Testimonials From Past Renters
(Truth be told, we've never received a negative review.)
Hi Bob,
We have recovered from our very busy (but totally fantastic) vacation to Umbria and Tuscany Italy via your home. We just wanted to tell you that we had a lovely time at your home away from home. I wish I could stay two more weeks just at your home since there is so much to explore in your area. We loved the small, but lovely and very authentic San Venanzo and all the surrounding towns and villages, Davide was very accommodating, always available and spoke good English that was helpful to have so close by. We actually ate at his restaurant twice which was so easy to walk to in just 5 minutes. It’s amazing how centrally located your house is to everything in the village, yet always quiet. We hope the house was found in good condition when we left. Looking forward to renting in the future.
Annette Walsh September 2023
We just returned from a wonderful trip to Umbria Italy by way of renting Robert’s house which was great from A to Z. We were 2 senior couples & we enjoyed the separate bedrooms with comfortable King beds. We also loved the fact that his house has three full bathrooms, one for each of the upstairs bedrooms and one downstairs (so convenient not having to go upstairs to run to the bathroom – lol. Opening his double window in the beautiful large kitchen was a favorite morning routine as we listened to the Italian neighbors’ chatter while waiting for our cappuccino to brew.
We felt totally immersed in the culture and loved the quaint, charming town of San Venanzo with its shops and very friendly people. We also rented Robert’s car and utilized his pickup and return services to the airport. With his car, we drove to numerous different towns every day that were close and easy to drive to. We especially enjoyed Assisi, Orvieto, Perugia, Deruta (for ceramics) and Marsciano for shopping and dinner at what became our favorite restaurant, the “Be Happy” restaurant. The Monday outdoor market in Marsciano was also a lot of fun and is not to be missed as they have everything for sale in outside booths and stalls that were fascinating to shop.
San Venanzo is a small village with unbelievably beautiful views and wonderful butcher and produce shops and Cafe Corretto for great coffee, pizza, pasta and more. We also spent a day at San Venanzo’s beautiful and immaculately clean community pool which was not crowded at all and had a fabulous snack bar where we could get not only the usual chips and ice cream, but excellent pizza, wine, beer and even cocktails at incredible prices. Robert was always easy to reach and totally accomodating at every turn. We already look forward to returning and strongly recommend his home and the lovely province of Umbria for an authentic, economical Italian experience away from the tourists and tourist traps, yet, in the middle of Italian beauty everywhere we went. Thank you for everything Robert.
We`ll be back soon !
Judy Klock and Friends, August 2023
Dear Robert,
Just a quick note to thank you for our recent stay at your lovely home in Umbria. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and found your home to have everything we needed. It was immaculately clean, beautifully furnished and in close proximity to the many beautiful hill towns of Umbria and Tuscany which were very important considerations to us. Your car was great and we easily navigated everywhere, either with your GPS unit or our own phones Google Maps which integrated perfectly with your smart car. It was also nice knowing that your property manager was only one block away and spoke English. We interacted with him once or twice but did very well on our own using your orientation packet at the house. San Venanzo was so quaint and friendly and we found everything we needed available only a block or two away from the house. Your backyard was also beautiful and relaxing.
We can’t recommend Roberts house enough to people who might be reading this. His website is thorough, he answers every question you might have, was always available for communication and there were no surprises upon arrival. He helped us with every little detail and with tons of advice as he guided us every step of the way to a great vacation just as his website said he would. Definitely utilize his airport pickup and return service too, because it was worth every penny. We already look forward to coming back and are telling our friends about the time we had.
Jonathan Kirsch MD July 2023
YES - by all means, Rent Robert’s Italy House
I found Robert’s listing on Linked in and contacted him. From the beginning the communication was great and as he had promised he answered all of our questions and guided us EVERY step of the way to what ended up being a fantastic vacation. When we arrived in Rome, Robert had his friend Davide waiting to drive to the house. We were grateful for this service because we were tired from the flight. Our first stop in San Venanzo was at the bank. You should wait to exchange your money until you get there. They have a great exchange rate. Then we went to the house. The house was beautifully inviting and very clean. It has EVERY modern convenience including a fireplace in the kitchen - a nice feature because we spent a lot of time in the kitchen. The house has 2 very comfortable king bedrooms and 3 complete bathrooms. It also has a living room with computer and printer along with comfy couch and TV.
