Wedding List

We've become (belatedly) aware that our wedding list with the Conran Shop isn't easily accessible, so we've got their details here: WeddingListfr@conran.com is their email address, and all you need to quote are our names... otherwise they are reachable with this telephone number: (+44) 20 7589 7401. Many, many thanks to all you all, H & I.

Hello!

---

Thanks for visting the site. As you're here, you're at least thinking of coming to our wedding in Sanguineto. Please do. We've tried to bring together as much helpful information regarding travel & accomodation as possible. We hope it proves helpful.

A view from Tuoro across the fields to the Isola Majora on lake Trasimeno.

Location

---

Tuoro, and it's neighboring village, Sanguineto, lie along the hill-side of lake Trasimeno in the central Italian province of Umbria, bordering Tuscany. We're planning on having the service in the churchyard of Sanguineto followed by a reception at il Poggio, a villa in the olive tree-lined hills above the town hosted by our very generous friends, the Clarks.

Here is a map of Tuoro & Sanguineto:



High-tech version

Travel

---

By plane

The airport of Perugia provides the nearest point-of-arrival for those looking to fly, and Ryanair have conveniently started to fly there from London Stansted, albeit at criminally early hours. They currently operate a service from London on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 7:35 AM GMT and return flights at 11:25 AM CET on the same days. Otherwise, Florence, Bologna, Pisa & Rome are alternatives. Should you want to off-set the carbon emissions associated with you flight, there are a host of options. Without getting either too political about the necessity or pedantic about the science, we recommend a donation to Carbonfund.org as a seemingly effective off-set organization.

---

By train

A good website for italian rail information & tickets is Italia Rail. The train station of Terontola is the nearest to Tuoro, only 15 minutes away. Many services run to the station including the convenient Inter-City trains. There are overnight services from Paris to Florence from ~50 GBP, return, and there are many services running to Terontola from Florence (from Santa Maria Novella, a different station to the one the Paris train comes into). In Terontola, there are no car rental agencies at the station, but taxis are available and reasonably priced.

An example journey from London (or Paris):

Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London Waterloo at 12:09 (5 minutes earlier on Sundays) and arriving in Paris (Gare du Nord) at 15:59. Cross Paris by métro to the Gare de Bercy. Travel from Paris to Florence overnight on the 'Palatino', leaving Paris at 19:00 and arriving at Piacenza at 04:44, Parma at 05:12, Bologna at 05:58 and Florence at 07:16 next morning. The train arrives at Florence Campo di Marte station on the edge of the city centre. Frequent local trains link Campo di Marte with Santa Maria Novella, journey time 5 minutes. There's no taxi rank at Campo di Marte station.

It couldn't be easier. Just take an afternoon Eurostar from London to Paris in 2 hours 50 minutes, down a drink or two in a Parisian café, then take the overnight sleeper from Paris to Florence. Enjoy a meal in the restaurant car as the sun sets over the rolling green hills and picturesque villages of the French countryside, then wake up in your sleeper or couchette to coffee and croissant and a classic Italian landscape with red-roofed houses and poplar trees.

Fares start at just £59 return for the Eurostar plus £52 return from Paris to Florence in a basic 6-bunk couchette or £89 return in a more spacious4-bunk couchette. More comfortable 1-, 2- & 3-bed sleeping-cars are also available, with breakfast included in the fare.

Then hire a car or take a train to Terontola and you're there!

Accomodation

---

In Tuoro there are a varitey of agriturismo and hotels available. (For the uninitiated, an 'agriturismo' is an apartment for rent in the countryside.

Around Sanguineto there is La Torre, Il Giardino and La Dogana and, without websites, the Marioli +39 (0)75826389, the Annibale +39 (0)75826538 and the Montemelino +39 (0)758230127.

Between Sanguineto and Tuoro is the wonderful agriturismo Fattoria Baroncino with large apartments (one catering up to 9 people with a private balcony), a pool facing the panoramic views and within walking distance of Sanguineto. (25 per person per night or cheaper rates for longer hirings, available from the 25th of September)

In Tuoro there is the beautiful hotel I Capricci di Merion, with a small spa and a large swimming pool. (rates....

Just above Tuoro is the Residenza S. Agata with generous, well-furnished apartments (of up to 6 people), a large pool and a wonderful panorama of the lake. The larger apartments have two double beds and two Italian-style single sofa beds. (rates between 24 and 12 euro per person tonight + a final cleaning cost of 26 euros per apartment)

Just east of Tuoro is the gastronomical agriturismo (wine & oil tastings) Casa Colonica with a swimming pool. (from 133 euro per person per week with 40 euro cleaning charge at the end of stay. daily rates available upon inquiry)

Along the serpentine road leading north into the hills from Tuoro is the Tassinaie, with great views over the lake and charming, well-furnished apartments. (about 60 euros per person per night minimum)

Just off the road from Tuoro to Passignano is the Torale, a recently-refurbished collection of apartments on the hillside with splendid views and a large swimming pool. (about 30 per person per night)

---

For accomodation further afield, the countryside around Tuoro and Sanguineto has a lot to offer in Castiglione del Lago on the Umbrian side and Cortona just across the border in Tuscany. While Passigniano is the closest (a mere 20 minutes by car), the former two are beautiful, well-preserved Renaissance towns well worth a visit should you not be staying in either. There is a list of hotels for each available here: (Passignano, Castiglione del Lago, and Cortona. We recommend Il Torrione in Castiglione, the Villa di Piazzano in Cortona, the Hotel Villa Paradiso in Passignano (37-45 euro per person per night and the Monte Gualandro, an amazing residence near Sanguineto. For those looking for luxury, there is the Relais & Chateaux's Il Falconiere at the foot of Cortona. There is also in Passignano the Hotel La Vela.

