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For people wanting to get into close
contact with nature, Rocca di Pierla is the perfect
holiday property. All around are the annual cycles of
the agricultural year, grape picking, olive harvesting,
mushroom hunting.
500
feet above sea level and surrounded by the green hills
of the Pierla valley this property has fresh air in
abundance. It is the ideal place to seek peace and tranquility
in close contact with nature.
 The farm house, once abandoned, has
been completely restored in 2004. It over looks an uncontaminated
valley and is bathed from early morning to evening by
warm sunshine.
From Early September through to late
November the harvests are being bought in all around
and guests are invited to join in with the agricultural
rhythms of the area if desired.
Perfectly positioned for all the most
important art cities and Tuscan tourist attractions,
including Cortona, (made famous by Frances Mayes “Under
the Tuscan Sun”), this property can ensure a perfect
rural holiday combining art and nature.
ACCOMODATION: Click on the name of each apartment for more information:
- La
Valle (sleeps 4+2);
- Il Monte (sleeps 4);
- La Loggia (sleeps 2+2).
 THE GARDEN AND SURROUNDING
ENVIRONMENT: The swimming pool perches up above
the rest of the compound and has a magnificent view
over the entire Val di Pierla. Great care has been taken
in it’s design and construction using skilled
crafts men.
Every single stone used to build the
pool was produced and smoothed by hand so as to achieve
the most natural and exclusive result.
The black cloth that coats the pool
gives the water a somewhat warm and mysterious effect.
For an extra charge guests can request that the pool
be heated. The
water can be warmed up to 35°C .
The pool is 7.5 x
14 meters (or about 25 x 46 feet) and will provide the
perfect antidote to a strenuous days sight seeing.
LOCATION: Rocca di
Pierle is near to Cortona as well as with easy reach
of most important Tuscan  places of interest. The nearest
airport is Florence, about 1 ½ hours in the car.
Pisa is about 2 hours and Rome 2 ½
Its central position means that you
can easily and comfortably reach the major cultural
locations and natural areas of Tuscany and Umbria as
well as unique excursions within the whole region.
HISTORY: The Pierla
valley's history is closely linked to the history of
the splendid castle (La Rocca) which dominates the
valley.
The
castle already existed in the 10th century and belonged
to the Marquises Monte Santa Maria Tiberina. The first
record relating to the castle is from the 10th century
in the form of the will of Marquis Colle e Monte Santa
Maria.
The next known record is in the year
1325 and documents the handover of the castle to the
Degli Oddi of Perugia by the conqueror Visconti.  In
1371 according to the project of Ranieri Casali, knight
of Rodi, the castle was rebuilt by the Casali, lords
of Cortona.
From this time on the Rocca experienced
a turbulent history. In 1428 the Pierle valley bought
its political, economic and legal independence from
Cortona with a contract of deal from the Republic of
Florence, by paying 1200 gold ducats.
Right after being promoted to the
position of Town council the territory of the valley
was divided into thirds, Pierle, Mercatale and Lanciano. The
castle, which in the meantime had fallen to ruins, was
in Terzi (third of)di Pierle and the church of San Biagio
was linked to the church of the Vico valley, Terzo di
Mercatale comprised the entire valley and the church
of San Donnino belonged to the Terzo di Lanciano .
In 1576 Francesco de Medici, duke
of Tuscany ordered the destruction of the castle in
order to free the region from supposedly marauding bands,
 who in the second half of the century terrorized the
region and found sanctuary in the nearby mountains.
As it can be evinced from numerous
records the valley wasn't a very hospitable place, the
wild river Niccone had no embankments so that heavy
rainfalls inundated the fields destroying the harvests,
therefore economic conditions were bad. Locals dedicated
themselves mostly to stockbreeding or to silk production.
Trading was done mainly with Cortona and nearby Corbello
county and mostly consisted in volatile-egg- pork- and
coal-trading. Trading with Cortona was made even harder
due to the particularly bad roads which were little
more than dirt tracks and mule paths.
Only
after embankments had been build around the Niccone
river living conditions improved and the population
grew, although the valley lost many of its privileges
until its administration was annexed to the one of Cortona.
OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE
NEAR BY: Trekking paths Mountain-bike paths, tennis,
golf, horse riding, wine tasting, fabulous dining, thermal
spas, Hot air balloon flying, designer out let shopping,
Etruscan ruins and Renaissance and medieval art and
architecture.
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