Italy has some famous bridges. There’s the Ponte Vecchio in Venice and the Ponte Rialto in Florence. Even nearby Tolentino has its famous Ponte del Diavolo – the Devil’s Bridge!! There’s a fully restored 3 bedroom farmhouse just outside Loro Piceno that’s your bridge to Le Marche. Its location, views, size, interior and potential uses all “bridge” the characteristics you seek most in your Marche home. It’s no wonder we call this Marche property “CASA PONTE”, the “bridge”.
Casa Ponte is the ideal Marche property if you’re looking to bridge all the possibilities of home ownership in Le Marche. Looking to bridge holiday use with rental use or full-time living? Or, maybe you like a location that bridges between the mountains and the coast? Do you like an interior style that seamlessly bridges between the rustic and contemporary? Casa Ponte bridges these characteristics and lots of others.
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Casa Ponte is a fully restored Marche farmhouse. Right-sized at 180 sqm., it bridges between cottages that are too small and villas that are too big. The exterior of Casa Ponte is a mix of old brick with a touch of traditionally colored plaster. The house was restored around 12 years ago to a high standard, both esthetically and technically. Amongst several important technical characteristics, Casa Ponte was restored to exacting anti-seismic building regulations and has made use of the IGLU system in the foundation – a high-end build technique that repels interior damp and enhances thermal insulation.
Casa Ponte’s interior design is a perfect bridge between contemporary living and a traditional rustic style. The ground floor has an open-plan design. In fact, standing in the kitchen, you can look all the way through the house, through the pergola outside and out to the views. It’s a great contemporary architectural feature. So too is the abundance of windows and doors, lots of glass taking in the views and letting the light pour in. This contemporary design is complimented and balanced by rustic touches such as the cotto floor tiles, original beams, several exposed stone walls and old brick-clad column in the main living area. This bridging of styles carries through with the exterior design which preserved the classic external staircase common to Marche farmhouses.
The layout at Casa Ponte is straightforward. On the ground floor there’s the contemporary kitchen with marble countertops, dishwasher, fridge/freezer and 5 burner cooktop. There are two unique bridges to the past – first, there’s an old cornerstone recovered in the restoration of the house – engraved with the year “1898”…the second is the old bread oven from the original house. It, too, was recovered and now has a prominent position in the kitchen as a decorative element. The owners use it as a sort of good luck charm – for every bottle of Marche wine that’s uncorked at Casa Ponte, the cork gets tossed into the old bread oven opening! From the kitchen there’s a big transitory wall opening and you step down into a comfortable dining room. From there to the living room/lounge is another big wall opening that contributes to the open-plan. Here, there’s the aforementioned brick-clad column, lots of space and natural light. Also in this room is a big 16kw wood burner that assists with heating the house in winter. Finally, on the ground floor there’s a wc and laundry room.
Moving upstairs at Casa Ponte via the open staircase you arrive at a central landing. From here you access three bedrooms – 2 are guest bedrooms and one is the master bedroom. The guest bedrooms share a big, well-appointed family bathroom, while the master bedroom has its own ensuite bathroom. The cotto floor tiles and occasional exposed stone wall are reprised on this floor. Note, too, that the bedrooms all have insect screens.
Heading outside at Casa Ponte you are immediately in awe of the spectacular views…views that bridge what seems to be the entire central part of Le Marche…you see TWO provincial capitals – Macerata and Fermo, the iconic coastal mountain, Monte Conero, and, on clear days you can even see ferries on the Adriatic Sea!! These are outstanding views.
The plot is a very manageable 4,000 sqm. It’s mostly flat. The landscaping is simple and easy to maintain. There are 30+ olive trees on the plot as well as some fig trees. The plot enjoys full-day sun. The four-columned pergola at the back of the house is the perfect spot for al fresco dining, relaxation and refuge from the sun on the hottest summer days. Note, too, that there are two accessory buildings on the plot – 1 of 15 sqm and 1 of 20 sqm. These are used, respectively, as a garden shed and a wood store.
Casa Ponte also bridges life in the countryside with that of the centro storico – you’re a 10 minute walk to the center of Loro Piceno, and a 2 minute drive. We can’t over-emphasize how rare it is to find a restored farmhouse that is walking distance to its nearest hill-town. This convenient location means you can easily enjoy the centro storico, its shopping, tavernas, services, restaurants and weekly market, while back at the house, it’s all the peace, quiet and privacy of the countryside. This locational convenience extends to the larger area, as Casa Ponte’s location is the ideal bridge between mountains and coastline. The mountains are around 45 minutes away while you’re on the coast in 30 minutes. You’re also very close to three airports – Ancona, 50 minutes…Perugia, 1:10…Pescara, 1:20.
Rounding out the discussion on location, Casa Ponte is fortunate to be as close as it is to Loro Piceno, a lively market town whose history dates to Roman times and is today noteworthy for award winning vineyards, its Vino Cotto Festival, places to eat and proximity to mountains, beaches and airports. Casa Ponte is 8km from the La Murola vineyards and just across the valley are the renowned Saputi vineyards. Both are makers of excellent Marche wines. There’s an organic restaurant just 5km away. Neighboring hill-towns of Mogliano (very close by), Colmurano, Urbisaglia, Ripe San Ginesio and San Ginesio are all within a 10-15 minute drive. The Fiastra Abbey nature preserve with picnic grounds, hiking/cycling trails and equestrian center is 10+ minutes away, while the cities of Tolentino and Macerata are, respectively, 15 and 20 minutes from Casa Ponte. All this makes Casa Ponte your bridge to enjoying all there is to sip, sample and see in Le Marche!
Some practical considerations at Casa Ponte are these – the house sits just off a provincial road. That means you get everywhere quickly and easily without any long access roads to navigate and maintain. There’s an automatic gate that enters the plot. Heating is by gas-powered radiators. There are a boiler room and wood storage room accessed from the outside of the house. All windows and exterior doors at Casa Ponte are excellent quality double-glazed. There’s a home security system and excellent broad-band internet service. Finally, the owners originally had permission to construct a pool, which has since lapsed but could be reinstated under your ownership. The plot is ideally suited for optimal pool placement.
The preceding description of Casa Ponte shows it to be an excellent bridge as it relates to how you use the house – it’s ideal as full-time residence and it’s full of potential as a holiday home or rental property. It has most of what you need for living well in Le Marche.
So, we’re ready to add another ponte to our list of famous Italian bridges – it’s Casa Ponte in Loro Piceno!
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