third weekend in September, followed by a famous wine festival - the Douja D'Or.

The House: the two storey, early 18th century brick townhouse is attached at one side to a very elegant renovated property. It includes an attached stable and hayloft - elements of a traditional Piedmontese cascina. The house features a small chapel, high vaulted brick ceilings (partly with wooden beam support) throughout, open fireplaces, and some rooms still have the original, very sought-after "cotto" floor tiles - frequently used in restoration projects to create beautiful, authentic antique floors. All rooms of the house, including 8 bedrooms, enjoy excellent views and are very light and spacious. The house is in a generally sound condition, but has been neglected over the years and is in need of modernization and renovation. We are happy to help the buyer find a very competitively-priced geometra (builder) to oversee the renovation. We provide this service to buyers free of charge.

Accommodation

Ground floor: The house has 2 entrances: the first is a pedestrian entrance from the quiet village road that leads up a few steps into the small former chapel, and from there into the house. The second, main entrance opens from the courtyard at the rear into a small hall, with a door to the left that leads into a spacious reception room and kitchen. A few steps from the ground floor lead down to a beautiful wine cellar and tunnel that have a constant temperature throughout the year. Also accessible only from the courtyard is the former stable - this could easily be integrated into the main accommodation and converted into a very spacious living room. A large portico, also on the ground floor, has the potential to provide a fine outdoor roofed patio area.

First floor: Stone stairs lead from the small hall on the ground floor to a small landing. On the first floor there are currently 4 spacious south-facing bedrooms, including one with a balcony, that overlook the courtyard and the rolling hills of the Monferrato countryside. Also located on the first floor, and currently only accessible from the outside, a huge hayloft offers further interesting development potential.

Second floor: Stone stairs lead from the first floor to a further small landing on the second floor. Here there are 4 additional spacious bedrooms with excellent views.

Outside A private drive with a gate leads from the village road below up to the large courtyard and to the house. The spacious, south-facing courtyard features mature trees and is surrounded by the grounds of the property. The grounds include a small vineyard, an orchard stocked with various fruit trees - including mature fig, peach, apple and pear - and a vegetable garden. There is also enough space for a generous swimming pool.

Services: Mains water, mains electricity, gas, telephone.

Sporting facilities: There are a number of golf-courses in Southern Piedmont. The nearest, Margara in Felizzano, can be reached by car in 20 minutes. Tennis courts can be found in the nearby towns, and horse riding is also very popular, with stables nearby. The excellent network of small, tarmac-surfaced country roads makes the area very popular with cyclists. The beaches of the Italian Riviera are a one hour drive away, and popular Italian ski resorts can be reached by motorway within a one to one-and-a-half hour drive.

Viewing: Strictly by appointment with the sole agents, Piedmont Properties.

Our opinion: a unique property that combines the convenience of its village location with the spaciousness of its rural setting, this is a gem that would make an ideal vacation home or all-year residence

More Pictures are available of this property.

For price information contact us quoting reference P208.