PRIVATE HOUSE

Villa Mamo

Petrignano del Lago - Italy

A private villa for the kind of week that happens around one table. Old monastery bones, Italian-Irish style, and the Tuscan–Umbrian hills spread out beyond the pool.

Countryside

Full Rental

Pool

8 rooms

Foraging

Cooking Lessons

THE SETTING

Villa Mamo sits near Petrignano del Lago, on the border between Umbria and Tuscany. This is the kind of central Italy where the map becomes very generous: Lake Trasimeno on one side, Montepulciano and Cortona close by, the Val d’Orcia within reach, and small villages still useful for bread, meat, coffee and a proper local dinner.

Umbria is often called the quieter neighbour of Tuscany, but here the two regions almost blur. The landscape moves between vineyards, wheat fields, sunflowers, olive trees, old farms and long views towards Montepulciano, Mount Cetona and Mount Amiata.

The villa began as a monastery in 1768. It was renovated in 2004, then completely reworked in 2023 and 2024 by Louisa and Federico, who wanted to create a private rental with more personality than the usual country house.

THE ROOMS

Villa Mamo sleeps up to 18 guests across the main villa, the poolhouse and the studio.

The main villa has six bedrooms. Two sit on the ground floor, with direct access outside. Upstairs, the larger rooms carry more of the villa’s drama: a primary bedroom with a large bathroom, a room with a freestanding resin bath, another with a four-poster bed and an open-plan sculptural bathroom, plus a twin room that works well for children or friends.

The poolhouse adds two more bedrooms at ground level. It gives a little distance from the main villa, useful for guests who like being part of the group but not always in the centre of it.

The studio is a standalone living and relaxation space with a large bathroom, shower and dressing table. It adds flexibility to the house, especially for larger groups, retreats or weeks where people want several corners to move between.

The style is one of the strongest parts of the property: old arches, warm plaster, vintage pieces, custom joinery, handmade stone and metalwork, a few bold gestures, and enough humour to keep the villa from feeling too serious.

THE STAY

The pergola is the natural centre: an 18-seat table under grape vines, close to the kitchen, ready for long lunches, late dinners and the slow drift from coffee to wine. Nearby, the wood-fired oven brings another kind of gathering, especially on evenings when nobody wants to leave the property.

The pool sits in the open countryside, with loungers, a solarium feeling and views across the fields. Around the villa, there are flower and vegetable gardens, a fire pit set in a meadow of helichrysum, outdoor living areas and a bespoke cocktail bar.

The house is self-catering, but the week can be shaped with extra experiences when wanted: private chef moments, pasta-making, wine tastings, cocktail sessions, aperitivo, yoga, wellness treatments or evenings with music. The point is flexibility. Villa Mamo can be a quiet family house, a birthday week, a food-and-wine base, a creative retreat, or simply the place everyone comes back to after a day out.

AROUND VILLA MAMO

Petrignano del Lago is within walking distance and has the useful basics: a local bar, restaurant, newsagent and a small market with a butcher. That small detail changes the week. Guests are not isolated in the hills; they can still walk out for something simple.

Castiglione del Lago and Lake Trasimeno are around 15 minutes away. The lake brings ferry trips to small islands, lakeside lunches, swimming spots and a softer, less polished version of central Italy.

Montepulciano is around 20 minutes away, and Cortona around 25. Both are easy half-day outings, especially for wine, views, old streets and long lunches. Pienza and the Val d’Orcia are around 35 minutes away, giving the more cinematic Tuscany version of the landscape: cypress roads, pale stone, rolling hills and pecorino.

Arezzo, Montalcino, Orvieto, Assisi, Siena and even Florence can all work as day trips, depending on how much driving the group wants to do.

This is a good base for people who want a villa week without choosing between Tuscany and Umbria. Wine towns, lake days, hill villages, big dinners and quiet mornings all sit within the same radius.

THE OWNERS

Villa Mamo is the project of Louisa Jane Moran and Federico Riezzo. Fede is Italian and comes from hospitality, events and drinks. Louisa is Irish, with a background across fashion, styling, art and visual work. After years abroad, they moved from Ireland to Italy with their two young sons and rebuilt the villa into something much more personal than a standard rental property.

They designed the house themselves, working with local builders and craftspeople rather than handing the project to an architect. Louisa shaped the rooms, colours, murals, joinery and visual language. Fede brought the hospitality side: the bar, the hosting instinct, the food-and-drink experiences, the sense of how a group actually uses a house.

GOOD TO KNOW

The villa is rented as a full private property and accommodates up to 18 guests across 8 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, split between the main villa, poolhouse and studio.

Facilities include a large swimming pool, pergola dining table for 18, wood-fired oven, fire pit, vegetable and flower gardens, outdoor living areas, bespoke cocktail bar and private parking. Private chef services, pasta-making, wine tastings, cocktail sessions, yoga and other experiences can be arranged on request.

Closest airports include Perugia, around 50 minutes away, and Florence, around 1 hour 30 minutes away. Rome Fiumicino and Pisa are around 2 hours 15 minutes away.

Rates start from around €9,500 per week.