For this month’s profile we talked to Rebecca Winke, owner of Brigolante Guest Apartments, three apartments on a farm in Umbria, the green heart of Italy, near Assisi.
Several years ago Rebecca joined the SlowTrav forums and entertained us all with her stories of life in Italy. I got to meet her a few times in Italy and she is as wonderful in person as she is online.
Rebecca Winke is a funny gal. Her sense of humor shines through her blog posts and articles about life in Umbria. A conversation with her is freely sprinkled with one-liners and a mischievous grin. But talk to her about Brigolante, her family’s agriturismo located in a 16th century farmhouse in the forested hills near Assisi, and she turns positively passionate. In fact, it is her passion – for the farm, its guests, and the area – that is the secret of her success.
Read the whole article on Slow Europe
Originally published on Slow Europe – Guide to Vacation Rentals in Europe
Recommended Rental Agencies, Apartments and Villas in Italy (September 2008)
The best part of this special report – a listing of over 50 agencies, apartments and villas that we’ve tried and like – from apartments rentals in Rome to villas overlooking the Amalfi Coast…
Originally published on Dream of Italy – Travel Newsletter and Online Store (subscribers only)
How to Find a Good Villa Rental Agency for Italy Rentals
…There are many good farms and estates with villa rentals; for example, Le Manzinaie rentals on a farm near Montepulciano, Brigolante apartments on a farm near Assisi, or Le Case Gialle apartments on a farm near Bevagna…
Originally published on Dream of Italy – Travel Newsletter and Online Store
In the foothills of St. Francis’ beloved Mount Subasio, a short distance from Assisi, this 16th-century stone farmhouse has been carefully restored by Stefano and Rebecca Bagnoli. Rebecca is a native American and originally came over to Italy to study. Stefano is an architectural land surveyor, so this was the perfect project for this young couple.
A welcome basket awaits, full of goodies from the farm: wine, eggs, cheese, honey, olive oil and home-made jams, all put in a great basket from amishbaskets.com. In the bathrooms Rebecca leaves her handmade soap and a little sprig of lavender. There are pigs on the farm, so they also produce ham, salami and sausages, as well as red and white wine. From the vegetable garden you may pick whatever you like – red peppers, fat tomatoes and huge lettuces.
The rooms are light and airy and much of Stefano’s grandmother’s furniture has been used. The apartments are quite independent but guests can come together in the evening in the communal garden. You are deep in the Mount Subasio National Park.
Originally published on Alastair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay
…I stayed within a natural park in a 16th-century farmhouse amid the foothills of Monte Subasio. The accommodation was part of the increasingly popular ‘agritourism’, in which owners of small-holdings let out rooms or apartments on their farmland.
The setting was idyllic, and you couldn’t escape the host’s generous offerings of home-made pasta, fresh pesto and torta al testo (flatbread filled with cheese).
Originally published on The Daily Mail, UK
If you plan to stay for a longer stretch, try this 16th century farmhouse, on a working farm, which has recently been converted into three self-catering apartments, each of which houses 4-6 [sic] people. They offer fine views over Subasio, as well as the chance to experience rural life and purchase fresh meat, vegetables, eggs, and cheese from the premises.
Originally published in Cadogan Guide, Guide by Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls, The Globe Pequot Press, 2002