Robert’s property managers, Davide and his wife Paola, are warm and wonderful people who couldn’t do enough for us and lived only a block away. Davide speaks pretty good English so it was nice having them there for us. They made our trip so much easier and I don’t know what we would have done without them.
Bob’s Italy house has everything you need. From the most comfortable bed coverings, to pots and pans, hair dryers, washer and towels. The house comes with fast WiFi and Netflix. Plenty of DVD movies to watch as well. In the backyard is a brand-new hot tub, and a brand-new barbeque pit. The butcher shop down the street has hamburger and chicken for grilling. What you can’t get for groceries in San Venanzo, is only a 20-minute drive to a bigger town with super markets.
Bob also rents his car for your stay. Rental cars in Italy are VERY expensive. His brand new Fiat is half the price so a fantastic savings.. I highly recommend taking advantage of Bob’s brand-new Fiat 500 and Davide picking you up and then taking you back to the airport at the end of your stay.
This vacation was so much fun and my wife did not want to leave. We easily traveled each day to yet another fascinating town or small city all making for perfect day trips. My wife and I already miss the house and the warm people of Italy. She made me promise that I will take her back and of course she wants to stay at Roberts Italy House again. If you want a very affordable dream vacation, reach out to Robert and rent his wonderful house. Without the beautiful house, the car and Davide’s help, we would have spent well over 10,000.00 for the vacation we experienced. We spent a fraction of that. Save money with Bob’s Italy house and splurge on 1st class for the long flight over. You will be glad you did.
Thank you, Bob, Davide and Paola. You made our dream vacation come true. We will be back. If you want a reference, please reach out to me. I will be glad to share with you everything we loved about this vacation.
Steve Knight CRT, RCP - April 2023
Hello Robert,
We just returned home from our wonderful stay at your home in San Venanzo. We were pleasantly surprised by the charming village and its proximity to numerous towns and small cities easily drive-able as day trips. Cortona, which we wanted to see ever since it was featured in the film, “Under the Tuscan Sun” was only 55 minutes from your house and we enjoyed a long day-long visit to that beautiful town. Your home was perfect as a base and/or for a day of rest, just hanging around. It was also a pleasure to return home to, every afternoon or evening. We quickly fell into the “Italian way” by visiting one small town in the morning and another (after our “riposo” (afternoon nap) of course, – (lol) in the afternoon. We would often stay for dinner in the town before returning to your house after a full day. Your house is very comfortable and has absolutely EVERYTHING we could have wanted. As you know, we were two couples and each couple loved their own bedroom with bathroom and the privacy from each other, just as you said we would. We also liked your outside patio and BBQ grill (even though it was January, the sun was fantastic). We will be back for sure. Your house, for what we paid, was a bargain. Thanks for answering all of our questions and checking in on us while we were there as well. To anyone reading this, we can’t say it enough; this was a wonderful rental experience in an utterly beautiful part of Italy – even in January where the weather was mild at 50 degrees with lots of that fantastic Italian sun !!
Robert and Joanna Colletti – Hurley, New York – January 2022
Ciao Bob,
Thought I would write to let you know how much we enjoyed your house in San Venanzo. What a great place; and we will return. The location was excellent for our exploration of Umbria. We explored Spello, Assisi, Montefalco, Norcia, and numerous other places. We also spent a lot of time driving around the beautiful countryside.
