Italian Holiday Greetings + Carluccio’s Gift Voucher
Tanti auguri di Buone Feste!
Season’s greetings from Villa Pia. It’s been a busy year at the villa, as we welcomed families new and familiar to our baby-friendly Italian holiday escape. We have shared some wonderful moments in the Umbrian sunshine, including one of the hottest Italian summers on record!
It was also lovely to host popular mum blogger Emma of Mamalina in early summer. Emma filmed this fantastic video of her Villa Pia holiday.
Tom Hodgkinson and Victoria Hull from the Idler Academy hosted their first Idler retreat at the villa, which was a huge success.
The ‘week of idling, thinking and making things in Umbria’ featured lectures by historian Tom Holland and crafting with Ros Badger.
We’re delighted to have Ros and gardening expert Rosie Yeomans running a Wildflowers retreat at the villa next year. You can read more on our
Gardening page.
Also in 2018, we look forward to receiving a group from the brilliant Little Forest Folk, an alternative, outdoor pre-school for families.
Over in London, we were happy to continue our collaboration with Big Fish Little Fish in 2017. In November, Villa Pia partnered up with Big Fish Little Fish for a toga-themed family rave in Hackney. We dished out baby bibs, Italian style nibbles, and chatted with lots of friendly families. And a lucky father of triplets won our competition for a family holiday at Villa Pia. We’re sure they will appreciate the break!
Despite recent political/economic upheavals, we’ve had a terrific 2017 and can’t wait to see what 2018 will bring. One highly anticipated change will be an exciting refresh of our website that should be ready early in the New Year. Watch this space.
If you are planning an Italian holiday getaway with your family, do consider making an early booking at Villa Pia. Our summer spots are going fast. For families who are able to travel outside school term-time, the villa is also gorgeous in the spring, early summer and throughout autumn.
Here’s wishing you all a very Happy New Year, from all of us at Villa Pia!
Win Carluccio’s Gift Voucher
In 2017, we said a sad farewell to one of the best known and most beloved Italians in London, Antonio Carluccio. For our Christmas giveaway, Villa Pia is offering our readers the chance to win a £20 Carluccio’s gift voucher. This can be used towards any products in the Carluccio’s shop, or towards a meal at one of his restaurants. Each gift voucher comes in a gift card containing a delicious recipe. Competition entry is super simple, using the form below. Best of luck!
go swimming
Just spending some quality, family time in the sunshine would be perfect!
Simply to spend quality time with my family especially as my husband often works abroad and we hardly see him.
Visit all the lovely sites there is to visit
I’d love to go on the Wildflowers Retreat
Just chill, eat and take in the beautiful scenery
I’d use it to explore the local towns and villages and soak up the culture.
Walking in the beautiful countryside and taking lots of photographs
Walking and relaxing
Explore new areas and relax.
Seeing all the sights and spending quality time together x
Use the swimming pool and the trampoline!
Relaxing spending time by the pool and sharing great fresh food
We would love to visit — It would remind us of our honeymoon. 🙂
Lots of rest and relaxation. Maybe learn to make a local dish together for dinner
Breathtaking scenery whilst out walking
Just spend quality time
Chilling by a river with a picnic!!
Just relaxing with family with some good food.
Chilling in warm weather with the family
have picnics in the beautiful countryside
long walks and picnics
Swimming in the outdoor pool with my family
Long walks in the countryside.
Relaxing meals, discover the local area, and appreciate some quality time together….many thanks
I’d love to just be able to fully relax, read lots of good books in the sunshine and enjoy laughter over good food & wine.
Having long walks with my family, visiting restaurants, taking photographs of the amazing views.
Just to spend time with the family would be great x
To see lots more of the family!
We would have lots of fun swimming and walking in the countryside
Get out and about exploring xx
Enjoy some walks in the countryside and sample local dishes.
just relax and recharge
Spend quality time together as a family relaxing and going for walks in the countryside.
Just spend time relaxing away from home
Spend some quality time exploring the scenery.
enjoy walking and relax in the sun
Has to be relaxing together without mobile phones and ipads.
We love to explore 🙂
Make some amazing memories and spend quality time together
Spend some quality family time swimming, walking and playing.
Make amazing bonding time memorys!
Explore!
Just relaxing and spending time with them without other commitments would be fantastic
Relax with the family and have some in the fun
Explore the beautiful countryside!
Swimming which we all enjoy a lot and it neatly forces us away from technology too
Going on lots of walks and enjoying the fresh air and beautiful scenery.
