Click here to view the location in multimap.com AIRPORTS The most convenient airport for La Dogana is Florence (1 ½ hours) served by Meridiana, but only during the summer months. Next is Bologna (Forli) served by Ryanair which is just under 2 hours away via the E45 autostrada. Pisa and Rome are a little further away (but still less than 2 ½ hours drive) and are served by low cost airlines as well as BA, Alitalia and Meridiana. SPORT On site: Swimming pool, pool table, table tennis, croquet, badminton, fishing nets, boules. Elsewhere: Golf (9 hole - 30 mins drive, 18 hole - 45-60 mins), horseriding (30 mins), watersports (Lake Trasimeno - 1 hour). There are some spectacular walks around the house through the heavily wooded hills. In the winter the Nestore, which runs through the garden, is a fast flowing torrent whilst in the summer it provides a cool, shaded place to paddle and for the children to stalk frogs and tiddlers! CULTURE In Italy you are never far from breathtaking history and culture which is part of daily life and woven into the fabric of the country. Tuscany and Umbria contain many ancient Etruscan and Roman sites as well as the Renaissance splendours of Florence, Siena, Assisi and Perugia. Some less well known places near La Dogana which are well worth a visit are the little hill top town of Monterchi, where one of the few remaining masterpieces of Piero della Francesca (the Madonna del Parto) is on display, Montone the birthplace of the fourteenth century condottiero Andrea Fortebraccio and Anghiari scene of a famous battle in 1440 between the Florentine Republic and the Milanese army depicted in the, now lost, Leonardo mural in the Palazzo Vechio in Florence. There are guide books and maps in the house and even the less culturally adventurous will be spoilt for choice! EATING OUT There are many restaurants within 20 minutes drive of the house (the closest is 5 minutes away) ranging from very simple, family owned establishments serving delicious local dishes or pizza to a five star hotel in a restored palazzo with prices to match. Cortona has an excellent selection of places to eat and the drive there over the hills is quite spectacular and takes about half an hour. Citta di Castello, Sansepulcro and Perugia are also good destinations to combine sight-seeing or shopping with some excellent eating. SHOPPING Volterrano, our local village (1 km away) has a small shop next to the bar where basics can be purchased. The nearest supermarkets are in Morra (5 mins drive) and Trestina (15 mins ) which also has a selection of banks, chemists and other shops. More extensive shopping is located at Citta di Castello (30 mins drive) which is a centre for linen, truffles and antiques and where a factory outlet shop for Italian designer clothes has just opened. There are regular markets in all the local towns and a famous and well attended antiques market on the first Sunday of every month in Arezzo. FESTIVALS AND CONCERTS Every town, however small, has its own traditional annual festival celebrating things as diverse as the mushroom or truffle harvest to the thrush! Perugia, home of Perugina chocolate, has a world famous chocolate festival in October which for even occasional chocoholics is heaven on earth. There are numerous jazz, music and opera concerts and other festivals (film, photography, art etc.) throughout the year but particularly during the summer months when al fresco performances can be a delight. See the useful links page for more details.