A private road lined with oak, broom and other shrubs leads to the entrance gate of Ca’Fabbro, a 19th-century farmhouse restructured in the 1970s and renovated still more recently. The spacious courtyard, with a great old mulberry tree, still has a country look: it recalls the cultivation of silkworms early in the 20th century throughout the ‘Marche’ region. Today the courtyard also serves as a parking area.

The house is situated on a hillside with varying perspectives: the Apennines rise in the south, a line of hills to the north-east slope gently towards the Adriatic. The house itself is surrounded by greenery, replete with places to relax or sit quietly in the shade, along with a lovely swimming pool filled with active oxygen water.

From Ca’Fabbro one can stroll in the woods or on country paths, or take the road a short distance to Pieve di Cagna, an outlying village of the Urbino district.

Urbino itself is less than fifteen minutes away by car, on roads winding through farmland. The ‘ideal city’ of the Renaissance is full of art, history and monuments. The shops propose an interesting blend of alternative and traditional items, including local craftsmanship.

About twenty minutes away by car, along a scenic skyline road, you can also visit the ‘twin’ town of Urbania. The summer palace of the duke of Urbino, the Montefeltro family, lies at its center.