Hand-picked holiday villas, apartments and hotels in all the best regions of Italy

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Family-friendly holidays in the sun
Apartments – practical, versatile and affordable

All of Essential Italy’s properties are hand-picked to offer you the best possible experience of Italy. Our apartments are no exception – usually in small groups (never high-rise blocks) and often in the grounds of the owner’s house. Our owners are always happy to share their local knowledge, and many will also offer meals or babysitting facilities.

There are other practical advantages too. Apartments often have a restaurant on site, and many have access to communal facilities like tennis courts, a golf course, or are simply closer to (or on) the beach. Those with families will appreciate other children being nearby to play with, and perhaps most attractively, apartments are usually quite a bit cheaper than an equivalent sized villa.

We've included a selection of our favourite apartments below, together with some tips for places to see or stay, and a fabulous recipe from one of our resident owner-chefs. For a personalised service, or to book any of these properties, please call Helen or Louise on +44(0)1223 460100 and we'll hand-pick the best that Italy has to offer for you.

Tuscany classic Italian Countryside

Cortona – ‘turned towards the midday sun’
Introducing one of the many beautiful and historic walled towns in Tuscany

Cortona is a small town high up in the Tuscan hills, close to the border with Umbria. It has a rich (and much-debated) history dating back to the Etruscans, although local folklore says it was founded by Noah’s descendents, so enchanted were they with the fertile lands of the valley, the view and the ‘calm air’.

Characterised by steep narrow streets and medieval architecture, much of Cortona is unchanged from when it was under the control of the Medici family in the 15th century. A local historian charmingly described its layout as 'turned towards the midday sun'. There is plenty for Renaissance buffs to enjoy, notably in the art in the many churches.

As well as the Etruscan city walls, there are Roman and Egyptian artefacts in the local museums, and nearby are the monastery of La Celle (founded by St Francis of Assisi) and Lago Tramisano, site of one of Hannibal’s famous battles.

The town has a rich cultural and artistic calendar, so can be enjoyed most of the year round. It has good rail and road links to the rest of Tuscany, including the nearby towns of Arezzo, Siena as well as the city of Florence.
View all our properties in Tuscany »

Puglia Italy’s hot destination, in more ways than one

Step back in time in a Pugliese trullo

A trullo (plural, trulli) is one of the most distinctive sights of Puglia - a whitewashed stone building (or group of buildings) with a conical roof, shining like white jewels in the heat. They are so distinctive that the trulli of Alberobello have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Traditionally built as temporary rural shelters, or to house a farmer and his family, the building techniques used date back to neolithic times and are a testament to man’s resourcefulness and ingenuity. Typically built around a central well, their thick stone walls are cool in summer and warm in winter. The mortarless construction (drywall) at one point was thought to be used in order to evade taxes on ‘permanent’ buildings. Some things never change....

Nowadays, many trulli have been converted to holiday accommodation, as they are less practical to live in all year round, and better access to water and building materials have made this sort of construction more expensive than modern concrete dwellings.

They are a great place to spend a week or two, soaking up the Pugliese sun, and feeling that connection with antiquity. We have a number of trulli on our books, including: Lalapanzi and Truddhi.
Other properties in Puglia »

Sicily true Mediterranean romance

Sicilian apple cake with raisins and nuts

Christina and Toto (the owners of Borgo Petra) share one of their favourite recipes.

180g white wheat flour
8g baking powder (half a bag)
3 eggs
170g sugar
150g butter, melted (not over direct heat, but cut into pieces and put in a ceramic bowl that has to be placed in a saucepan with water in it)
1 pinch baking soda
200g grated apples
1 spoonful raisins
60g shelled walnuts, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 large cake mould

Soak the raisins in water for half an hour. Preheat the oven at 180 C.

Put eggs and sugar in a mixer and beat them until the mixture doubles in volume and gets soft and creamy.

Drain the raisins, dry them with kitchen paper and sprinkle them with a little flour.

Add the flour and the melted butter to the mixture, little by little; then add baking powder and baking soda, grated apples, cinnamon, raisins and walnuts.

Grease the cake mould with butter and sprinkle with flour. Pour the mixture in the cake mould and bake for 50 minutes. Control cooking putting a knife blade in the dough: the cake is ready when the blade gets out clean.

View all our properties in Sicily »

Sardinia stunning beaches, crystal-clear sea

Cavalcata Sarda
Sardinian pride and passion

The Cavalcata Sarda takes place every year on the third Sunday in May through the streets of Sassari in the North West of Sardinia. It is one of the few festa on the island that involves people from all over the island, and increasingly from other places, like nearby Corsica.

The Cavalcata is a celebration - of spring, of the Sardinian people, and occasionally to honour a specific person or event. Primarily, it is an opportunity for the people of Sardinia to come together and celebrate their rich local identity, food and customs together.

Whether it is the handmade costumes and jewellery, the folk song and dance, or the spectacular displays of horsemanship, there is something for everyone to enjoy at this festa. Maybe we’ll see you there next year?

View all our properties in Sardinia »

Competition
Essential Italy – best of 2011 in pictures

We love Italy (you may have noticed). We like to share the pictures we take while 'researching' villas and new places to go on our Facebook page.

We like to see what you've been up to on your Italian holiday, too. And to make it a little more piccante we're going to turn it into a competition. Share some of your Essential Italy moments from 2011 (ie anything you feel sums up the essence of Italy), and if other people like it too, we'll offer the following prizes:

* 1st prize of a 12 bottle crate of our selection of hand-picked Italian wines or a 5% discount voucher redeemable against a 2012 booking.

* 2nd prize of a 6 bottle selection of Italian wines.

To take part, send us ONE photo that you have taken that you think best sums up your 'Essential Italy 2011' to photocomp@essentialitaly.co.uk, together with a caption or description and your Facebook username (if you want to increase your chances in the public vote). The most popular photos (the most 'liked') will win the prizes.

A full set of instructions, plus terms and conditions is available here.