Agriturismo Le Perelle (Le Marche, Italy)
A nice meeting with Marco and Romina, the owners of Agriturismo Le Perelle in Le Marche, Italy. Romina is an Architect, Marco a Financial Consultant and a Naturalistic Guide, Elena is their wonderful daughter.
Dear Marco, can you tell us something about the start of your accommodation ? When did you start ? Did You had any previous experiences in hospitality business ?
In september 2005 we bought our villa and the property, with fields (90.000sqm) and an old ruin. The house was and old holiday villa, but was abandoned for the last 20 years. We took care of the biggest part of the restoration, mainteining the structure of the old villa. In april 2007 we went to live here and we started to think a solution for the old ruin. In 2009 my wife finished the project of the new villa with pool, thought for tourism, in particular a slow tourism. In 2011 the old ruin became a new villa!!!!
Your guests are mostly European ? Mostly Italian ?
90% of our guests are from Northern Europe (Belgium, The Nederlands, England, Germany, Scandinavian area,….), and 10% is from Italy.
What type of guests do you attract ?
People who enjoy the quietness and nature, good food and good wine. Who like to go hiking or just come here to relax and read a book close the pool, or just enjoy the view on our Parks. Mainly people who don’t like mass tourism and searching for undiscovered places.
What do you offer ?
ONE Villa with pool in exclusivity !!!! It’s composed by 2 apartments with 2 bedrooms and a bathroom (4-5 beds each one). Villa is fully equipped: there is a kitchen where guests can prepare their own meals, a wellness area (Jacuzzi and Finnish Sauna, more than a small private gym) and a living room in the mezzanine. There is also a swimming pool with sun loungers. And a big garden with a barbecue place and a volleyball field. People really enjoy the peace and quiet here, and a most common response of our guests is: you can hear the silence!Just in low season, when the pool is closed,we could book single apartments, not in exclusivity.
What is unique about your location? Why would people choose to stay in your neighborhood? What authentic local experiences will guests have access to?
The location of our agriturismo is unique: it is situated in the middle of nature, very close to Umbria region, 3.5km to Sassoferrato (one of “the most beautiful villages of Italy”). The only sounds you will ear here is from nature: birds, deers etc. and sometimes the howling of wolves. Fromout the house there a hikingpaths to walk and you can mountainbike here. In the villages all around there are a lot of beautifull architectural buildings and splendid views. There are also some very old cathedrals, churches and crypts to visit. There are also the Grotte di Frassasi (very beautiful, large caves that are discovered in 1971!) The Apennine mountains are nearby and the Adriatic coast is also not very far (about 50 km). So guests can do a lot of different things and plan their days like it suits them best.
When is the best time to visit your area?
May and June are very beautifull months because nature is coming to life, there are a lot of different kinds of butterflies and at night you can see the fireflies. At the end of September and in October the forests chance their colours, that is also a beautifull experience. Every season has its own charms
Do You offer arrangements to your guests to visit the area ?
I’m a Naturalistic Guide, my wife an Architect: we are Le Marche history and arts enthusiasts and …… lovers of good wine and food. You can imagine !!!! We like to inform the guest as best as we can.
Any funny stories about running this accommodation ?
Every guest is different, we have made some real friends over the years.
Is there any typical meal guests should try when visiting your region ?
Yes, there are some typical meals specifically in this region of Le Marche, for example crescia, some type of pancake (not sweet) that is prepared on something like a barbecue and we like to eat that with prosciutto, pecorino cheese and some vegetables. In this region truffles are found, so there are a variety of dishes with truffles. At the end of October there is always a festival dedicated to the truffle. Wines from the region are excellent: Verdicchio, Rosso Piceno, Rosso Conero, Lacrima di Morro D’alba are just some of our high quality most famous wines. For ladies (…and for men 😉 ) there is also a very special type of drink that is a sweet red wine with cherries.
Are You planning new services or activities in the next months or years to come?
Yes we have some plans…We will let you know later on..
What’s your favourite holiday destination ?
This kind of business does not leave us much time for holidays, but we like to discover Northern Europe.
What is your favourite part of your job / activity?
The interaction with our guests and making sure that they have a lovely holiday here.
Is it possible to use public transport to come to your accommodation?
Yes, but a car is recommended.
One can not overlook the local pork cold cuts that are traditional in these zones and represent a local typical product. A typical tasting consists of a platter with a splay of locally made salamis and cheeses accompanied by a basket of ‘Crescia’ (a type of locally made focaccia) and a glass of Rosso Piceno or, why not, an organic Verdicchio superiore. You cannot miss a tasting of the renowned ‘Salame di Fabriano’ (Fabriano salami), one of the Slow Food approved products of the Marche region. Another must is the mountain Prosciutto, and Pecorino and Ricotta accompanied by honey or marmalade. Meat lovers must try the Fabriano bred lamb and the Marchigian beef which is one of the more esteemed bovine breeds in Italy, sanctioned by the brands “5R” and “PGI-Central Apennine White beef”.