The house was everything we wanted and more. VERY comfortable, great WiFi, comfortable beds, and the fully equipped kitchen and washer and dryer were very welcome. I used the WiFi nightly to post my blog and pictures and it worked quickly and flawlessly. Having the nice TV and DVD player with so many English speaking channels and movies was also terrific to have. Janine, your property manager is a treasure. What a fantastic person to have managing your house. She was so kind and helpful to us. Her knowledge of the area is extensive and she helped us, nay, drove ahead of us and guided us to the grocery store in Marsciano. Wonderful service. She then gave us directions to Rositelli’s Restaurant in Marsciano. We had a great dinner there and returned a couple of nights later for a repeat performance. We were the only tourists in the restaurant, all the rest were locals, and the food was excellent as were the wines. At our request, before we arrived, she had made reservations for us at the little restaurant in Rotecastello. What a great experience (and food) that was, as well.
We brought back some of the wonderful olive oil she and her husband produce, and I also brought back a liter for a friend of mine who stayed in your house last year and was yearning for more. All in all, I cannot thank you enough for the stay in San Venanzo. We could not have had a better stay in Umbria, and I’m sure we will return.
Jerry & Berta McGlothen St. Marys, OH – June 2022
What a fabulous time we had staying at Robert's home in San Venanzo and spending a week enjoying the amazing towns in the surrounding area. First, we loved Robert's home: it is spacious with all the needed modern conveniences and yet the feel is unmistakably Umbrian. Views of the breathtaking surrounding green hillside, especially the view from the master bedroom, are awesome. San Venanzo is a delightfully small village with kind and welcoming residents. Robert's home is a very relaxing and tranquil place. The only sound comes from the ringing of the nearby church bells. It is very centrally located in Umbria, allowing us to enjoy daily jaunts to the amazing surrounding towns. It did take some "getting used to" driving along the windy, hilly roads of Umbria, but there really is no traffic concern. We visited Assisi (undoubtedly one of the most beautiful towns in all of Italy), Orvieto, Perugia, Todi, Deruta, and we especially loved visiting the towns along Lago Trasimeno. The Monday morning market in nearby Marschiano kept our fridge stocked with wonderfully fresh fruits and vegetables for the week. The regional foods and wines were incredible! Our sincere thanks to Robert for opening his wonderful home to us, and a special thanks to his friend Janine who was an enormous help in orienting us to the region. It was great knowing that we could contact her with any questions.
Alla prossima!
Tracy Carbone MD and Kimon Violaris MD - October 2021
“…Bob, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in your lovely home in beautiful San Venanzo. I would love to return when the weather is warmer to enjoy the outside patio. We used the fireplace a few times which made the kitchen very cozy. Your instructions for the house are very thorough and very much appreciated and I will be telling my friends and relatives about your wonderful rental opportunity…”
Patti Duvall – March 2021
Hello Robert, Thank you for sharing your lovely Italian home with us. The house had everything we needed and more. Umbria is incredibly beautiful and the village of San Venanzo very charming. Each morning, Howard walked out for coffee and loved the cafes so close to the house. We used your home as a "base of operations" for exploring Umbria taking day trips to Deruta, Assisi, Gubbio, Orvieto and Sienna. Every day was a wonderful adventure and so easy to/from your house. And ohhh, the food !! Your property manager Janine was very helpful and nice in meeting us upon arrival and when we left as well as giving us advice and answering our questions. Our only regret is that we had only one week. With more time, we would have done the nearby hiking trails, enjoyed San Venanzo itself more and spent more time just visiting all the other villages, towns and small cities so easily reached from your home. It was fantastic and we will tell all of our friends.
Shirley & Howard Susser – Dutchess County, New York - October 2020
I've traveled throughout Italy and found Robert's house a perfect getaway and a very comfortable, beautiful place to stay. It was easy to get to by car from Rome and the town of San Venanzo is delightful, full of friendly people and all the shops/stores one could need. There was a week-long village festival while we were there and after attending it a couple of nights, I was welcomed like a regular villager. Many days we took excursions to the nearby towns of Deruta (amazing ceramics), Perugia (home of the incredible chocolate), Orvieto (famous for white wines) Todi and other beautiful places. Each excursion took only 1/2 hour and the drives along the gorgeous country roads only added to the experience. Other getaways, most less than an hour from the house, were Spoletto, Assisi, Norcia, Montepulciano, Montecino and Montefalco, the last 3 super famous for vineyards and great wines. Beautiful countryside wherever you turn. Other days we just stayed at the house enjoying the very nice yard, going for beautiful walks, having a cafe or cappucino at the local café and just soaking it all in. In Marsciano, the next town over, there is a fabulous Farmer’s Market every Monday which is also lots of fun. The house itself is very comfortable and very welcoming.
