TO GET LOST

Borgo di Carpiano

Gubbio - Italy

Borgo di Carpiano feels like a hamlet that decided to stay hidden. High in the Umbrian hills, it has the quiet confidence of a place restored with time, patience and real love for the old stones.

Countryside

Restaurant

Pool

Fireplace

Jacuzzi

Library

THE SETTING

Borgo di Carpiano sits in the hills near Gubbio, in northern Umbria, about 12 km from the town.

This is the quieter, greener side of central Italy. Umbria has no coastline and no big performance to make. Its beauty comes through hill towns, oak woods, olive groves, Romanesque churches, long views, small roads, truffles, Sagrantino wine and medieval stone that still feels part of daily life.

The borgo is reached by small country roads, above a green valley that seems to hold the place apart from everything else. Around the stone buildings, the feeling is calm and deeply rural: warm walls, trees, long views, silence, and the sense that the day can stay very simple here.

Borgo di Carpiano feels like a hidden Umbrian refuge, restored with patience and kept close to the landscape that surrounds it.

THE ROOMS

The rooms and suites are spread across the hamlet’s old stone buildings. Some rooms sit close to the former church. Others look towards the garden, valley or stone paths. Across the property, the atmosphere stays warm and quiet: wooden beams, terracotta floors, antique furniture, thick walls, soft linen, old doors, fireplaces and windows that frame the Umbrian countryside.

Much of the furniture comes from the owners’ families, so the interiors avoid the empty “country chic” feeling. The rooms have character because the objects feel like they arrived with a past.

THE FOOD

Breakfast begins the day with homemade bread, cakes, local products, coffee, fruit, cheese, eggs and the kind of simple things that make sense in an Umbrian house.

The cooking stays close to the land: vegetables from the garden, extra virgin olive oil from the property, local specialities, homemade pasta, truffles from Norcia when the season allows, and wines from the region, including Sagrantino di Montefalco.

Lunch and dinner are available on request. Dinner is the moment to stay at the borgo: a small number of guests, the valley outside, a proper Umbrian table, good wine, and the feeling that driving out again would be a mistake.

THE STAY

The former church is one of the most beautiful parts of Borgo di Carpiano.

It has been turned into a library and drawing room, with the old architecture and frescoes still present. It gives the house a centre: a place for books, tea, conversation, music, pre-dinner drinks or a quiet hour when the sun is too strong outside.

The saltwater infinity pool sits below the buildings, facing the valley. Olive trees, woodland and open hills fill the view. It is the place everyone eventually finds, whether after Gubbio, after lunch, or after pretending to read for twenty minutes.

Gardens, terraces, shaded corners, and paths run through the property. You can arrange wellness treatments in a gazebo surrounded by nature. The luxury here is very simple: a book, a blanket in the garden, the sound of birds, water somewhere below, and no pressure to make the day more productive.

AROUND BORGO DI CARPIANO

Gubbio is the first outing. The town is only around 12 km away and gives the stay its cultural anchor. Walk through the medieval streets, visit Palazzo dei Consoli, sit in Piazza Grande, take the cable car towards Monte Ingino, or come during the Festa dei Ceri if you want to see the city at its most intense.

Perugia is close enough for a deeper city day, with Etruscan walls, steep streets, museums, cafés and the energy of a university town. Assisi brings the Basilica of Saint Francis, frescoes, pale stone, and one of Italy’s most important spiritual landscapes.

Lake Trasimeno offers a different day altogether: water, islands, small ports, and sunset light. The Monte Cucco area adds caves, walking and wilder mountain air.

Still, Borgo di Carpiano does not need constant excursions. Its best days often stay close: breakfast, pool, book, Gubbio for a few hours, dinner back at the borgo.

THE OWNERS

Borgo di Carpiano is the project of Marilisa & Riccardo Parisi.

They discovered the abandoned hamlet in 2001 and saw a future in what was then mostly ruins. The restoration took years and used original materials, patience, and deep respect for what was already there.

The church became a library. The stone buildings became rooms. The gardens returned. Furniture from their families found a new place inside the borgo. Slowly, the hamlet became a house for guests, without losing the feeling of an old settlement.

The place has polish, but its real strength is emotional. It feels cared for by people who gave it years of their lives.

GOOD TO KNOW

Borgo di Carpiano is a small restored stone hamlet with rooms and suites spread across several buildings.

The property is around 12 km from Gubbio and around 20 km from Perugia San Francesco d’Assisi Airport. A car is strongly recommended.

The final approach includes small winding Umbrian roads and a rural track, so it is worth following the property’s own directions rather than relying only on GPS.

Rates start at €170 for a double, including breakfast.