Arte. It’s a word you hear a lot when people talk about Italy. Art takes many forms in the “Bel Paese”. Works of “art” emerge from kitchens. There are Ferraris and Vespa scooters and Bianchi bicycles. And, not surpisingly, 25% of the world’s art treasures are said to reside in Italy. There’s a dynamic hilltop town in the central part of Le Marche that has attracted artists in residence for years. And it’s in the centro storico there that we arrive at a great 3-bedroom townhouse, designed by an artist, with the design you’d expect, plus 3 terraces and a peaceful private garden plot. We call this exceptional townhouse, TOWNHOUSE ARTISTA.
Townhouse Artista artfully blends the benefits of a house in the countryside with those of an in-town residence, without the negatives of either! You have some land, but not too much. You’re in the centro storico, but you have your privacy. The house itself is more spacious than the typical townhouse, but not so big that it needs an army to clean it and maintain it.
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Speaking of artful blends, the interior design of Townhouse Artista artfully blends lots of original rustic elements and materials with clean, open, contemporary living spaces and high end finishes in the kitchens and bathrooms.
And, there’s the town of Ripe San Ginesio. It, too, artfully blends its rich history and precious traditions with an eye to future. It has a progressive mayor who hosts an annual sustainability conference and has created a welcoming environment for artists and artisan businesses resulting in a hilltop town that’s more vibrant and alive than usual.
You arrive at Townhouse Artista down a typical cobbled lane, just off the main piazza with the Art Deco style bar, the ancient tower and the spectacular views. Ample parking is right at the piazza, a few steps from the townhouse. You walk past the town’s contemporary art museum and in 30m you arrive at the townhouse. The townhouse has a lovely façade. There’s a mix of stone, old brick and tasteful terracotta-colored plaster rendering. There’s a little niche in the wall that’s home to an angel statue created by a local artist. The “street side” of the townhouse is a bit deceiving as it presents only one of Townhouse Artista’s 3 floors. From the garden side of the house (see the fotos) you see just how big the townhouse is…it has a tower-like shape that takes you back in history. Back out front, the original double arched entry door with wrought iron grate welcomes you inside.
You enter into a highly livable space. You see the architectural touches everywhere, the old beams, the cotto floors, the wall niches, the architectural lighting and the artful job that’s been done of transforming the eclectic layout of the old building into a contemporary living space. To one side is the open plan kitchen and dining area. The kitchen is excellent, leaving no doubt that you’ll soon be producing culinary works of art there. It’s a custom fitted, well-appointed kitchen that maximizes every centimeter of available space. The LED accent lighting adds a really nice finishing touch. The dining area can easily accommodate 8 people at table. What’s really nice, too, is that you have access from here to the middle terrace, one of three terraces at Townhouse Artista. This terrace is ideal as a dining terrace given its proximity to the kitchen.
Heading to the other side of this street level floor, there’s a laundry room/WC neatly tucked into a corner. You pass that utility space and enter into a lovely lounge with lots of natural light. From this room, too, you can access the terrace. This terrace has beautiful views across a valley and hillside, with an olive grove and vineyard visible. There’s also an old rounded stone from once-upon-a-time that’s perched on the terrace wall giving the terrace its own artistic touch.
Heading upstairs there is a main bedroom and a smaller bedroom. This second bedroom can be used as described, or, it could be a gym, a yoga studio or home office. The skylight lets in natural light that may inspire you to use the space as an art studio! These rooms have high quality built-in cabinetry with incorporated lighting. There a big, well-appointed bathroom with double sinks, shower and a big Jacuzzi-style bathtub. This floor has a technical room with boiler, that is also used for storage. And, from this floor we access the 2nd of 3 terraces at Townhouse Artista! We call this one the sunset terrace as from this spot you get beautiful sunsets and a slice of a mountain view. This terrace is also shaded, giving you a welcome refuge from the midday sun.
Heading now to the lower floor of Townhouse Artista…This is setup as a fully stand-alone apartment with its own entrance. Note that there is a locked door leading from the middle floor to this apartment that can be left open to allow you to use the entire house. On this floor we have another excellent fitted kitchen integrated with the dining area and sitting area. There’s a good sized bedroom and a bathroom with excellent fittings and fixtures. There are some very nice bits of decorative lighting and built-in cabinetry on this floor. And, from this floor there is double access to terrace #3. This terrace also has access to/from the sizable garden plot. The owner has placed a dining table here as it’s a cool, shaded spot where candles and torch lighting create a lovely atmosphere. There’s a very unique gate here that opens and closes from garden to terrace, that was designed and hand-crafted by a local artist working in ferro batutto. From this terrace there is access to a big garden storage room. Also here, in the past, the owner had permission to install a large Jacuzzi unit, a sort of small relaxation pool within the confines of the terrace. Permission for such a setup can be newly requested if that’s something that interests you.
You exit from this terrace to the sizable garden plot of circa 376 sqm. – a garden size almost unheard of with a townhouse of this type and price. In general, townhouses might have a postage stamp-sized plot of land, but most don’t. Many may have a small terrace, but not all of them do. At Townhouse Artista you have an incredibly unique situation in that you have a real plot of land and THREE good sized terraces. Townhouse Artista is that rare property where you can finish tending to your tomatoes and zucchine, catch the sunset from the upper terrace and walk to a restaurant or bar! That’s what we call the art of living well!
Turning our attention to some practicalities at Townhouse Artista, there is gas radiator heat, programmable for each room – a great efficiency feature and money saver – particularly for year-round use of the townhouse. The windows are excellent double-glazed. Internet coverage is easily available allowing to stream whatever you need and work remotely.
A big part of your enjoyment of your Marche home comes from where it’s located. Townhouse Artista is one of the better located properties on our site. On a macro level it’s in a very central position in the central province of Le Marche. The big bonus in terms of location is the town itself – the hill-town Ripe San Ginesio. “Ripe” as it’s known locally (pronounced “REE-PAY”) is considered amongst the most evolved and progressive in the area, a town that marries its notable past with its optimistic view of its future. “Ripe’s” artistic roots run deep. It boasts a sculpture garden, the aforementioned contemporary art museum, a sustainability-focused clothing designer, an artisan jewelry designer and other artists. Its intimate piazza is anchored by the art-deco bar. There’s also a highly regarded restaurant in the centro storico. Newly arrived is an acclaimed “cheese” maker who makes award-winning plant-based cheeses and hosts dinners and tastings. The town is part of a new initiative for eBike touring, with multi-town paved eBike lanes and charging stations. “Ripe” also hosts an annual event called “Borgo Futuro” (small town of the future) which brings together experts on rural sustainability, married with some old-fashioned food and drink! It’s a rare kind of civic vibe that your guests and you will love.
Townhouse Artista is close to lots of other hill-towns. The closest are Colmurano, San Ginesio, Urbisaglia and Loro Piceno, all with their own things to see, sample and sip. The Fiastra Abbey nature reserve is close-by, a terrific place for walks, cycling and picnics. Also close-by are the city of Tolentino, the provincial capital of Macerata and the SS77 Superstrada. The SS77 gets you to the coast in 30 minutes and Umbria in around 50 minutes. The Sibillini Mountains, the Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini, are just 35 minutes from Townhouse Artista. The Ancona (1 hour), Perugia (1H15M) and Pescara (1H30M) airports give you lots of options for arriving at Townhouse Artista.
Come to Townhouse Artista and enjoy a master class in the art of living well!
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