Amy
100+ Posts
The Augustus apartment in Casa Spello is a beautifully restored, two level apartment in Spello, just above the wall on the western side of town, near the Porta di Venere. It is a 3-4 minute walk to the main street in town with its restaurants and small shops. Note that the short street the house is on is extremely steep cobbles and brick, so this would not be a good choice for someone with mobility issues, although I managed it using a cane.
The website descriptions and photos accurately reflect the reality. http://www.casaspello.com/augustus.php
You climb a short flight of stone steps to a small front porch, with has a bench and stone table, large enough for two (three with a squeeze)to use for dining. The view is down alongside the town, and across to the valley. It is the highway side, so not quite as bucolic or silent as from the other side of town, but you do get glorious sunsets.
Inside on the first floor is a very well equipped kitchen, with stove/oven, microwave, toaster, large fridge/freezer, desk area, and table for four. We found it easy to cook complete meals, and there was a good range of cooking equipment and some staples. The large living room has two sofas and a daybed, and lots of local guides and materials. Our son reported the daybed was fairly comfortable. A half bath also downstairs. Upstairs is a large bedroom, comfortable bed with firm mattress. Washing machine in the hall. Large bathroom with small walk-in shower, double sinks and bidet. Plenty of good towels. A welcome rarity-- all windows have pull-down screens!
Since Spello is a hilltown with limited parking inside the walls, you park about a 10 minute walk away. (Note that as of September Piazza Republica is still being repaved, so you can't park there and access through the back road is sometimes closed). On our arrival day we drove up into town, dropped our luggage with one person while the driver continued out of town to park. We found the best parking for us was Lot 4, up at the top of town just beyond the gate leading to via Giulia. (take via Circonvallazione from the Borgo)
There are three other apartments in the house, and a shared garden down below with table and chairs. Wifi was on the slow side, especially in the morning and evening when the other apartments are all using it. We used a mifi connected to a phone during those times.
The owner and keyholder are both very responsive and helpful. Nadia the keyholder speaks English, helped with our luggage and was always available via text if needed.
We found this to be a comfortable base for a two week stay, and would recommend it. Spello attracts bus tours for short periods of time for people to wander up and down the main street, but at night the town returns to its sleepy self. The village school in the center of town, and residents chatting at the commuter bus stop or shopping at the forno remind you that this is a real, living town. There are a few shops up in town, and more in the modern Borgo at the base-- a good supermarket, forno, fruit and vegetable store, etc. Our best meals in town were at Il Pituricchio, and La Cantina; and L'Orlando Furioso in the Borgo for pizza.
The website descriptions and photos accurately reflect the reality. http://www.casaspello.com/augustus.php
You climb a short flight of stone steps to a small front porch, with has a bench and stone table, large enough for two (three with a squeeze)to use for dining. The view is down alongside the town, and across to the valley. It is the highway side, so not quite as bucolic or silent as from the other side of town, but you do get glorious sunsets.
Inside on the first floor is a very well equipped kitchen, with stove/oven, microwave, toaster, large fridge/freezer, desk area, and table for four. We found it easy to cook complete meals, and there was a good range of cooking equipment and some staples. The large living room has two sofas and a daybed, and lots of local guides and materials. Our son reported the daybed was fairly comfortable. A half bath also downstairs. Upstairs is a large bedroom, comfortable bed with firm mattress. Washing machine in the hall. Large bathroom with small walk-in shower, double sinks and bidet. Plenty of good towels. A welcome rarity-- all windows have pull-down screens!
Since Spello is a hilltown with limited parking inside the walls, you park about a 10 minute walk away. (Note that as of September Piazza Republica is still being repaved, so you can't park there and access through the back road is sometimes closed). On our arrival day we drove up into town, dropped our luggage with one person while the driver continued out of town to park. We found the best parking for us was Lot 4, up at the top of town just beyond the gate leading to via Giulia. (take via Circonvallazione from the Borgo)
There are three other apartments in the house, and a shared garden down below with table and chairs. Wifi was on the slow side, especially in the morning and evening when the other apartments are all using it. We used a mifi connected to a phone during those times.
The owner and keyholder are both very responsive and helpful. Nadia the keyholder speaks English, helped with our luggage and was always available via text if needed.
We found this to be a comfortable base for a two week stay, and would recommend it. Spello attracts bus tours for short periods of time for people to wander up and down the main street, but at night the town returns to its sleepy self. The village school in the center of town, and residents chatting at the commuter bus stop or shopping at the forno remind you that this is a real, living town. There are a few shops up in town, and more in the modern Borgo at the base-- a good supermarket, forno, fruit and vegetable store, etc. Our best meals in town were at Il Pituricchio, and La Cantina; and L'Orlando Furioso in the Borgo for pizza.
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