A week in Umbria
with the kids.
A hamlet where no cars pass, a pool with a shallow end, a garden to raid. They roam free, you sit down: that is the whole difference.
Borgo Santa Maria is a family-friendly agriturismo in Monteleone d'Orvieto, Umbria: no cars circulate inside the hamlet, the pool has a shallow end, and there are a football pitch, ping pong, bocce, a playground, a fishing pond and an organic garden with free picking. You rent an independent stone house with its own kitchen — 4 to 8 guests — from about €810 for 7 nights in low season (a week is charged as 6 nights) and €945 in high season, cleaning and linen included. Cot and high chair €30 per stay, dog €30. Orvieto is 25 minutes away, Lake Bolsena 50.
Six reasons,
very concrete ones.
No cars inside
It is the first thing parents notice. Children leave the house on their own, wander between the stone buildings, reach the football pitch and come back when they are hungry. You stay where you are sitting.
The pool has a shallow end
A low area where small children stand up, with loungers and umbrellas around it. Open from mid-May to the end of September — in mild seasons it opens earlier and closes later.
There is always something to do
Football pitch, ping pong in the shade of the walnut tree, bocce, volleyball, a playground, the pond where you can fish. No entertainment team, no wristbands: they simply play.
The garden is picked by hand
Strawberries in May, blackberries and raspberries in June, currants in July, grapes in September. The children pick, then the fruit ends up on the table: it is what they remember more than the art cities.
You cook at home
Every house has its own full kitchen: you eat at the children's hours, not at the restaurant's. And in the evening, once they are asleep, the table outside is yours.
There are other families
In summer there are usually other children around: within half a day they know each other, and from then on they play together. Parents only have to watch from a distance.
Which house
for a family.
These are the houses with at least two bedrooms: one for the parents, one for the children. The price is for the whole house, not per person.
Torretta
Volte
Terrazza
Gallo Nero
Loggia
Meridiana
Seven days,
without rushing.
Three outings in the whole week, the rest of the time here. It is the formula that works best with children: art cities are tiring, the hamlet is not.
- Day 1 ArrivalCheck-in from the afternoon You take over the house, do the big shop at the Conad in Fabro (10 minutes) and have dinner outside, on the table under the pergola. A first swim before dinner, if the drive was long.
- Day 2 Stay putZero kilometres The advice we give everyone: spend your first full day here. Pool in the morning, a nap, the garden and the football pitch in the afternoon. The children take the measure of the place and from then on they are self-sufficient.
- Day 3 Orvieto25 minutes The finest town nearby and the easiest with children: you go up by funicular, the Duomo takes five minutes from outside, and St Patrick's Well with its two spiral staircases is what they enjoy most.
- Day 4 Here againZero kilometres A slow day: the pond, ping pong, an e-bike ride for the older ones, barbecue in the evening. On request you can do a cooking class in the Locanda delle Rose — the children roll the fresh pasta.
- Day 5 Lake Bolsena and Civita45-60 minutes The bridge to Civita di Bagnoregio in the morning, straight out of a picture book; the beach and a swim in Lake Bolsena in the afternoon. This is the trip that keeps everyone happy.
- Day 6 Val d'Orcia or the market25-70 minutes With older children, Pienza and Montepulciano; with small ones, the market in Città della Pieve (25 minutes) and back for lunch. The afternoon is the pool again.
- Day 7 The last day is hereZero kilometres Packing without hurry, a last swim, a last walk through the garden. Those leaving the following day usually ask whether they can stay until after lunch: almost always they can.
The questions you ask
before booking.
Is Borgo Santa Maria suitable for small children?
Yes. No cars circulate inside the hamlet, so children move freely between the houses, the park and the sports areas. The pool has a shallow end, there is a playground, and every house has a kitchen so you can eat at the children's hours. The ground-floor bedrooms are the most convenient for an afternoon nap.
Are a cot and a high chair available?
Yes, a travel cot and a high chair are available on request at €30 per stay (not per night). Please ask for them when booking, as numbers are limited. The houses also have extra beds and sofa beds for larger families.
Is there a washing machine?
Yes, there is a washing machine for guests in a shared common area of the hamlet, and it is included in the stay. For a week with children it is nearly always the first question. Bed linen and towels are included and we change them ourselves: the machine is for everyday clothes, swimsuits and whatever comes back from the field.
Where do you do the shopping?
There is a small grocery in Monteleone d'Orvieto, 5 minutes away by car, for bread, milk and everyday shopping. For a big shop, the Conad supermarket in Fabro is 10 minutes away. Seasonal fruit and vegetables can be picked directly in our organic garden, and we sell the hamlet's own olive oil, wine and jams.
What if it rains for two days?
The houses have a fireplace or wood stove (Loggia, Volte, Gallo Nero, Fienile, Limonaia) and we provide the firewood. Within an hour you have Orvieto Underground, St Patrick's Well and the museums of Perugia. On request we organise an indoor cooking class in the Locanda delle Rose.
Can we bring the dog?
Yes, pets are welcome with a flat €30 one-off supplement for the extra cleaning. There is a large park and woodland paths all around. Dogs must be kept on a lead in the common areas and cannot enter the pool or the event halls.
How much does a week cost for a family?
A house for four starts at around €945 for 7 nights and a house for eight at around €1645, always for the whole house and not per person. In low season a week is charged as 6 nights instead of 7, so the same stays come down to about €810 and €1410. Final cleaning, linen, Wi-Fi, washing machine, parking, pool, park and sports facilities are included.
What it costs,
actually.
Low-season price, where a week is charged as six nights; from €945 in high season. Two bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and private outdoor space, for the whole house.
Low season again; from €1645 in high season. For large families or two families travelling together.
Final cleaning, linen, Wi-Fi, washing machine, parking, pool, park, sports areas and free picking in the garden. Only the cot and high chair (€30) and the dog (€30) are added.
Rates change with the season: send us your dates and the children's ages, and we'll tell you which house suits you and the exact price.
Tell us
who you are.
How many of you there are, how old the children are, which week you have in mind. We'll come back with the right house and the exact price for those dates.