What a charming little house, although close to town there is complete silence and an immediate feeling of cosiness and peace.  Nestled in the hills just a short walk away from Cortona, Bramasole has been finished to the highest standard.

One arrives passing underneath the house owned by the author of "Under the Tuscan Sun". Considered the "better" side of Cortona, the house is reached by a narrow lane with an increasing sense of magic for about 900 metres, to find the most charming environment that has been created in harmony with the olive terraces leading down to a small stream.  The gardens are delightful,  all on different levels with extensive dry stone walling that looks as though it has been there for generations.

There are fine Tuscan architectural details to note throughout the 175 sqm home.  Sitting on two floors and with all the modern comforts, the restoration of the property included detail to Tuscan style and tradition. On the barrel vaulted ground floor there is a large living room over 10 metres long with 3 sets of chestnut French doors that open onto a spectacular view over the front terrace down to the valley (south facing). Sometimes in the autumn and spring the valley is covered by mist and could be mistaken for the sea, with just the hilltops showing through bathed by sunlight.

The whole ground floor has hand made, wood fired terra cotta tiles laid in a charming pattern, with under floor heating (on both floors). One end of the living room leads onto a decent sized country kitchen with room for a centre table, and a fabulous antique stone sink with 300 year old Sicilian hand painted tiles as a splash back in a blue and green motif. There are also double French doors leading out to a private terrace. At the other end of the living room there is a TV lounge room where you would be able to see the old stone fireplace at the end of the living room.  This area can also double as a study/office as it is "computer-friendly" with plugs and sockets, both in the floor as well as the shelving close by.

Going upstairs there are two guest bedrooms which share a bathroom and a huge master suite with private bathroom, dressing room and conservatory overlooking a private piece of garden that has been screened by clever planting. There is already planning permission for a swimming pool, which is quite a rarity so close to the town centre. We would consider the property to be fairly priced for the area and especially for the quality of the restoration - an excellent investment, both in terms of capital appreciation as well as a high quality rental.

Cortona is only 15 minutes away from the main line station of Terontola, from which Rome or Florence are a short journey -  easily accessible for a day trip. Likewise other areas of interest such as Perugia, Assisi, Siena and Arezzo are close by too. Lake Trasimeno, where there are water sports during the summer as well as challenging year round sailing is about 20 minutes away, and  Cortona in itself is an exceptional hilltop town built on an Etruscan site, steeped in history and offering a richly textured view of authentic Italian lifestyle.