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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Borgo Il Melone Cortona

Borgo Il Melone has been in the Mancini family for centuries and the restoration of these spacious apartments has been carried out with great care and attention to detail. The eight apartments are set in pretty grounds and each one has an outside area from where you can enjoy the view looking up to the medieval town of Cortona.

The Residence is set just behind Locanda Il Melone, all part of the family estate that boasts beautifully kept gardens and perhaps the biggest pool in Tuscany. You may wander around the grounds and also, for the more energetic, leave by the gates at the top of the gardens and climb the steep hill to the town where you will be pleased to rest in one of the many bars that surround the fountain in the picturesque main square. Il Melone is very proud of its elegant restaurant where you may sample some excellent Tuscan dishes and some even more excellent local wines chosen from an extensive wine list - should you run into trouble, the daughter of the owner is the restaurant manager and she will happily help you out with some splendid recommendations.

The 8 apartments are all extremely spacious and every one is different in size, furnishings and lay-out. They are all very comfortable and well equipped and you will find the kitchens have everything you need for cooking, from a simple pasta dish to a full blown 4 course dinner with some locally bought meat, fish and glorious fresh vegetables - all the kitchens have full sized ovens, hobs and fridge/freezers. All the apartments also have a television and internet access should it be required during your stay.

Casa del Giardiniere - sleeps 4+2 – a large first floor apartment comprising one living/dining room ,a fully equipped kitchen, one double bedroom a twin room and bathroom with a shower.

Casa dello Stalliere – sleeps 4+2 – a ground floor apartment with living/dining room, a fully equipped kitchen, one double bedroom, one twin room and a bathroom with bath tub and shower.

Casa del Guardacaccia – sleeps 4+2 – a first floor apartment with living/dining room, a fully equipped kitchen and two bathrooms, one with bath tub and the other with a shower.

Casa dell’ Olio – sleeping 4+2. A large ground floor apartment with living/dining room, a fully equipped kitchen including dishwasher, two bathrooms both with a shower.

Casa del Frantoio – sleeping 4+2. A ground floor apartment with living/dining room a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher, one large twin bedroom, a double room and two bathrooms one with bath tub and the other with a shower.

Casa della Seta – sleeping 4+2. This apartment is on two floors. Entry is into the first floor where there is a living/dining room and a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher. There is one twin room with a bathroom with bathtub and a separate toilet. On the second floor there is a second living room and one twin room again with a bathroom with bathtub.

Casa del Fattore – sleeping 5+2. Entry is into the lounge/dining room with double sofa bed, there is a fully equipped kitchen, a twin bedroom and a single bedroom with space for a second single. There are two bathrooms both with a bathtub.

Casa dell’Uva. Sleeping 6+2 - An exceptionally large apartment on two floors . Comprises a spacious lounge with a separate dining room, a fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher, two twin bedrooms, one double bedroom, two bathrooms one with bathtub. A separate toilet and laundry room with a washing machine.

Il Melone is a welcome addition for Essential Italy and we are sure that it will be a total success. The spacious lay-out along with the great accommodation, extremely warm staff and super location cannot fail to make it a winner and the ideal base for exploring this beautiful area of Italy.

New in Puglia for 2012

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

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