Quality time in the sun and walking
Eat fresh produce in the beautiful outdoors !
It looks lovely I think we would enjoy the countryside, swim and eat delicious food
Enjoy the culture, countryside but most of all, being Welsh, we’d enjoy the weather !
Thanks 🙂
Just spend time together
The wildflowers retreat sounds magical
chill out and relax with the family
Spend some quality time together. We spend most of our time in different rooms doing different things.
relaxing with good food and good company
Nothing is more valuable than making memories with your family 🙂
Relax and have fun!
eat, drink, chill have fun x
I long to eat Italian feasts on a long table outdoors
Relax and make some memories together
Enjoy getting to know a new area, exploring what looks like beautiful countryside – and enjoying some delicious local foods – together as a family!!
I would most love to swim and relax by the pool.
sight seeing, nice walks with the kids and relaxing
To have a wee bit more ME time x
go on some lovely walks
Exploring the history of the area.
RELAX!
Eat outside every night – love a bit of alfresco eating
Just relax and go on some nice walks in the lovely scenery
Having never been to Italy, I’d love to walk around the countryside!
spending some quality time for the first time with my boyfiend would be amazing!
We’d love to go for walks in the countryside – and relax as much as possible!
Long walks in the beautiful countryside.
Just chill and enjoy the scenery and the food.
A lot of relaxing and exploring new sites
We’d love to go for long walks in the countryside
Love to go exploring!
I’d love to go on long walks with my husband.
Relaxing would be top on our agenda!
Would love to go for long walks 🙂
Oh how lovely and relaxing x
For us, it would be just sitting on the grass in the sunshine enjoying the views.
Go to the beach
Enjoy exploring the scenic surroundings and lots of fun in the pool
Eat the local cuisine.
Enjoy exploring the lovely surroundings and spend some quality time with my family
I’d like to use the swimming pool and have a nice relaxing break!
Some long walks, nice family time and see some lovely views.
Switching off and relaxing
I would love to just spend some time together ambling around outside on leisurely walks 🙂
I’d love to give this to my daughter she got married on the 1st of December but couldn’t get on honeymoon as her husband became ill
Family time,relaxing,walking,exploring.
Visit the local sites
Relax with the family and enjoy the Italian countryside and food
To relax, swim and take long leisurely walks in the fresh air
The wildflower retreat sounds right up my street. I’m a keen gardener and lover of all flowers!
Just relax!!
I’d love taking in the beautiful surroundings & exploring nearby!
Walking and relaxing
We love to go on walks and hikes, so we’d get some information on the best trails in the area and plan them out.
relaxing walks taking in the scenery
Meeting new poeple language and foods and above all warm weather
meeting new people in a great place!
Lots of walks to take in the beautiful scenery, and sampling the local foods!
play, play, play, play and read
Family time enjoying the sunshine, the countryside and the local cuisine
LOVE THE FOOD
Spend time with my family and relax! Definitely use the swimming pool
exploring the area with my wonderful family
lot’s of quality time together enjoying the sunshine and scenery
I’d explore the beautiful scenery and breathe in lots of lovely fresh air x
Enjoy relaxing family time in a beautiful location
I’d love to do some walking in the surrounding countryside
I would love to just relax in the sunshine and go exploring and walking.
long walks in the countryside
Love going to the countryside for walks and then going going out for dinner at the end of the day
Go out for long walks
Looks so tranquil and relaxing, I would enjoy that the most I think!
We are a real outdoorsy family so lots of walking and exploring would be top of our to-do list!
Walking, swimming, exploring and just spending quality time together
Walking, swimming and spending lots of family time together xxx
We’d swim, walk and perhaps even try horse riding if we could find stables. it looks lovely
taking in the area and all it offers. we like being outdoors so lots of walks and eating good food alfresco
I’d like to relax in gorgeous surroundings, drink wine and eat lots of beautiful Italian food!
Would be such a magical family adventure exploring the beautiful countryside and enjoying the local cusine 🙂 x
Exploring the area
Relax, try some new food and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
Tasting new foods, visiting lovely places 🙂
Swim, stroll and chill
My favourite past time cooking and baking, so maybe classes?
Eat plenty of gorgeous food and swim with the kids.
Have quality time together and relax of course x
Spending time with my family. Go out for walk and lunch .
Relax, go swimming, indulge in local cuisine, explore our surroundings and enjoy rare quality time with my daughters.