Luxury accommodation in a castle, Monselice, Italy

At the castle we are very conscious of doing our best to protect this outstandingly beautiful place. There is an abundance of natural resources here which allows us to offer a very light carbon footprint to our guests. We list below our efforts at keeping the environmental impact of your holiday to an absolute minimum. The electricity supply is entirely generated by hydroelectric and certified sources (Cleanpower). We are the first in the Regional Natural Park of Colli Euganei to do this. We have a natural water spring which bubbles out of our thermal lake and use this water for irrigation. This spring provides water to both the garden and the vineyards. During the colder months, the farmhouses can partially be heated with wood which we offer to guests free of charge (this is in addition to central heating). This is cut annually from our woods and is therefore a renewable energy source. Furthermore, we use the ash as a fertiliser which we put on the vegetable allotments. If you choose not to hire a car, or even if you do, we can reduce your footprint still further – prior to your arrival we’ll do your main shopping for you, just send us a list a few days before you arrive and we’ll provide you with the goods and receipt upon your arrival. Daily provisions can be purchased in the village (1 km. away).

We live in an isolated area on the land and are often on hand to help our guests in every way possible. From booking a table at a restaurant, to helping out with tickets for the many and varied sights the region has to offer, and general guidance on how to make the most of their holiday. Our vineyards are cultivated following the procedures of natural agriculture and our fields and wood are often visited by wild foxes and our bird boxes host migrating birds. We produce natural wines. In addition to these things, we encourage use of energy efficient light bulbs, ask guests only to use dishwashers and washing machines when full. And wherever possible, to rinse out items that don't really need washing. We do have a set of instructions we require guests to read - this lists efforts we make and efforts they ought to make when with us.

Our land is open to the hillside and is not fenced in. Above us is wood, chestnut, oak and celtis. We are on the lower slopes of a hill covered of vineyards and olive grove. The castle lies in the heart of the Natural Park of Colli Euganei - a wildlife sanctuary located in the middle of the Region Veneto. We recycle glass, plastic, tins, paper. Old clothes, towels and sheets go to charity. Guests likewise are encouraged to separate all the recyclable waste. We support conservation by reducing to the absolute minimum any agriculture practise. The grass growing below the vines is mown and in the farm many nests are displayed, where birds, insects and bats can nest. The soil our vines are rooted in undergoes no sort of treatment whatsoever, we avoid chemical weed-killers, chemical or organic fertilizers.

Anita’s School is a project that has been founded by Amani Onlus and Union Lido Vacanze, with the partnership of us, as part of a larger project called The House of Anita. Amani is a non government charity that is recognised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some Kenyan families decided to accommodate under privileged children from the streets of Nairobi into their homes, alongside there own children. The children are mostly orphans and victims of sexual abuse and slavery. Some of them were literally born on the streets and others by the age of 12 are already mothers themselves. The children are all aged between 4 and 15 years of age. Anita’s House is situated in the hills of N’Gong. The site was chosen so that it is as far away as possible from the urban decline of the streets of Nairobi. Most of the children in Anita’s School are of working age. We have, therefore, financed the building of a professional school for them, a new structure that will host computer and textile courses. All this has been made possible by the help of thousands of generous donators (for a total of €63,300 gathered in 2005 and 2006). In 2007 Anita’s school has been equipped with furniture and technical material necessary to run computer and textile courses. With an amount of €5,000, 10 personal computer have been bought to open the vocational computer school “Anita’s computer school”.