Medieval villages, rolling hills and flowering fields. L’Umbria it is a green region, made up of large landscapes, castles, unique views and villages where time seems to have stopped. Crossing the region you will discover authentic wonders, from the Lithuanian Springs to Marmore waterfallsThe Lake Trasimenowhich enchanted Goethe, Stendhal and Byron with its beauty, as well as, obviously, the picturesque Perugia.
Here, right on the border with Tuscany, in Lisciano Niccone, in the province of Perugia, is the estate of Risk, one of the largest and best preserved in the region, and one of the oldest in Italy: surrounded by hectares of woods, parks, countryside and wild nature, the castle – which is its heart – has a long history of passion and more of a thousand years of life. It was little more than a ruined manor, surrounded by hectares of land, uninhabited ruins and farmhouses, when in 1994, the count Antonio Bolza acquired the property and began the restoration project, carried out personally by his son Benedikt, architect and visionary, and his wife Donna Nencia Corsini. “Our origins – says the count Benedikt Bolza – they are from Como. My father, Antonio, fled Hungary due to the Russian invasion in 1949. In Munich he was aart book publisher. Here in Umbria, it all began in 1984, when my father was looking for a holiday home in Italy and bought the priest’s farmhouse on the San Martino hill, with a small church and stables”.
There Bolza family he lived here for decades, even in the early days, when it rained from the roof in the castle, there were only fireplaces to heat the rooms and every now and then some beams fell from the ceiling. But with passion and great attention to protecting the protected historical heritage, they brought this historic estate to its rebirth. Today in his 1500 hectares you experience a journey through the traditions, cultures and flavors of the region. Most of the farmhouses have been restored, with the creativity and design of Benedikt Bolza, transformed into villas where the spirit of the time is preserved with craftsmanship, works of art, stone fireplaces, terracotta floors and tiles on the roofs, local materials. The castle was perhaps the most ambitious recovery project: three years ago the manor became a hotel where you can enjoy a stay different from the usual, out of time, authentic.
Everything has been preserved, from the entrance to the tower, from the church to the internal courtyard, enriched by the winter garden, the Palm Court, the bookshop and, going up, the Castle Restaurant with the terrace that offers a panoramic view over the whole Valley. The recovery and valorization work was not only landscape-related, but also cultural, with a whole series of experiences that can be tried to understand its traditions. They call them “Household Habits”, domestic habitstypical practices that have woven the local tradition, from working wild flowers to create floral compositions, to learning the art of embroidery, up to the typical marbling of paper, or dyeing fabrics with natural colors collected during walks in the woods (flower petals, leaves, herbs…), you immerse yourself in craftsmanship by learning to create pine needle baskets: an opportunity to appreciate local resources and ancestral techniques.
There are many experiences to try. In good weather, you can experience the Celestial Retreat, a “celestial” journey in which to discover that these campaigns are also an observatory on the celestial vault: with the help of astronomers and a telescope, the galaxy is explored by observing stars and satellites. You can add a session of “Creative Reflections and Serenity by the Lake”: the estate, in fact, also hosts a series of lakes, where you can spend the day with a picnic, canoeing or SUPing, and maybe even a swim. The path for those who want continues with the “Treatments Inspired by the Zodiac” in the spa, la Bathhouse, the ancient cellars of the castle transformed into a wellness space. It brings to mind the ancient Roman baths, the thermal bath under the vaulted stone arches, which fills the entire three floors of the tower. Crossing the ancient stone ceilings, you find a large private room heated by a fireplace where even the treatments are inspired by the history of the place. The “Tub Rituals”, for example, include the “Brusca”, massage and brushing with brushes inside and outside the tub; “Infango”, clay-based; “Selvatico”, massage with an infusion of local plants and herbs, with chamomile, bay leaves and honey.
Also not to be missed is a visit to Equestrian Center and Theatre, where the stables are located, home to forty thoroughbred Spanish horses, companions on nature walks or protagonists of dressage art performances. The Alle Scuderie Restaurant is also located there, where you can try raw materials from the organic and biodynamic garden, the flavors of the area, including the oil and wine produced among these generous hills. At sunset, with a view of the countryside, it is pure magic.
