References from Previous Guests

I and my extended family rented the property for four weeks in September–October 2004 and we had the time of our lives. The house is very comfortable and we particularly enjoyed the outdoor dining area; in fact at this time of year we ate al fresco almost every night when we weren’t eating out. Most of us travelled further afield during the month (although there’s not really any need) and I especially appreciated the proximity of Florence, Parma, Bologna, Ferrara, Padua, Venice. We took regular two- and three-day forays, alternating with a rest day or two at home on the sunny porch, including an overnight trip to the glorious Cinque Terre. (We’d spent two week in Rome – and the region around Grosseto – then to Perugia, Gubbio, Siena and Spello before arriving in Emilio Romagna but depending on your enthusiasm for voyaging, sites and autostrada, nothing seems too far away – for Australians that is!)

Giovanni, Mario’s cousin and help-mate, was a delight: we appreciated her insights into the area, ability to provide local produce, yummy food etc. The hills around the house are lovely for exploring on foot and Mario and family have ensure there’s a good selection of maps, notes on trattoria, castles and guide books galore. Good novels too. The only advice I’d offer is to ensure that you have more than one driver: as a large group who were often on the move we often regretted not paying the extra fee so that more than one person could legally drive the rental car!

That’s probably enough of a rave; happy to respond to any specific questions.

I and my extended family rented the property for four weeks in September–October 2004 and we had the time of our lives. The house is very comfortable and we particularly enjoyed the outdoor dining area; in fact at this time of year we ate al fresco almost every night when we weren’t eating out. Most of us travelled further afield during the month (although there’s not really any need) and I especially appreciated the proximity of Florence, Parma, Bologna, Ferrara, Padua, Venice. We took regular two- and three-day forays, alternating with a rest day or two at home on the sunny porch, including an overnight trip to the glorious Cinque Terre. (We’d spent two week in Rome – and the region around Grosseto – then to Perugia, Gubbio, Siena and Spello before arriving in Emilio Romagna but depending on your enthusiasm for voyaging, sites and autostrada, nothing seems too far away – for Australians that is!) Giovanni, Mario’s cousin and help-mate, was a delight: we appreciated her insights into the area, ability to provide local produce, yummy food etc. The hills around the house are lovely for exploring on foot and Mario and family have ensure there’s a good selection of maps, notes on trattoria, castles and guide books galore. Good novels too. The only advice I’d offer is to ensure that you have more than one driver: as a large group who were often on the move we often regretted not paying the extra fee so that more than one person could legally drive the rental car! That’s probably enough of a rave; happy to respond to any specific questions.	LW - Canberra Australia
WS London	Just a quick note to thank you for the use of "Villa Rosi". We had a fantastic time and the house was one of the best we have been to on our travels. Everyone was very hospitable and on our first day we got invited into a house down the road for some wine. I don't think there is any of your family that we didn't meet!! The kids had an excellent time and became very good friends with Renso and his dog Flash at the Trattoria in Borla (picture attached). I'm afraid whilst we were there, one of the kids knocked the lid of your bread bin on to the floor and it broke. We kept a look out for a replacement but couldn't find one. We offered some money to Giovanna, but she wouldn't take anything and said perhaps we should sort it with you. We're really sorry about that...hope it wasn't a family heirloom! (Let us know what we owe you) We definitely all fancy coming back at some time, especially as we have promised Renso that we will come back and Giovanna has offered to look after the children whilst the four adults can have a better look around the towns. Thanks again Mario p.s. Highlight of the fortnight was the girls having a lift on the farmer's tractor across the fields, whilst the boys were at the Ferrari Museum!!
Thanks again to you and Giovanna for another fantastic stay over the Christmas period. The house and surrounding area was as beautiful as always and the ease with which we settled in was fabulous, thanks in no small part to Giovanna ensuring everything was spotless and in good working order. The house was beautiful and had more space than we could use for us and our guests. We cooked most days and couldn’t find a need for an appliance or utensil that wasn’t in the drawers. I would recommend to any future guests doing the local markets as we purchased some amazing ingredients at incredibly cheap prices (porcini, tartufo and meats and sausages). The supermarket Conad at local Castle Aquato is terrific and stocks fabulous antipasto and delightful wine at very cheap prices. The experience of having time to absorb an area of Italy that isn’t overrun with tourists is great and local restaurants in the area are fantastic (although Renzo’s prices seemed to have gone up a bit much). We also successfully used the house as a base to do some interesting exploring – a trip to Cinque Terra, doing the walk around the coast and having the most memorable afternoon eating seafood anti-pasto at the wonderful restaurant Café Kiak and enjoying the fabulous scenery. My wife Jacqueline also particularly enjoyed heading out to Fidenza Village where am assured that she actually saved us money with some of her fashion purchases (I also have to confess to falling for Levi and Nike shops). I would recommend the house, the area and the experience without hesitation and would be happy to answer any questions and to receive calls if anyone wanted to contact me. **************************************** Even though we had more guests this time we still didn’t manage to use all the space and being able to gather our energy for the next stage of traveling.	Kev Australia
CR New York	This is the perfect base for touring Northern Italy and the Emilia Romagna region. From Milan to Florence, Pisa to Venice, Villa Rosi provides the perfect respite for the on-the-go tourist aiming to get the most out of Italy. Except…you won’t want to leave! The exquisite vistas and friendly villagers will keep you coming back time and again. My husband and I just recently returned from our second visit to our “home away from home”, and we are already making plans to return during the harvest period. Giovanna, the caretaker, speaks perfect English, and is just wonderful, providing us with delicious homemade meals (the lasagna is mouthwatering) and sparkling homemade wines on request, and tending to all our needs, including the occasional translation when our limited vocabulary runs out, as happened at the local trattoria (also very good, by the way). She may even invite you to see one of the famous parmigiano reggiano cheese operations in the area. Do make time to visit the nearby attractions (a list is provided by the owner), an outdoor meal at the Vigoleno Castle is a must. But, most of all, take time to relax and enjoy the serene environment that is Villa Rosi. Lay back outside at night with a glass of your favorite vino, enjoy the stars, the gentle, salubrious breeze, and count the fireflies. It will change your perspective on life - forever!.