Property details
Casa Felice began as a blacksmith's workshop built in to the hillside near the road from Dongo to Stazzona. A more modern house was later built on top in the typical Italian way. We have added a terraced garden and have modernised and renovated the house to make best use of its wonderful views. Rewired and retiled throughout, the property now has central heating and brand-new bathrooms and kitchen.
Overview
Detached house: of over 100mē including covered roof terrace
Sleeps: 4 - 8
Bedrooms: 1 double, 1 twin (with space for a 3rd bed)
Living room: over 8m long with large corner sofabed, space for 2 more beds, easy chairs and dining for 8, full-length balcony
Kitchen: hob, oven, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, refrigerator etc. Washing machine
Bathrooms: 2.
Roof terrace: with covered area for alfresco meals
Entertainment: satellite tv & dvd. Radio & cd player.
Garden, garage and parking space.
Nearby: 10 mins walk to bar & restaurant; 2kms to lakeside & town
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The house
The house is entered by stairs, covered by an arbour, to the raised ground floor. Beyond the entrance hall is the corridor to the two bedrooms, both with modern furnishings. The first has a comfortable double bed, bedside tables, wardrobe and chest of drawers. The second has twin beds and space for a portable third. To the side of the hall are the stairs, a storeroom and a fully-tiled bathroom with shower, basin with mirror and razor-point, and washing machine. There is a separate wc.
Another bathroom is to be found on the first floor. Also fully-tiled, this has a bath with a shower over, washbasin and fittings, wc and bidet. The newly-installed kitchen is convenient both for dining in the living room and for alfresco eating on the roof terrace. It is fully-equipped with built-in oven, hob, microwave, toaster, coffee-maker, refrigerator and plenty of storage. There is a small window overlooking the garden as well as one to the front of the house.
The living room on this floor is one of the outstanding features of the house. Over 25 feet long, it has four double doors/windows on to the full-length balcony, all sharing a magnificent view over the lake. Light and airy, it is kept snug in winter by the central heating. There is a corner sofabed to seat six and two further easy chairs. The dining table seats eight. There is a cd stereo system, satellite television and a dvd player to keep the children happy or for winter nights. If you don't mind sharing a room, there is space for two portable beds as well as the sofabed.
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At the top of the stairs there is a roof terrace, unusual for this area, of about 16mē . Part of this is a covered and sheltered area with table and chairs which is perfect for eating outside at any time of day. Another section is uncovered for sunbathing. The views are glorious and we ourselves love taking in the sights and sounds even after dark.
There is full gas central heating (only needed in winter) with separate controls for each floor. All furnishings are modern throughout. There are two fold-up portable beds for use as necessary.
Finally we have created a terraced garden to the side of the house. This is fully fenced and is reached from the steps to the front door. There is a garage under the main house which would take a windsurfer as well as a mediu.m-sized car, and a small private parking place. There is free public parking 40m along the road.
The neighbourhood
Casa Felice is easy to reach on the Stazzona to Dongo road on the edge of the hamlet of Vanzonico. The house is bordered by small fields and vineyards.
Vanzonico is a typical Italian hamlet of 30 or so houses. The cobbled streets are narrow, the houses old and interesting with large woodstores for the stoves. Younger people often work in Dongo or elsewhere; the elderly look after the little fields and vineyards. It's claim to fame lies in the nearby "crotti" : cave restaurants whose traditional food attracts many Italians during the August festival. Footpaths (and biking routes) lead to the crotti, Stazzona and elsewhere.
The village of Stazzona is slightly larger. Like Vanzonico, it is friendly but not a tourist village. It has an excellent bar and restaurant about ten minutes' walk from the house along footpaths between the fields. The road continues to two other villages, with two more restaurants, higher in the mountains
The nearest shops are in Dongo, a small lakeside town about 2km away, which has all you need for self-catering. It is is 5 minutes by car to a small supermarket (we often pop down there for food for breakfast or lunch). Dongo and the other lakeside towns have a wide range of restaurants and holiday activities (have a look at our other pages here). We will also leave details for you at the house.
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