It is beautifully furnished and appointed as well and has absolutely everything one would need for a great stay. Robert’s property manager, Janine, is simply a delight. She met us on day 1, oriented us to the entire house and was a resource to us if we needed her for anything during our stay. (We didn’t). If you are looking for an interesting Italian experience where you can sample many areas of the beautiful Umbrian countryside and easily drive into Tuscany right next door, I highly recommend renting Robert's house. It is a true Italian experience in a great central location and you can live life like an Italian while there (and off the beaten tourist trap path).
We already can’t wait to go back and will be telling all of our friends about Robert’s nice home that was well worth the price we paid to rent it.
Angela Lorenzo – Brooklyn NY - August 2020
Hi Bob,
Wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the stay at your house in Umbria. It is spacious, very warm and very welcoming. We loved being able to use the backyard and the tiny little park next to your front door. It was always quiet and we would bring our breakfast out there and also to your backyard and listen to the birds and enjoy the flowers in the adjoining park.
The village was so quaint sometimes we were there a few times in a day. We enjoyed daily cappuccinos at the corner café, the great bakery where we also got wonderful pizza and the real butcher (like we don’t have in the U.S. anymore) was fantastic. More than once we got some great sausage or steak and grilled it in your BBQ in that wonderful yard of yours. If the local grocery stores were closed or didn’t have what we wanted, the town of Marciano was close and the large supermarket there was also fantastic.
We had a rental car and parking at your house was never a problem. The view of the fields from the house were also beautiful and we took great photos.
The places of interest were all easy to get to from the house. The roads are windy but after the first few days it was like we were locals. We took trips to Orvieto, Perugia, Assisi and Todi but we also took in numerous small villages which were all charming. We also took the train to Florence from Orvieto which was easy and we made day trips to Rome on the train from Orvieto. The ability to park at the train station for free was a great help and the fact that you can be in R$ome in 1 hour was fantastic.
So, staying at your house was everything we could have dreamed of. It was a much better value than going to a hotel – it was like being home but in fabulous Italy. I also have to say that Janine was wonderful, working with you was wonderful and your website on this property was right on the mark. We hope to be able to do it again and we will tell all of our friends about your special home in beautiful San Venanzo, Umbria.
Arnie and Pamela Komitzky - June 2020
Hello Bob,
I wanted to write you to tell you how much we, my daughter, son-in-law and grandson enjoyed our stay in Italy. That was grounded in staying in your home in San Venanzo! Truly a delight. First, I would like to compliment you on your website…it was thoughtful, complete and accurate. And within that site, I found the same to be true about the testimonials. Your home, the lovely, competent and attentive Janine and the village of San Venanzo were all aptly described.
I have little to add but this…our heartbreakingly short stay of six days was enhanced immeasurably by the feelings we experienced there. We were not 'staying' or 'vacationing' in Italy but rather that we were 'living' there in a charming and friendly village, in a warm and authentic home. Thank you for that experience.
Perhaps I should add that I wish that we had the time to follow up on all the advice and info that was on your site as well as in the testimonials (the towns we did visit were lovely…. Deruta, Orvieto, Assisi, Lago Trasimeno), but hopefully, that will be remedied by return trip in the near future. But one note that I wanted to add for any of your guests who are interested in archaeology… the Roman ruins at Carsulae are amongst the best in Italy. An easy drive, a lovely place to picnic and on the return home we stopped at Todi, a delightful town.
A most successful, delightful and memorable trip! A heartfelt thank you to you, Robert!!
