Agriturismo il Bastione — Hotel in Spello

Agriturismo Il Bastione is our favorite place to stay when we visit Umbria. It is a true Italian jewel set among thousands of the family-owned olive trees, with beautiful panoramic views, lovely comfortable accommodations, and wonderful family- prepared meals using ingredients from their land. It has the atmosphere of a calm, welcoming retreat and, for us, is a place where we come to recharge our batteries. I highly recommend staying here while you explore Umbria.

Jacopo and his family have always greeted us warmly, as if we were part of their family. From the moment we are greeted, to the minute we leave, we are always treated like honored friends and they make us feel like Il Bastione is our home away from home!. The family is always available to any need, and ready to share their home as well as their knowledge of the surrounding area.

The family obviously cares about the comfort of their guests and provide clean, tastefully decorated rooms furnished with comfortable beds. The well-kept medieval building was built in the 12th c. as a fortress, and later it was used as a hunting lodge by a noble Perugino family. The dining room reflects the rustic Umbrian style, and with its large fireplace, arched ceilings and interesting antiques, it is a warm and cozy place to enjoy our breakfasts and dinners, which are served by Jacopo, his father, and other family members. It is a magical place.

The argiturismo is located high up on a hillside, hidden from traffic and the nearby towns. However, its location is perfect, as it is perched a stone’s throw from the medieval walled town of Spello, 10 minutes from Assisi and an easy drive to Perugia. If you are a runner or hiker, the location is adjacent to the unspoiled Subasio Mountain Nature Reserve. Or , if you are a swimmer, the agriturismo’s well maintained pool is big enough to allow you to swim full laps while enjoying the panoramic views from the valley below. For us, we enjoy an evening’s glass of wine out on the patio to watch the spectacular sunsets before dinner. During our last visit, it was olive harvest time, and the family was working hard to collect their olives. Jacopo came in each evening after working in the groves, and greeted us as if he hadn’t already put in a full day’s work at olive harvesting! Then, he joined his grandmother in the kitchen to help prepare dinner, while his father made us comfortable and served us wine. They provide home-cooked, abundant breakfasts and dazzling dinners !! You must bring your appetite! Breakfast is a treat and a daily celebration! The delicious home-made pastries, eggs (provided on request), homemade yoghurt,, fruits, breads, coffee…. were all made with fresh local ingredients beautifully cooked and served.

Dinner , as well, is prepared using ingredients from their farm, including their own olive oil. The four course meals, truly extraordinary, are prepared by Nona Anna, Jacopo and other family members. Everything was local and seasonal: from antipasti of pecorino cheese, cured meats, ,to delicious soups, entrees and desserts. Thank you Jacopo, and your family for once again making our visits to Agriturismo Il Bastione a true Italian experience, and...

Il Bastione was just the place I'd been hoping for - a beautifully restored and well maintained building that was once a nobelman's hunting lodge set on a hillside in the midst of an olive grove. When you enter the dining area you are surrounded by artefacts and antiques - giving the feel of a living museum. The location is remote enough to be quiet and peaceful, but within a short hike to Spello, or an easy drive to Assisi, Perugia and other Umbrian destinations. The location sets the stage, but the star of the place is Jacopo who hosts with such enthusiasm, grace and a true love of what he does every day. The genuine smile that greets every guest makes you feel at home immediately, and of course you are offered a glass of wine as you are shown to your room! Jacopo and family also provide dinner and breakfast - and they are not to be missed! Every dinner is a showcase of products produced on the farm, and is a full 5 course event! Wine and digestives are included with the meal and the limoncello, or the chocolate liqueur were perfect endings to the meal. Breakfast included a selection of pastries, home made yogurt and eggs. |Other things to note: There is a lovely pool area, though we did not make use of it as it was a bit chilly in the evenings for swimming. It was still nice enough to make use of the lounge chairs and outdoor seating so we could watch the sunset. |The rooms that we stayed in were nicely furnished, and had doors to the outside so you could walk directly out to a terrace area. |The road to the agritourismo is narrow, but certainly manageable. The location is definitely part of the attraction of the place!|We hope to return on another trip and would recommend Il Bastione for an authentic experience, great food and warm hospitality. Thank you Jacopo for a...

This was one of our longer stays during our 3 week honeymoon, and overall we enjoyed our experience. The location is incredible - but some of the accommodations left something to be desired.||PROS:||-Location and ridiculously amazing view|-The hotel staff is very, very friendly and helpful|-Easy parking and check in|-The dinners were good and even though we reserved dinners for every night of our stay, we weren't charged for the evenings that we ended up eating elsewhere, so that was kind of them|-If you are a birder or nature lover, there are vast numbers of trails and forest access - it's a dream for an outdoorsy person|-We had our best sunset sundowners with wine of our entire trip while we were there||CONS:||-The rooms were surprisingly not as luxurious as we expected given the outside premises|-We were on honeymoon so we expected our room to be...well, romantic, especially given the price, but the insides were quite bare|It feels like a motel room with the kind of bedding you expect at your grandparents house|-The curtains were basically see through so the only way to get privacy is to use the large, wooden blinds that need to be locked to close them (seems like a fire hazard....)|-No in-room coffee/tea, which is a bummer because the coffee at breakfast was not great (but the pastries were nice)|-The bathtub in the room was nice though the water pressure was so low it took nearly 40 minutes to fill, and it kept leaking||It's a bummer because so much else about the place is amazing...but the rooms were really disappointing. If you're going with a family and kids, it's a great option...but it's not very romantic. The key...