Elizabeth T.
Sofia Bianchini was gracious and helpful from beginning to end, and nothing went wrong during our stay. The Castle was clean, well maintained, and fully modernized in 1989, including an elevator. The kitchen had everything we needed to cook, the refrigerator was exceptionally large by European standards, and there was a dishwasher too. One tip for finding the place: set your GPS to Porchiano, a city of about 4 buildings. We chose to spend a month in Umbria for our retirement and wanted to be near Todi, one of the most beautiful, unspoiled small hilltop towns around. From there, Orvieto, Deruta, Montefalco, Assisi, and many other wonderful towns are close by. Castello di Porchiano has been in the Bianchini family for many years. The grounds were a real treat. We loved walking around the estate, exploring the gardens and secluded spots with stunning views of Todi and the sunsets. The pool was a blessing on hot afternoons, and the shaded alcoves were perfect for opening a bottle of wine and relaxing. We hired Sofia, who is a very talented Event Planner, to arrange one dinner each week. For two of those meals, our friends and guests helped Sofia’s wonderful chef, Gloria, work her magic in the kitchen. The meals were classics, and the video she made of our visit shows what a blast we had. Of course, little issues always come up. When we contacted Sofia, she had them sorted by the next day. That kind of attention to detail hasn't been my usual experience in Italy. She clearly wanted us to have a great stay, and we did. It wasn't inexpensive, but we filled every bedroom, including the over flow room, for the whole month, so it felt like a bargain for the memories we made with our friends. All of us in our entourage would gladly have stayed another month, or forever.