Warm regards,
Leslie McNeil Rhinebeck NY, July 2020
Hello Robert,
My daughter and I just got back from our two week trip to Italy and your home. We had a fantastic time, of course, but I can’t tell you enough how nice your home was and how comfortable we were; staying in it for the two weeks we were there. Every word you said on your website was true and well-represented and, in fact, your home was even lovelier than we thought it would be, filled with beautiful art, books, music and the like; truly a second home not just a vacation rental. The bedrooms were spacious and cozy, the three bathrooms were excellent, the kitchen was terrific and totally equipped and you are certainly correct when you say that EVERYTHING a person would need is already there in the home. We visited so many fantastic places all within a short distance (less than a half-hour by car in almost every case) and we loved the town of San Venanzo, itself. It is already Spring in late March and the weather was delightful. Janine was really kind and she is very knowledgeable. It gave us additional peace of mind to have her there, just a phone call away if we needed anything (we didn‘t). Again, it was a great experience for we novices travelling to Europe for the first time. We will definitely be returning to Italy and will certainly be looking to rent your beautiful home once again.
Warm regards,
Joan & Sara Goebel – Wappinger’s Falls NY, March 2020
Hi Bob,
I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know what a fabulous time we had in Italy! The weather was beautiful, the food amazing and we absolutely loved your house. It was just perfect and so comfortable. We loved your ceramics collection and actually tracked down Frank Marcucci and bought some of his amazing work. As a matter of fact, Franco asked me to make sure I tell you he was asking for you! We told him how much we loved the pieces in your house and we had to get some for ourselves. What a sweetheart he was. We just loved Umbria and I loved it more than Tuscany, actually. I would go back to Umbria and to your lovely home in a minute! Your property manager, Janine, who met us and oriented us to the house so thoroughly, was terrific too....very helpful, very friendly and available by phone in case we needed her. She also gave us some very good tips on places to visit and eat.
All in all, we had a wonderful time and just wanted to let you know. If ever you're in NYC, let me know and perhaps we can have a wonderful Italian meal and chat about Italy!! Thanks again for sharing your home with us. All was exactly as you had described and renting your home was a truly excellent value. We hope to return soon meanwhile, we’ll be telling all of our friends.
Ciao...
Debbie Barnes – Montclair, New Jersey, August 2017
Good Morning Robert,
My husband and I just wanted to let you know that your house in Umbria was wonderful in every way. I would come back and stay there again in a heartbeat!! I will also be happy to recommend it to anyone/everyone I know as a beautiful place at an excellent price. We had a wonderful trip and Janine, your property manager, was a superb "welcoming committee" as well.
Regards,
Carole Dorr - March 2018
Our stay at Robert's house in San Venanzo was just perfect for our needs. The thing that we found the most appealing, other then the house itself, was its location and our ability to get to so many other towns and cities easily. During our six week stay we traveled to forty different towns and cities, we can truly say that we saw most of Umbria and Tuscany by car and all no longer then two to three hours away. This location is perfect for wanting to be in a quieter area without the hustle and bustle of a big city but close enough to get into Rome, Siena, Florence and many other locations.
We found the house to be extremely comfortable and it was such an added bonus to have a back garden area since we were having wonderful warm weather in October. The fireplace in the kitchen added just the right touch for those evenings where it got a bit cooler in the house. The other touches like being able to view some English speaking television shows and having a nice selection of DVD's to choose from gave us options in the evening when we decided to stay home.
The town itself a very quaint and the people are so very gracious, especially when you make the effort to speak the language. Robert has a wonderful property manager who lives close to the house and she is extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the area and things to do.
We stayed in numerous VRBO properties during our three month adventure in Italy and we found Robert's house and all of the amenities to be one of the best, you have the true feeling of being in Italy but yet still have some of the modern conveniences of home. We really felt that the property was a great value.
Thanks Robert for making our adventure a fabulous one.
Patrice DeMoss Lafayette Hill, PA - September 2018