Orange Grove House in Fondi

Facilities available

Wheel in shower

Wheelchair access

Wheelchair ramps

Grab rails

Shower chair

Facilities unavailable

Visual aids

Hearing facilities

Rise and Recline Chair

Description

This large charming, 4 bedroom stone house is surrounded by an orange grove and a number of olive trees. Car hire recommended.

The house stands on the side of a mountain, with olive groves and land rising above it which are part of the National Park of the Aurunci. This is a family home that has recently been made wheelchair accessible by creating a 100-metre ramp from the parking bays up to the front terrace and further ramps from the terrace to the back of the house and from the back garden area up to the barbecue and outside oven.

Wheelchair access from one floor to another can be reached by a wheelchair lift.

The history of the house in Via Cucuruzzo is somewhat vague but it is known that it began as a simple, two room dwelling and was gradually expanded over the years. There are traces of a Roman wall in the garden and what appears to be a look-out at the back of the house. Anecdotally, it was the German headquarters in the town during the Second World War and as the rest of the Cucuruzzo hill was uninhabited at the time, there is probably some truth in this, as it had a considerable vantage point over the town.

The house looks over the town from the balconies and the front terrace. There are views of the surrounding mountains on a very clear day, as far as the coast 13 km away. It is possible to eat out on the front terrace from May to October and the weather is usually very clement in the winter.

Guests are welcome to help themselves to the fruit in the land surrounding the house - oranges, lemons and tangerines, as well as persimmon, medlar, mulberries, pears and pomegranates, walnuts and hazel nuts.

• Free Wifi
• Ceiling fans in all rooms except the downstairs dining room and the kitchen
• BBQ
• Travel cot & High chair available
• Towels & Linen provided

Nearest Airports

• Rome airports Ciampino and Fiumicino
• Ciampino is c.125 km from Fondi
• Fiumicino is c. 140 km from Fondi
• Naples Airport is c. 140 km from Fondi

Location

The house stands on the edge of the town, about 10 minutes from the centre on foot. As agriculture is the main source of income for the town of Fondi, it is always possible to buy excellent, fresh produce all year round, at good prices. There is a covered market not far from the house in via Vincenzo Gioberti which opens at 8.00 am every day and is open until 19.30 except on Wednesdays and Sundays (13.00). You can buy fresh fruit, vegetables (often from the vendors’ own orchards or kitchen gardens), meat, fish, cheese and other general foodstuffs.

There is also a street market by the cyclopean walls in Viale G. Marconi which is open in the mornings.

Both these markets are within fairly easy walking distance.

On Sundays, there is a big market—clothes, shoes, bags, second-hand items, fruit and vegetables– in Via Roma, but you might want a car for this.

Fondi is a town that has paid a lot of attention to making streets and pavements accessible. Also, much of life in Italy is lived outdoors so there are plenty of cafes and pizzerias that have outside seating, making them wheelchair accessible.

There are a large number of supermarkets in Fondi: Conad, Sigma, Margherita as well as discount supermarkets such as Lidl and Eurospin. They are all quite reasonably priced but there are always small, individual grocery and fruit and veg shops dotted all round the town. There is a very good fishmonger (Pescheria La Portella) on the corner of Via Lucrezio Caro (the one way street going down to the house) and Via degli Ausoni.

There is an excellent ice-cream shop– Bella Roma Gelateria– in Via Vetruvio Vacca, again within walking distance and a wonderful cake/pastry shop -Pasticceria Dolci Italia– in Via dei Latini.

There are any number of pizzerie in Fondi—but one of the better ones is: La Giudea, Via Olmo Perino 1, tel: 0771 501075. You can eat in or take away.

A very good butcher’s is the Macelleria Di Mugno in Viale Regina Margherita.

If you want fresh, locally made pasta, go to La Pasta di Ermanno in Piazza Giuseppe de Sanctis 3, tel: 0771 512051. You can buy tagliatelle and ravioli made on site, as well as many other kinds of pasta.

This area of the country is the home of buffalo milk mozzarella—you can see the buffalo grazing in the countryside when you go off the beaten track. Many of the shops and supermarkets sell the local produce but, if you want to go to the producers themselves, you can go to the production site of:

Caseficio Paolella, Via Pantanello, s.n. tel: 0771 511528

Website: http://www.caseificiopaolella.it

The other great mozzarella producer is:

Casabianca Casearia, Via S. Anastasia, 2077.

However, as mentioned, you can buy their freshly made produce from any number of places so look out for these brands.

Fondi always has a lot going on in the town, from various film and music festivals to fairs and sporting events. The Castle and the Monastery of San Magno are both well worth visiting but just going out into the town in the early evening will mean experiencing a bustling, lively environment where both old and young mix happily, enjoying the balmy weather and ancient surroundings.

Please note - this property does not have any TV's.

Information last updated: 30/09/2022 21:14:58