We also have scanned copies of hotel & agriturismo brochures (generously provided by Caroline Clark) that are available by e-mail should you want to look at them.

Here are a few maps of the surrounding areas, with the red '1' indicating Sanguineto:



And here's a downloadable hi-resolution map of the area:

Car Hire

---

The tourist office in Passignano has kindly provided us with a list of car hire locations. Il Girasole in Terontola would be particularly useful if arriving by train. Here are the details:

In Terontola
Il Girasole
ss 71 - via Licio Nincetti
Terontola - Cortona
Tel/Fax: 0575678687
Cell: 380 394 28 95 / 337 700 529
www.autonoleggioilgirasole.it

In Passignano
Rameschi Auto (Volkswagen)
Zone Industriale, 29
Passignano sul Trasimeno
Tel: 075 829 178

In Perugia
Hertz
Stazione di Fontivegge (main railway station)
Piazza Vittorio Veneto
Perugia
Tel: 075 500 24 39
Fax: 075 50 11 244
www.hertz.it

Avis
Stazione di Fontivegge (main railway station)
Piazza Vittorio Veneto, 7
Perugia
Tel: 075 5000395

Directions From Pisa Airport

---

Bear right coming from car hire. You can actually see the dual carriageway that you need to aim for. I don’t think that there is a sign just come out of car hire and basically keep bearing right which should filter you straight out onto the dual carriageway [direction East, South East]. This is the ‘Strada Di Grande Communicazione. Continue along this road for about 90 kilometers . It is pretty fast and easy.

Leave this road at junction called Scincolo Firenze Signa, which almost immediately divides and you must take the direction for A1 Rome.

This brings you onto the A1 super- strada and soon to a toll- booth [I can’t quite remember how soon], but at some point there is the toll barrier. Take ticket have about 10 euros [I think] ready for the other end. Travel along this road for about another 80/90 kilometers exit A1 at svincolo Valdichiana

Take the `Valdichiana` exit from the A1. In a couple of hundred metres you come to the tollbooths. Keep over to the right. Do remember after the toll booths you are soon onto a road where traffic comes at you from the left [I only mention because I nearly came a cropper here] You are now travelling right. I think that the signpost is Bettolle, Valdiachianna, Sinalunga. After about 600 hundred metres the road divides and you want to take the right turn/fork signposted Bettole/Perugia. *****This Last instruction may have changed …there is now a big roundabout here and frankly I don’t quite know what is happening As long as you follow signs to Perugia you should be OK.

You are on a dual carriageway. Basically you stay on this road for about 15 kilometers. It is a dual carriageway and an easy drive. Shortly after the Cortona and Montepulciano turn offs you will see Lake Trasimeno on your right. At this point you know that you are very near to your destination.

Your exit is ‘Tuoro, Traghetti per isole’. Come off and loop around under the road until you come to a sort of `T` junction. [There is a road ahead but it leads into nothing more than a hotel car park]

Take the road right; left takes you to the lakeside. A fairly narrow road takes you about 800 yards to a crossroads. You go past a car wash on your left, a group of shops including a co-op set back off the road on the left. A sport shop and tourist shop on the right. At the crossroads do not take the road straight ahead and signed Tuoro [as so many do despite my best instruction] but the road to the left. It’s the old Arrezo/Florence road called Via Firenze, but the sign is not easy to see. It probably now has a proper road sign saying Arrezzo Cortona or something but I can`t be sure.

Anyway, take a left. After about one kilometre you will go over a little hump bridge and a big yellow sign will say `goodbye` in lots of languages. After about another kilometre you will see, on your right, a large forecourt with planters and pots, various modern houses, a tiny café with awning, set back from the road and then not much further along a couple of hundred meters, two large umbrella pines marking the entrance to our road. These particular umbrella pines are opposite a rather unlovely yellow three or four storey modern house. The road is marked with brown `agrotourismo` signs and some stuff about Hannibal plus a line drawing of him! Now there is a long straight cypress tree lined road. Continue up the road for about 1000 metres until it steeply rises. There is a large yellow modern house on the right at this point. Continue on for a few more metres until you come to some ochre/yellow little agrotourismo houses on your right and an obviously done up little stone house on your left. Turn right behind the yellow houses now you are driving between the new little houses and a big stone farmhouse. The farmhouse is on your left. Swing immediately behind this farmhouse [you should notice a rounded apse and tiny bell tower which is a little church attached to the house] now you are behind the farmhouse/church and have an ugly great garage for storing farm machinery on your right. Also on your right is a red brick tall, thin monument to Hannibal. This monument stands on the corner of a track. Take a sharp right up this track [very sharp right!] All of this happens within a few metres. Take this sharp right and you will almost immediately see a private property sign in blue I hope. The road now deteriorates rapidly as you get onto our land! After about 200 metres the road forks, take the right fork and the track will take you to our house. There is another little left fork which takes you to the pool, ignore that and keep to the right. After twenty meters the house is in front of you.