If you are looking for a relaxing Italian villa and pool holiday with the bonus of easy access to the beautiful city of Rome and beyond, then Villa Valle Sorbo is for you! Overlooking the Valle del Sorbo, one of the highlights of the Veio National Park north of Rome, the villa enjoys all the benefits of the countryside while still being only 20 minutes by car from Rome. 5 bedrooms and plenty of living space make it ideal for multi family or multi generational groups and the villa and surrounding area offer enough variety to keep everyone happy.
The Villa has a unique modernist design dating from the 1970s, with large windows and tall ceilings and an open plan layout which make the interiors very light and airy. We have aimed to furnish it in an informal, modern style that emphasises comfort and relaxation. Outside you’ll find the garden with plenty of areas for outdoor dining, relaxing or sunbathing, and of course the saltwater pool, large and deep so great for diving (6 metres by 12 metres and 2.8 metres deep at the deep end). The pool is reached through a lockable gate for the peace of mind of parents with small children.
THE VILLA IN DETAIL
The heart of the villa is the open plan kitchen, dining and living area. A large dining table for 10 people is open to the kitchen with its unusual semi circular worktop. From here you overlook the main living room which is down half a floor, huge patio windows here bring light and give access to the garden. This area also has aircon for hot days. There's a large TV here and best of all a projector for movie nights!
In the upper levels of the house you’ll find most of the bedrooms: half a level up from the kitchen/dining area is the first master bedroom with its own ensuite bathroom and private balcony overlooking the garden. Half a level up again are a further 2 smaller bedrooms which share a bathroom: one of them a double bedroom with private balcony and the other with 2 single beds, one of which is an easy to access loft bed. The double bedroom can also be set up with 2 single beds if needed. The next half level up is the top bedroom, again with its own private balcony and choice of 1 double or 2 single beds.
Below the living room you’ll find the second and super spacious master bedroom with ensuite bathroom, then below that on the lowest level more communal areas including a living room, second dining area and powder room. This second living area also has aircon. There are 2 sofa beds in the lower living area in case you need extra space.
All this space means the villa is ideal for large groups, providing areas for getting together as well as quiet and privacy when needed.
OUTSIDE AREAS
The garden is securely gated and fenced and offers loads of space for outdoor relaxing. Immediately outside the villa you’ll find a small courtyard area and a terrace with outdoor living area and umbrellas for relaxing. Below is a paved area and lawn with shaded dining table and chairs and a barbecue area. Through a gate in the hedge more steps lead down to the pool area, with its own terraces for sunbathing. The pool is a saltwater one, which means fewer harsh chemicals and kinder to your skin. Beyond the pool mature oak trees mark the beginning of the Veio National Park. The villa, garden and pool are for your exclusive use, with no sharing.
LOCATION
Villa Valle Sorbo is located in a quiet residential area less than 1km from the centre of Formello, a village to the North of Rome. Formello is well stocked with shops, restaurants, bars and other services, and we are happy to give recommendations on local amenities: some of our favourites include the farm shop where you can buy locally grown produce, the fishmonger where you can also eat super fresh fish cooked on the premises, and of course the local gelaterie (5 of them!). Formello also has a charming old centre, with cobbled streets and alleyways, as well as an ancient palazzo with a small museum with Etruscan and Roman finds. You can walk from the villa into Formello.
This area North of Rome was the territory of the Etruscans in ancient times, and much of it is now protected by the Parco del Veio National park. The area offers trails for hiking, riding and mountain biking and the Via Francigena, the pilgrim route that goes from Canterbury to Rome, passes right by the villa. Directly below us is the Valle del Sorbo, heart of the Veio Park, a picturesque river valley of meadows and trees. It’s a lovely place for a walk along the river, a paddle or a picnic, and can be reached on foot from the villa via a winding path through the woodland.
With all this peace and rural charm it’s sometimes hard to believe you are so close to Rome, only 20 minutes away. You can drive to the centre or else leave your car at one of 2 different train stations and take public transport. If you're into shopping then Rome's largest mall, Porta di Roma, is about 20 minutes away by car.
As well as Rome there are the 3 towns on nearby Lake Bracciano well worth a visit: Trevignano has a long lakefront lined with cafes and restaurants, perfect for a stroll or a sunset drink, while at Anguillara you can swim or rent pedalos and in Bracciano you can visit the impressive castle. The villa is well located for day trips to many other places to visit in Lazio and beyond, for example Orvieto, Viterbo with its medieval centre, UNESCO sites Villa d'Este and Villa Adriana in Tivoli, Bomarzo monster park, Etruscan sites at Cerveteri Tarquinia, and the beach and castle at Santa Severa are all within an hour's drive. We are very happy to help guests with recommendations of things to do in the area.
ECO FRIENDLY
Because we care about the environment and believe everyone should be doing what they can to help the planet, we are working to make the villa itself as eco friendly as possible by
- installing solar panels to meet the villa's electricity needs
- converting the pool to saltwater to reduced use of harmful chemicals
- using a green energy supplier
- using organic only methods on the garden and using plants attractive to butterflies etc
- encouraging guests to recycle, Formello is a very green village and has a recycling rate of 75%
- using mosquito control methods that do not involve harmful chemicals
SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE BOOKING
You will need a car to stay at the villa, as while there is public transport in Formello, it is quite limited and unreliable. Having a car will enable you to enjoy all the local area has to offer, easily reach train stations to get into Rome, and get to shops and restaurants easily.
The swimming pool is large for a residential pool, however it does get quite deep quite quickly, meaning that it is not suitable for children who cannot swim yet to paddle around in. Parents of very small children, as well as guests with mobility issues, should also be aware that there are many stairs in the house.
The villa is located in a quiet residential area, so we kindly ask guests to respect neighbours and keep noise outside the house to a minimum after 11pm
ABOUT THE AIRCON
We are sometimes asked if there is aircon in the bedrooms. Currently there is aircon only in the two living/dining/kitchen areas of the house, to provide a respite from the hot days. In the evenings it does cool down, and the large windows in the bedrooms (all with insect screens), combined with good airflow in the house mean that bedrooms are cool at night and don't really need aircon even when the weather is very hot. We also provide fans.
WHAT WE ASK OF OUR GUESTS
The main thing is that they relax and enjoy the villa to the full, and feel free to ask us for any tips to enjoy the area. We do not expect guests to clean before leaving, only to leave the place tidy and ready for our cleaners, with furniture and other objects returned to their places. We also kindly ask guests to follow our recycling policy, details of which are explained at the villa.
