We never know when the old ways and modern living will converge out in the Marche countryside. When it happens it’s usually something very simple and old that enhances the quality of life in these more complicated times. There’s a unique, newly restored house near San Ginesio that sits on its own hill top, a place where people 200 years ago decided to place a cross, implying that the place was sacred. The hill top, the collina, was called Collina Croce, the “Cross on the Hilltop”, and that’s the name we we’ve given to this Marche property – CASA COLLINA CROCE.
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Casa Collina Croce sits on its own hill top. At the very top of that hill you’ll see an old cross, the latest in a series likely placed starting ages ago by the farmers of the area who found their spirits lifted by the peace, the nature and the big views. We think your spirits, too, will be lifted by both the hilltop and the house.
Casa Collina Croce is newly restored. It’s around 150 sqm., so it’s “right sized” – not too big and not too small. It was built on the sight of an original farmhouse. No one knows how many, and how long, houses have stood on this spot. Given that it has just been restored, Casa Collina Croce meets all the latest structural building codes and its energy performance (due to roof and wall insulation) will be above average – very important characteristics that will surely lift your spirits! The exterior of the house is done in a tasteful rendered plaster.
In addition to it being newly restored, Casa Collina Croce offers you another terrific benefit – single floor living. Clients increasingly tell us that living on a single floor is highly desirable and actually quite liberating, as you need only clean, heat, tidy-up and traverse a single floor. The layout at Casa Collina Croce consists of a big, open plan. There are terracotta floor tiles and a nicely done archway leading from the big main living space to the bedrooms and bathrooms. There’s a simple kitchen setup that can be used as-is or improved upon. From the main living room you head up a couple of steps to the 2 bedrooms and the 2 bathrooms, the 1st is quite big with a huge bathtub with massage jets…the 2nd bathroom is ensuite and serves the larger of the two bedrooms. There’s also an attic, used exclusively for storage.
Some practical considerations at Casa Collina Croce are the windows and doors which are all double-glazed and have insect screens. The dual heating system uses a GPL gas boiler and a wood pellet burner. An excellent internet connection can be installed at the house.
A very useful feature at Casa Collina Croce is that there’s a partially subterranean floor below the main living space, with a separate entrance, this is registered officially as “cantina” space. The owners, for personal use, have used this space for something akin to an apartment with a kitchen, bedroom, laundry/storage room and bathroom.
Moving outside at Casa Collina Croce you are struck by the spectacular views and the peace and quiet. The views are of the Sibillini National Park…mountains and hill tops that roll out from the house. You arrive at the plot by an excellent road that ENDS at the house – the greatest guarantee of privacy!
The plot is outstanding, coming in at 3 hectares, or 7.4 acres. It’s a big plot. The house sits on a flat section and the rest of the land gently slopes uphill, culminating at the top with the famed cross. All the way up this hillside from mid-spring to mid-summer there’s the “profumo” and striking yellow color of hundreds of forsythia bushes. From the hill-top vantage point you can see BOTH iconic Monte Conero on the Adriatic Sea and the Sibillini Mountains, two points of reference in Le Marche rarely seen from the same plot! The owners say their strolls to the top of the hill will be something they will greatly miss once they leave Casa Collina Croce. They’ll also miss the 80+ olive trees on the plot – that’s an enormous value, both esthetically and economically, rarely found at a property in this budget range. The olive grove is complimented by over 30 productive fruit trees. This connection to nature will lift your spirits and nourish your sole…imagine living on your hill top enjoying your own extra virgin olive oil alongside baskets of fresh fruit and jars of organic preserves from your fruit trees. The plot is sun-drenched, and a pool can sited in any number of spots. The sunsets from the plot are magnificent. Note, too, that dozens of oak trees are found on the plot, providing shade and additional natural beauty.
Further, the property has 3 accessory buildings on the plot and included in the price. You can put these buildings to any number of uses or you can demolish them and grow vegetables where they stood! These buildings are another form of added value at Casa Collina Croce and they measure 50 sqm, 70 sqm and 110 sqm respectively.
Clearly, at Casa Collina Croce there’s a lot to enjoy! But, you’d be remiss if you didn’t venture out to enjoy all there is to see, sample and sip in Le Marche!
Casa Collina Croce is located at the border or the medieval towns of San Ginesio and Cessapalombo. San Ginesio is a classic hill-town with amazing panoramic views, park spaces, a weekly market and an award winning gelato maker at the Bar Centrale. The town also has tennis and paddleball courts, as well as a big public pool. Cessapalombo is a quiet hill-town that once was a hotbed of partisan activity. It has a little piazza and a modest little restaurant. Casa Collina Croce is close to EVERYTHING. It’s under 10 minutes from the piazza of San Ginesio by car. It’s around 12 minutes to the SS77 Superstrada – so you (and your guests and friends) can reach the house quickly from at least 3 different airports. You’re at the beach in 35-40 minutes and in Umbria in 45 minutes. Head to the mountains of the Sibillini National Park in 20-25 minutes – a center of trekking, cycling, walking, hang-gliding and simple relaxing. There’s a close-by network of eBike itineraries. Close-by hill-towns include Colmurano, Urbisaglia, Sarnano, Loro Piceno, and others. The cities of Tolentino and Macerata are within 20-30 minutes of the house. There are vineyards, local food producers, lots of local festivals and dozens of great places to eat…all close to Casa Collina Croce. This proximity to so many things makes this house just right not only for your personal enjoyment, but for rentals, too, as well as for year-round residency.
So, looking to lift your spirits in Le Marche? Don’t look any further than Casa Collina Croce, the house on the hill with the cross on top!
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