Rehab Report: Casa Civita
Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy
Patrizio Fradiani can’t help himself. A full-fledged serial vacation house renovation junkie, he and his partner, Mark, were in Italy last summer at their amazing Tuscan farmhouse (which I’ve written about here loads of times) when they took a day trip to the storybook hilltop town of Civita di Bagnoregio accessed only by footbridge, fell into its charming clutches–all ivy-covered stone arches, cobblestones and etruscan ruins–and bought one of the original stone houses sitting on top of cisterns. The house is pretty dilapidated, but like Patrizio’s previous vacation house projects, it’s sure to be unfathomably stunning, designed down to the most intricate detail and full of heart. Below, these images of the place–an ancient wreck dating back to 1300s–make it hard to believe it will be finished in August and ready for guests. He has orchestrated an aggressive design, build and decorate schedule, and he just returned last week from the initial stages, including some pretty grueling work like ripping out the long-neglected overgrown garden (to find grottoes). From now until August–when I’ll be staying there for a week with my family–I’ll be posting behind-the-scenes reports of his progress. Not only is Patrizio the very best kind of character (funny, charming and passionate), he’s also immensely talented and hard-working and for anyone interested in architecturally significant renovation, the transformation will be a thrill to watch.
26 March 2012 | leslie heuer Said:
wow! i wonder what a place like that costs and how much it would cost to fix it up. so exciting!! we will be in the puglia region in june/july but i keep seeing wonderful places to visit in the tuscany area too. italy is amazing.
27 March 2012 | Meghan Said:
Oh! We’ll also be in Puglia during our August trip. Send along any tips! Would love to hear about where you visit. Have heard great things about Ostuni, and the caves at Castellana Grotte look amazing.
07 April 2012 | Joyce Said:
Civita is charming. We were there last Fall. Stayed near Castellina in Chianti. Love this area.
23 May 2012 | Salena of The Daily Rant Said:
This is great. I was there in Oct 2010 – we stayed at a villa in Bucine, Toscana and visited here on our way to Rome. I didn’t realize people were buying here. I can’t wait to see how they renovate this – what a fascinating little village.
24 May 2012 | F Siepenkothen Said:
Please post more pictures as the project continues. What a view.
19 October 2012 | Madison Said:
Any updates on this property?