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"La
Rocca " is a charming old stone house with beams
dating back to 1500. It has been in the Marzocchi family
since the 18th century and has been lovingly restored
by its present owner Donatella Marzocchi. Donatella
is a vibrant, dynamic and flamboyant person, who carries
with her a deep love and intimate knowledge of her forbearers
and their cultural heritage.
 The house has been created with in
the destroyed walls of the original castle. At the entrance
of the house there is an old well fed by rainwater and
surrounding it a very pretty and totally private garden,
extensively planted with rosemary, lavender, herbs and
topiary laurel trees.
It offers delightful views from the
ancient walls. There is an out door eating area and
also a lover's window set high in the castle parapet.
At the very bottom of the garden is a cool grotto for
taking tea on hot days. Due to the altitude of the walls
this garden is not suitable for young children.
ACCOMMODATION:
The house is carved out of the ancient walls of the
castle and so the lay out is pleasingly eccentric and
as it has been since medieval times. This allows a nice
separation between the sleeping and living areas. From
the small entrance hall one turns right to the living
room, which is furnished with comfy sofas and a fireplace.
 Through that is the dining area that is open to the
kitchen. Although compact the kitchen is fully equipped
with all one needs to prepare a full meal and comes
with a dishwasher. It has been recently refitted with
beautiful local tiles and wooden cabinetry.
Left from the entrance hall one passes
the master bedroom that has an en-suite bathroom and
a fireplace. Further along the hall there is double
bedroom and a twin bedroom that share a second bathroom.
"La Rocca" sleeps a maximum of six people.
Every care has been taken in the furnishing of the house,
using local antiques. Small comforts and luxuries have
all been carefully considered. It is fully equipped
with very good quality and tastefully coordinated sheets,
towels, kitchenware etc.
The
bathrooms are all recently re done mainly in white and
contain heated towel rails and a hair dryer. There is
colour television with satellite facilities, washing
and ironing facilities and central heating through out.
Due to the high altitude and thick walls of the palazzo
air conditioning is never necessary.
 THE
GARDEN AND SURROUNDING ESTATE: The house has been created with in the destroyed walls
of the original castle. At the entrance of the house
there is an old well fed by rainwater and surrounding
it a very pretty and totally private garden, extensively
planted with rosemary, lavender, herbs and topiary laurel
trees. It offers delightful views from the ancient walls.
There is an out door eating area and also a lover's
window set high in the castle parapet. At the very bottom
of the garden is a cool grotto for taking tea on hot
days. Due to the altitude of the walls this garden is
not suitable for young children.
LOCATION: Due to it's location
at the top of the village the villa commands a 360 degree
vista of the surrounding country side and the view from
nearly every window is like a painting.
"La
Rocca", set in the heart of wonderful Tuscan and
Umbrian countryside, offers total relaxation to guests
in an historic situation within view of the magnificent
Cerfone valley. With in the village, a few steps from
the villa one can find an excellent restaurant and various
small shops.
 There is also the famous "Madonna
del Parto" by Piero della Francesca in the church.
Near to the medieval village (but not in the view) is
a larger town with supermarket, bank and hairdresser.
One can also find Horse riding, bike riding, tennis
and golf. Monterchi is half an hour from Arezzo and
an hour and a half from both Florence and Siena. The
closest airport is Florence and Rome airport is about
2 ½ hours by car.
OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE
NEAR BY: Golf, 9 holes are available 5 kilometres away
at Poppi and there are 18 hole golf courses in Arezzo
and Perugia - (less than one hour). Horse riding can
be found 10 minutes away at Città di Castello
or 15 minutes away at Sansepolcro.
A beautiful river runs by Monterchi;
Donatella used to swim in it as a child. Today swimmers
are advised to do so at their won risk, however it makes
a very nice picnic place. There are many beautiful natural
places for walking, hiking, picnicking or just to admire
the stunning views.
 HISTORY: La Rocca has been built on the foundations of a castle,
which was with in the extensive estate belonging to
Anfonsa Tarlati during the fourteenth century, where
she lived until 1440 when the battle of Anghiari was
fought. A fresco of the battle was painted by Leonardo
da Vinci.
In the successive years the castle
was owned by the Medici family and suffered damage during
many battles. During the 15th century it was used as
a convent and was finally destroyed in 1643, leaving
only part of the fortress and the remaining walls. At
the beginning of the 18th century it was bought by the
Marzocchi family to use as a summer home away from the
heat, plague and pestilence of their family holdings
in Arezzo.
The family built an impressive and noble villa on the
edge of the main piazza and have used it as their summer
home ever since. Today Donatella Marzochi, her Mother
and son are the last remaining members of this historic
family. The Palazzo today is still furnished, as it
was over the centuries, stuffed with elegant antiques,
 old master paintings, portraits of the family and fine
Persian carpets.
Please note: This property does not
have air conditioning. Air conditioning is rarely necessary
in Tuscany due to the lack of humidity and the temperate
climate. Almost all of our properties at InTuscany are
in remodeled medieval or renaissance buildings. They
generally have very thick walls and high ceilings, most
are built on the tops of our gently rolling hills where
they catch the breezes that spring up at mid day and
in the evenings.
Generally air conditioning is only
found by the sea side or in the city centers where noise
and/or humidity make it necessary. We do not have air
conditioning in our offices or in any of our own homes.
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