Essential Italy

We know car choice is important for the enjoyment of your holiday, our supplier – Maggiore Car Rental – will guarantee the following:

• highly competitive prices
• no major tour operator is working with them, therefore we are quite sure that queuing will be kept to a minimum, even in high season
• all cars have air conditioning
• a full and comprehensive back-up system

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We do not book flights, we leave it to you to choose the best departure point and flight times to suit your party. We have compiled a list of airlines flying to those regions in which we offer accommodation.

Flights are from the UK, if you are travelling from elsewhere, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we will recommend an airline flying from your departure point. If you are unsure which airport in Italy is closest to your accommodation, please call us on 01223 460100 or email

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Casa Manuela Ossaia

This 17th century cottage is in a splendid location with fabulous views out towards Cortona and over the valley below. It has been restored lovingly by it's owner with great attention to detail. The original terracotta floors have been retained and the refurbishment has been carried out to preserve the character of the building. Casa Manuela has beautiful grounds much of which are laid to lawn and surrounded by a vast selection of indigenous shrubs, trees and plants. Scented lemon trees grow in pots and wonderful wisteria trails along the cottage walls in the spring time – a real treat for early guests.

Entry is into a small comfortable lounge area where the thick stone walls will offer some welcome refuge from the mid day sunshine. At the rear of the lounge a doorway leads to a double room and a couple of steps lead from the bedroom to an en-suite bathroom. From the bedroom a door opens out into the gardens .

To the left of the lounge is a wooden staircase leading to the kitchen/dining room. The pretty kitchen is traditionally equipped with oven, hob and fridge/freezer and has the advantage of a microwave to speed up preparation of some tasty Tuscan fare. Double doors open out from the kitchen onto a small terrace which has steps down to the gardens. A double and a twin bedroom with shared bathroom also lead off the kitchen ensuring easy access to an early morning cup of tea (or a late night glass of wine!). From the kitchen area doors lead to another double room and a twin bedroom both of which share a bathroom.

The pool is positioned to the side of the house and offers fabulous views over the valley below - the covered pergola here is a real advantage offering shade at all times of the day ensuring that al-fresco living can be enjoyed to the full without moving too far from the tempting cool water.

With Cortona just a few kilometres away we are confident this picture postcard cottage will be a perfect base for exploring some of Tuscany and perhaps even venturing across the border into neighbouring Umbria.

New in Puglia for 2012

Helen & Sarah have just returned from a very fruitful trip to Puglia...

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