the Olive Mill

Once a mill where the nearby farms would press their olives, the Olive Mill features medieval walls, arches, and antique rustic furniture. Located just steps away from shops and restaurants, this is one of the most attractive and central studios in Panicale. It is ideally suited for a couple, but with its surprisingly generous proportions, a small family would not lack space.

Amenities:

1 Double Bed Sofa|1 Single Bed Sofa| 1 Bathroom| TV|Fire Place |Washing Machine| Views

Short-term prices

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High Season: April 8th – October 15th, Christmas, New Years and Easter included.
Low Season: October 15th – March 31st (2007).

Long-term prices per month

You enter The Olive Mill from the street and find yourself at the top of a few shallow broad steps leading down into the main room. From here you can see through the length of the apartment to the windows overlooking the valley. Immediately, you will struck by its size and charm. Having once been a working mill, the apartment is designed around a series of arches set at angles to each other. These original medieval features are now cleverly used to enhance the space.

Coming down the stairs there are antique and rustic wooden chests and cupboards against the walls, leading into the living area. Here there is a dining table, sofa, television and a large working fire place. A sweeping red-brick arch divides the living area from the sleeping area with the use of fitted shelving behind the sofa. Perfect to keep the books you have been saving for your holiday reading.

To the right of the sofa and at a right angle to the main arch, is a smaller arch. This is where the kitchen has been cleverly hidden in an oak cupboard, so if you do not like to see the cooker from the living space you can simply close the lid on it. The Kitchen is very small and does not have an oven, but there is a full size hob and sink with storage cupboards on the walls either side. You can always do what the Umbrian's do, and grill your meat on the fire place. This is still common practice in Umbria on a winter night.

On the right of the kitchen is the door into the Bathroom, which is divided into two areas. First, there is a spacious hand washing basin and vanity mirror, with storage baskets and draws set into an arch in the wall. Then through another door is the shower, toilet and bidet. Screened off at the far side of the shower stall is a small storage area with the washing machine.

Through the large arch over the living space is the bedroom area. From its window, the view sweeps out across the Trasimeno valley. The bed is a sofa bed, so you have the choice of putting it away and just sitting and admiring the view, or, keeping it made up during the day and sitting at the writing desk with your coffee instead. Do not let the idea of a sofa bed put you off. When we heard that there was no 'proper bed', we were clearly alarmed. The owner, seeing this, promptly assured us that his wife had insisted on the best sofa bed. He pulled it out, and lo and behold, a full thickness, double bed mattress, magically unfolded from its depths!

Are there any bad points to the Olive Mill? Not really. It could be a little brighter inside, but this keeps it lovely and cool in the summer, a real bonus in a country that has little air conditioning. Being on a road you can hear the odd car passing by. This being Panicle, gunning engines and screeching wheels do not happen, and the sound of passing cars is unlikely to bother you.

A great deal of loving care and attention to detail has been spent to ensure that nothing is out of place, from the rich, glowing colours of the wooden furniture to the warm homely feel of the cotto floor tiles. The Olive Mill is a very well loved property, and it shows. It is without doubt the ideal location to explore the Trasimeno valley and the hill top towns of Umbria.