High in the rolling, fog clad hills of Umbria, Italy, lies the Hotel Castello di Reschio – a picturesque estate swathed in forest and dotted with stone farmhouses, their faded terracotta roofs puncturing the sea of green that surrounds them.
In a vision that is quintessentially Italian, simple dirt roads creep through the valleys and crawl along ridges flanked by the narrow spears of cypress. At the heart of the estate lies a 10th century castle, once in ruin but now painstakingly and lovingly restored and reimagined as a luxury hotel: Hotel Castello di Reschio.
The Castello owes its current form to the labour and largesse of the aristocratic Count Antonio Bolza, who purchased the estate with his wife the Countess in 1984, and their son Benedikt, who returned in 1999 after practicing as an architect in London. Taking up residence on the rundown property with his wife Donna Nencia and their five children, it was Benedikt who dreamed, designed and directed the restoration of the Castello, outfitting it with beds, furniture and lighting of his own creation. Over the next 15 years, the Bolza family restored the Castello and its neighbouring farmhouses, reclaimed and rewilded the surrounding meadows and forest, and transformed the once unkempt estate into a truly inimitable taste of Italian luxury.
At the heart of Reschio, the Castello boasts 36 rooms and suites spread throughout the building proper and the neighbouring vestry, costing from 760€ per night for a room, up to 2490€ for the sprawling Tower Suite. While eye-wateringly expensive, a stay at Castello di Reschio is an experience in restrained sophistication. There are no gilt mirrors or glittering chandeliers within the castle’s walls – instead, guests are accommodated in rustic comfort reflective of the hotel’s ancient roots. Rooms feature exposed wooden beams, soft lime washed walls and terracotta brick floors bedecked with simple rugs. The colour palette is neutral and relaxed, allowing sunlight to drift around the room and highlight the rich accents of Benedikt Bonza’s lamps and furnishings, creating a space that is both airy and cozy, spare yet sumptuous.
As with any high end establishment, guests at the Castello can expect more than just a comfortable bed with a nice view, with two restaurants, three bars, a ‘gift shop’ – housing such souvenirs as Venetian silk slippers and handmade sun hats from Florence – and wine cellar on site. The estate’s exquisite natural produce takes center stage at Ristorante Al Castello and Alle Scuderie, as the chefs create simple, elegant and showstopping organic dishes from the larder outside their door. Bar Centrale is located within Ristorante Alle Scuderie, and together the two channel Benedikt Bonza’s vision of hospitality through an Art Deco lens, the soaring ceilings of the restaurant made intimate by plush, pistachio coloured leather chairs and the soft glow of brass lamps hanging above the bar. Enter the Palm Court however and you will find intimacy replaced by mystery as you step back into a Victorian era conservatory of glass and wrought iron, lushly appointed with velvet sofas and throne like wicker armchairs, and shaded by the drowsy limbs of tropical plants.
All of this is to say nothing of the dozens of other amenities and activities available during a stay at Reschio. When guests grow tired of wining and dining they can roam the estate on a truffle hunting expedition, forage for medicinal herbs with the Bonza matriarch Donna Nencia, or grab the binoculars and watch roe deer and wild boar wander through the forest. From the mirror-like disk of the pool glittering by the old watchtower to the subterranean Roman baths and day spa nestled in the building’s foundations, Hotel Castello di Reschio is equipped for a princely stay – but step outside the castle walls and guests will be reminded of their place in a landscape and way of life that has existed for centuries to now be shared with the world, courtesy of Count Bonza.
Words — Ainge-Roy
Find out more at rescio.com
