Umbrian self catering farmhouse accommodation, Italy
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
As part of our lifestyle at Santa Chiara we run a 1 hectare fully organic Olive farm. We do not use any form of fertilisers, weed killers, or any other chemicals in the maintenance of our Olive trees and when we harvest the fruit this is done 100% manually with a complete respect to the environment. The resulting fruit is transported by ourselves to the nearest local Cold Olive Press situated in our local village of Pierantonio. Guests at Santa Chiara who are in residence in November are actively encouraged to participate in the Olive harvest.
In addition to our Olive trees we keep free range chickens, and a Moscov duck on the property. These supply fresh eggs to ourselves and our guests.
In terms of sustainability and water usage, we have created our very own bore hole and water storage facility which also collects rain water from the roof in the wetter months. This facility provides all of our water requirements for the entire property including our guest accommodation.
Finally in terms of heating and energy usage, we use only fully reclaimed wood pellets to heat the house in the winter via our Pellet stove which is connected to the central heating system.
Community
We restored the farmhouse at Santa Chiara 7 years ago using entirely local materials and work force and in a style sympathetic with its surroundings and buildings of its style in the region. The craftsmen and professionals we used in the original restoration have been used subsequently for further projects both at Santa Chiara and other properties in the area. Here in Italy it is deemed a very great mark of respect if an artisan is asked back to carry out further work and the craftsmen we have used will continue to support us in the future.
Our tourism activities here at Santa Chiara have a far reaching and positive impact on the local economy, for example we encourage our guests to eat at local restaurants, buy there groceries in local shops, etc. We employ cleaners from the nearby village to assist with the changeover and cleaning of the property and all laundry is carried out locally in the nearby village.
Guests visiting Santa Chiara are actively encouraged to immerse themselves in the local culture of the area and indeed we offer our guests the ability to take courses in cookery, wine tastings, etc. We also share with our guests a programme of local events and festivals (of which there are many in this area of Italy).
1of3
