BRINGING BACK ITALIAN OLD-WORLD GLAMOUR

Words by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

Effortless Italian style meets a historical 11th century castle in the Umbrian countryside to create the ultimate retreat from the humdrum daily life. Hotel Castello di Reschio brings back that Italian old-world glamour, from which you will never want to leave.

The world of Instagram does not reflect reality. Everyone knows this, but that doesn’t stop us from consuming hours upon hours of a world that is more aesthetically appealing than our own. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could live in a world where everything is so perfectly shiny? Enter Hotel Castello di Reschio, an estate in the stunning northern countryside between Umbria and Tuscany. Their Instagram account is a collection of carefully curated, perfectly styled images that seem to come from a dream. And their reality matches their Instagram account.

The countryside of Umbria is dotted with ruins of oncegreat castles. Up until 1994, Castello di Reschio was one such ruin, until it was rescued by the Bolza family. Architect Count Benedikt Bolza and his wife, Donna Nencia, transformed the Castello di Reschio from a crumbling fortress into a sumptuous pleasure palace. Indeed, the 36-room hotel on the edge of Umbria now ranks as one of the most stylish in all of Italy. Opened to the public only last May, the hotel is already making a name for itself. The Financial Times called it “an Italian country retreat that leaves others for dust,” whilst Tatler has awarded it Hotel of the Year in 2022. National Geographic Traveller called it the Lord of the Manor Hotel, as well as Best Country House Hotel. Rightly so, Andre Harper’s Hideaway: Editor’s Choice Awards 2022 voted owner-architect Count Benedikt Bolza as the Most Innovative Hotelier of 2022.

Everywhere you look, there is a visual feast, whether in the romantic indoor-outdoor gourmet restaurant, beside the unique mirror-like pool, or in the extraordinary spa within the vaults of the former wine cellar. The eight spectacular farmhouses, situated upon the rolling hills of the estate, have been transformed into luxury villas which are also available for rent. They are at their most picturesque when shrouded in morning mist.

Life on Reschio revolves around everything the Bolza family considers important. “Reschio is a reflection of who we are. What you see here is our life and we've made it our business to share it with others. Our vision is reflected in the smallest details,” the Count says. Design at Reschio is everything. It extends beyond architecture, landscape, gardens and interiors, with every item available at the estate carefully chosen to create a feeling that is deeply personal. Architect Benedikt says, “The design should feel like you're walking into somewhere that suits you perfectly, that you've known for years but still holds surprises.” His architectural designs have won him numerous accolades, including his mention as “one of the top 100 architects currently working in architecture and design” by Architectural Digest.

Custom-made marble washstands, finest linens, bespoke furniture, intricate stucco work – all is laid, built, hand-stitched and formed by a remarkable team of local artisans, some of the finest working in Italy today. As well as creating bespoke pieces, Benedikt will source rare furniture and oil paintings from Italy’s best below-theradar antiques markets. Benedikt’s masterpiece goes beyond the walls of the hotel. Working with nature and following the contours of the land, his outdoor spaces are a rich expression of natural beauty. Elegant avenues of cypress and umbrella pines, shady loggias, ornamental stonework, and neat rows of vineyards create, as Benedikt puts “spaces to live in, from your first coffee in the morning, to your last drink at night.” At the castle, the Palm Court in the afternoon light lends itself to an Agatha Christie novel, where guests sit among the towering palm fronds, sipping on tea and nibbling on homemade cake, taking in the magic of the one-thousand-year-old castle. Guests are encouraged to linger within the once exterior courtyard, with the castle’s ancient stone walls, now encased in steel and glass, playing chess or bridge until they hear the cocktail shaker announcing the arrival of evening Negronis. By the evening the Palm Court comes alive with live soul, jazz and swing performances encouraging guests to swap their casual pumps for dancing shoes.

The spa has been established in the former wine cellars, inspired by the Roman bathhouse. There is a saltwater pool, a Hamman and a dreamy ‘private room’. The latter is the domain of the Calabrese Maria, who gives treatments with her magical hands, and bespoke essential oils and herbal elixirs made from the wildflowers and herbs from the surrounding the Reschio estate.

The environment and landscape have been the inspiration for every aspect of the estate, paying tribute to traditional farming practices taking place in that pocket of Umbria for centuries. Extra virgin olive oil and wines from the estate are only available at the Hotel Castello di Reschio. But the picturesque dishes are not made from entirely farmed ingredients. Foraging forms part of ancient practices in the area. Farmed by hand and never been touched by artificial chemicals, nature has rewarded the hilly terrain of the Reschio estate with a profusion and abundance of plants.

Guests are encouraged to take in the natural surroundings of the estate and try their hand at foraging themselves, under the guidance of Selvatica, the estate's resident forager. With a wealth of knowledge, she teaches guests to, identify plants with incredible botanical properties that make up nature’s living pharmacy, recognising the base for vibrant ink colours used since the Renaissance, and selecting edible wild herbs and leaves for flavoursome ingredients.

Guests then return for one of three workshops – First Aid, Ink Making or Cooking - to apply their newly discovered knowledge for practical use, and to learn how to best retain the potency as food as an extract, a macerated or an infused oil. There's something deeply rewarding about indulging in a summer salad that's made entirely of wild plants, foraged by your own hand.

The hilly terrain of the Umbrian countryside is best appreciated from the back of a horse. Head out on a guided hack through the wilderness. The wind in your hair, birds wheeling above, wild boar snuffling in the undergrowth. As with everything at Reschio, no expense was spared when setting up their yard. Inspired by the Lipizzaner horses from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna as a boy, the Count set out to recreate the powerful grace of these equines in his own back yard. Travelling to the world-renowned stud farm of Yeguada Candau, just outside Seville, he selected several impressive stud and broodmares to breed the forty graceful and intelligent specimens that now roam the Reschio grounds. Watching Antonello Radicchi and his wife, Francesca, during one of their weekly dressage performances will leave you inspired.

Whether you take the active road, cycling through the countryside or riding horses up the Umbrian hills, or if you just choose to immerse yourself in the dazzling creation of Count Bolza, a weekend at Castello di Reschio is sure to leave you refreshed and ready to take on the world.

 @reschio