A charming flat in a country cottage in the Marche.

We bought this house 18 years ago from an unusual and talented blacksmith who had made the iron windows, banisters and even built the porch. Over the years we have made our own improvements too and we adore our little house which is quite hidden down our lane. As the road finishes here, no cars pass except our local bee keeper who has dozens of hives nearby. His honey is certainly exceptional and I have come to exchange a pot or two for some of my jam every summer. I think I get the better deal!
I recently translated a book about the landscape backgrounds of some of Piero della Francesca's paintings and was very excited to learn that according to recent research the background to his Triumphs painting (now in the Uffizzi) was painted from a hill just across the river from here! The book described his journey from San Sepolcro to Urbino, which he may have done over the mountain roads instead of in the valley, in which case he would havve passed very close to my house!
When you buy a house, you don't know a million things abuit it, but over the years I have come to appreciate and respect the diverse skills and working methods of the people I have got to know here. There is a Sardinian family just across the way that owns hundreds of sheep and it is such a pleasure to see them grazing on the hill opposite guarded by two or three Maremmano sheep dogs. I took my daughters to see them being milked a few years ago. The milk is sold to make Caciotta di Urbino cheese which was a favourite of Michelangelo's!