Accessed from one of the prettiest streets in lovely medieval Città della Pieve, Pieve Suites consists of three individually decorated self-catering studios. Redeveloped in 2017, the spacious, self-catering, en-suite units are airy and bright, each with a distinctive feel. The Garden suite has its own private garden, with a dining table, deckchairs and a grapevine-covered pergola; the two-level Top suite has a skylight window for star-gazing; the luminous Mid suite with its teal colour theme is a favourite with guests. Though it's located right at the heart of buzzy Città della Pieve, Pieve Suites is secluded and quiet. Singly, each suite is an excellent choice for a couple; but Pieve Suites is also ideally suited to larger groups who wish to take two suites or all three. Pieve Suites is for savvy travellers who relish the opportunity to get to grips with their surroundings. When you arrive, you’ll receive our brief and very personal guide to the area – its sights, restaurants, shops etc – custom-created by people with decades of experience in travel writing. This may suffice for your visit. If not, help and advice will always be just a phone call away.

I'm a British-Australian garden designer, creating gardens throughout central Italy and beyond. For Pieve Suites I moved my design skills inside, completely restructuring this medieval townhouse according to my plans and working with local artisans to create unique furniture and fittings. I have lived in Italy for over 30 years. I'm also a writer: in a past life, I was Italian correspondent for British and US media outlets, and edited numerous guide books to Rome, Venice, Naples and Milan.

With a population of just 1200 people in its centro storico, Città della Pieve has an absurd concentration of restaurants and cafés, an active theatre and a programme of seasonal events which outstrips offerings in far larger towns. It was the birthplace of the artist Perugino, several of whose works can be seen in CdP's fascinating churches and galleries. All the Pieve's sights and amenities are easily reached on foot from Pieve Suites. Città della Pieve is perched on a hilltop at an altitude of 508m, looking into Umbria on one side and Tuscany on the other. The wine-producing areas of southern Chianti are within an easy drive, as are dramatic Val d’Orcia and lovely Lake Trasimeno. Should you tire of our rural attractions Siena, Florence, Rome and Perugia are all within easy reach either by car or by train from Chiusi station (15 minutes away).