The Hotel Villa Aurea is situated in Cortona, where
the Tuscan hills meet the Umbrian hills. It is a few kilometres
from centers of artistic interest and international culture in
Florence, Siena, Perugia, and Arezzo. Inside the the 30,000 sq.
m. park there is a hundred year old red wood (sequoia) tree that
dominates the Italian gardens that are lined with spaces and relaxing
paths. This four star hotel consists of three independent residential
units: the central villa dating back to 1700 with the attached
private chapel, and the two side annexes- Il Villino and La Limonaia.
All of the buildings were internally restructured
to give guests maximum comfort in a scenery from the past.
At
Hotel Villa Aurea every single detail was taken into consideration
from the hospitality to the antistress journey, from the cuisine
to the nature of the surrounding park, and from the materials
used for the furnishings to the music and colours so that the
approach to a vacation of wellness can be lived as a global experience
that involves the mind and body in a complete deep harmony.
Other than the specific services of Hotel Villa Aurea such as
the restaurant, the Antistress Wellness Center, and the meeting
center, there is also the possibility to directly request other
services at the reception:
Horseriding 2.5km away
Excursions
Outlet tours
Hiring a car with driver
Alarm clock service
Bookings of museums
Hiring a car
Bicycle hire
Mountain bike hire
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THE VAL D’ESSE
The presence of a considerable number of villas in Val d’
Esse is justified from a long time because of its climatic privilege
and its location as the important center of communication between
Cortona, The Val di Pierle, Umbria, and Romagna. A Roman road
that goes up to Cortona from Arezzo descends from the city until
the valley where it meets with the road from Rimini and another
road from Tuoro that lead through Piazzano to Lake Trasimeno.
It is not improbable that the battle of 217 B.C. between the Romans
and the Cartaginesi took place right in the wedge between the
Sepoltaglia and the “Cortonenses” mountains (the polibiana
definition). The Val d’ Esse is noted for its vicinity to
the city of Cortona, its two important ramifications of the Roman
road which are still fit for use, and its sunny, snug position.
From the 18th century until current times, the Val d’ Esse
has been renowned for its peaceful summer residences. The numerous
villas in the area were all built around the 1700’s when
the valley began to make agricultural cultivations during the
years in which Cortona experienced great splendour in the era
of enlightened transformation.
LA VILLA
Like other villas of the area, Villa Aurea was built in different
stages from the base of a 16th century manor house and its present
appearance is the result of various modifications over the years.
The park around the villa also developed over many years with
its three hectares of land preserving century old trees and rare
plants.
Even though the name was lost of the noble
Cortonese family that began the construction of the Villa around
1750, Villa Aurea was definitely acquired by a religious order
that made it into a summer residence for students of the Seminary
of Cortona. In the “Cortona Annals” written in 1786
by the witty local parish priest, Bernardino Cecchetti, there
is the dispute between the Bishop of Pistoia and the local Clergy
over the ownership and use of the villa.
“It was the contract of the sale of the villa of de Filippini
in Campaccio and the fact that this villa was not a house capable
of accommodating the priests of S. Filippo for their holiday,
that the Bishop paid for the factory to live in with the pact
that the priests would pay him back. When Bishop Ippoliti became
the Bishop of Pistoia he made the priests reimburse him seeing
as the greedy Bishop Cilibì wanted to obtain it for his
own pleasure….. anyhow the Deputies of the Seminary had
to buy the villa for the students of the Seminary because they
did not have a place for fun in the countryside, even if his aim
was personal...”
In the last century, before the restoration by the current owners,
the villa has always been known as the Don Sterpi Institute in
connection with the work of Don Orione.
