Elite Traveler HRS 2023

etr li at ve eler HOTELS, RESORTS & SPAS 2023 68

of the castle, Benedikt tells Elite Traveler — the project to restore the castle succeeded, with excellent results. Original features, from vaulted ceilings to stone arches, roof beams and roaring fi replaces, wow alongside period paintings, objéts (from all over Italy) and spaces festooned with dried fl orals. The majority of the 36 rooms and suites are hidden away in the castle and pay homage to either a past resident of the castle, a member of the fi rm or its past use. Every nook is fi lled with something beautiful; much of it, Count Benedikt’s own bespoke army of artisanal furniture, lamps, antiques, linens and storied Victorian-esque curiosities. In my suite, the attention to detail is captivating: a freestanding tub, vintage mirrors, jewelry box, cashmere throws, and a period writing desk stocked with literature. DINE As expected, the surroundings of this paradise dictate much of the food you’ll see on the menu. The cuisine is typically Umbria-centric, sourced from within the estate itself or a few miles of the Castello — fruit and vegetables are picked straight from the kitchen garden; the olive oils are from the estate’s 5,000 trees, honey from the buzzing hives, and its biodynamic wines from the vines. The estate woods are home to scurrying boar and deer (ethically culled), and all the beef comes from a nearby farm. Naturally, as it’s all seasonal, the menus often change. Al Castello, the fi ne-dining hangout where breakfast

is plated up, serves everything from sea bass carpaccio to succulent meats garnished with herbs and more from the grounds. More rustic, locally inspired eats are on the menu at Alle Scuderie. Expect tru ffl e pasta dishes and juicy grilled chicken brought to you alongside regular live jazz nights held in the former stables. Pre lunch or dinner, head to the retro-glam Palm Court for a GinEpro (made with the in-house gin) and tonic, plus an appearance from the maestro serving classic tunes from the grand piano. EXPLORE The family knows that you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere when you stay here, so when it comes to all things recreational, they have you well covered. Horse riding is the star of the show (it’s worth going to the stables to learn about the noble steeds, too), along with tru ffl e hunting, clay-pigeon shooting, cookery classes, foraging, and wine and olive tasting. Those in search of pampering should head below the castle to check out the dreamy Bathhouse Spa. The signature treatment comes courtesy of an Umbrian-style cloth wrap, where therapists will rub, scrub and brush your epidermis until it glows before a massage featuring essential oils infused with herbs plucked from the garden. The mirror pool, set just below the castle walls, is also worth checking out. By Luke Abrahams From $858 per night. Contact Mauro Mapelli, director of reservations, reservations@reschio.com, +39 075 844 362, reschio.com

HOTEL CASTELLO DI RESCHIO UMBRIA, ITALY

Hidden among the hills and vast tundras of a mammoth 3,700-acre estate, Reschio is very much like its home region Umbria: a land unto itself. Travel here and you’ll still see untouched medieval hilltop towns and grandmothers making pasta on the streets. It’s this old, endless throwback of centuries ago Italy that sums up the entire Reschio experience. Within its prim grounds (located a short drive away from Perugia) forests of oak and chestnut trees dazzle, fi elds of wild fl owers glow, and a swath of olive groves give the locale an almost vintage Hollywood movie set feel. STAY The masterminds behind this show are the eclectic Bolzas, Count Benedikt and his wife Donna Nencia Corsini. The backstory, or at least the condensed version, is that the count’s father, Count Antonio, and his wife Countess Angelika bought the once rundown castle as a family vacation house and, by the ’90s, had procured near enough the entire Reschio parkland. Living through much of the “drama” — including a “suspect leaky roof” that forced them out

Hotel Castello di Reschio

The Tower Suite terrace

Photo Philip Vile