Podere Sirolo From Farmhouse Roots to Contemporary Country Haven Home
Podere Sirolo sits just outside Città della Pieve, Italy, a country house conceived by Special Italy – Special Umbria as a calm base in the Umbrian hills. The team replaces an old farmhouse with a new rural retreat that leans into natural materials, soft color and an easy connection to the landscape. Guests step into a villa for eight where comfort, handmade craft and long views set the rhythm of each day.
Late afternoon light glances across the hills and catches the stone of Città della Pieve, its profile neatly framed in the villa’s broad windows. Inside, pale floors, soft colors and low furniture pull the eye back to a quieter scene where everyday rituals unfold at an easy, measured pace.
This is a new country house in Città della Pieve, Italy, created by Special Italy – Special Umbria in 2024 for guests who seek comfort and connection. The villa replaces a former farmhouse yet keeps the rural spirit close through local materials and a calm palette. Interior choices focus on how people actually live here: gathering around the table, barefoot on the cool resin floor, moving between garden “rooms” and the pool with almost no threshold.
Shaping A Rural Retreat
The house sits within open countryside, oriented toward long views over the Val di Chiana and across to Tuscany. Several windows frame the medieval hilltop town so that its silhouette becomes part of the daily backdrop, whether someone drinks coffee at dawn or reads as the sun drops. Replacing the old farmhouse, the new villa keeps the idea of a working rural property but loosens it into a place given over to rest and shared time. Eight guests spread out here, yet the rooms feel linked by light, color and a consistent material rhythm.
Crafted Furniture And Flow
Much of the interior character comes from bespoke furniture, handmade by local carpenters who understand the region’s timber and proportions. Their pieces sit alongside a tight selection of international design brands, so a simple wooden table may stand next to a sculpted contemporary chair without visual noise. Underfoot, a light color resin floor runs throughout, tying the rooms together and cooling the atmosphere on hot Umbrian days. That smooth plane sets up a clear counterpoint to the warm wood, which adds weight and a tactile comfort wherever hands and feet land.
Kitchen As Everyday Stage
In the kitchen, the palette narrows further to let a single element take charge. A marble worktop spans the counter as one generous slab, its veining read as a kind of landscape in stone. People prep meals, pour wine and gather around it, turning a practical surface into a quiet focal point for the house. With the resin floor below and soft-toned walls around, this room absorbs activity without feeling busy, so cooking becomes part of the relaxed daily rhythm rather than a separate chore.
Garden Rooms And Pool Life
Beyond the walls, the interior palette carries into a carefully structured garden. Landscaped planting organizes the grounds into outdoor rooms for dining, lounging and informal gatherings, each edged by Mediterranean shrubs and trees. A long table under the veranda sets the scene for open-air meals that stretch into the evening, with the view to the hills held just beyond the rail. Nearby, the 14m x 6m pool sits in a lawned terrace, its generous size inviting laps, play and the simple pleasure of drifting between water and grass.
Back inside, the villa stays quiet and bright, a steady counterpoint to the drama of the surrounding landscape. Guests move between interior rooms and garden terraces without formal thresholds, carrying towels, books and conversation through light-filled doorways. As day fades and the town on the hill glows, Podere Sirolo folds those everyday movements into a steady, shared retreat in the Umbrian countryside.
Photography by Alessandro Zaccaro
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