Description
Where time has stood still to cherish excellence
There are places that are not simply acquired.
They are inherited from time.
Ripa di Totano is one of them.
In the most authentic heart of Umbria, amid silent hills and landscapes that seem unchanged for centuries, this thousand-year-old dwelling emerges as a rare point of balance between spirituality, nobility and nature. Just minutes from Amelia and surprisingly close to Rome, the property offers what is truly exclusive today: space, silence, identity.
Founded in the 12th century as an abbey dedicated to St. Peter and a refuge for pilgrims on the Via Francigena, Ripa di Totano was born as a place of welcome and contemplation. Its walls have seen centuries of Italian history pass by, transforming from a medieval fortress to a refined Renaissance residence to a private villa of rare elegance.
In the 16th century it entered the patrimony of the noble Petrignani family, protagonists of the cultural and political life of papal Rome. It was during this period that the mansion was enriched with a private chapel and a Renaissance architectural layout that still defines its character: measured, harmonious, without ostentation.
For over 170 years the property then belongs to the Somaschi Fathers, who preserve its contemplative soul and deep relationship with the landscape. An invisible but tangible legacy, which is still felt today in the silences, the light, the natural rhythms of the place.
After a period of neglect in the twentieth century, Ripa di Totano was returned to its original beauty in 1979 thanks to a rigorous and cultured restoration: historical materials recovered, spaces respected, gardens brought back to life, the chapel and inner courtyard restored to their aesthetic and symbolic function. Nothing has been forced, everything has been listened to.
Today the property stands as a private historic home of extraordinary rarity:
a main villa of about 650 square meters with perfectly restored historic rooms
a private chapel dating back to the 16th century, intact in its charm
independent guest apartments, ideal for accommodating family and friends
a panoramic swimming pool suspended over an unspoiled valley
35 hectares of olive groves, woods and terraced gardens
a renovated farmhouse and additional volumes with development potential
Ripa di Totano is the perfect place for those looking for a representative residence away from exposure, or for those who want to give life to a private retreat, an artistic residence or a high-profile cultural project.
Here luxury is not exhibition, but time, authenticity and lasting beauty.
Investing in Ripa di Totano means coming into possession of something that Italy increasingly rarely offers:
a real, identifiable, unrepeatable asset.
Not a property.
A chapter of Italian history, ready to be lived and passed on.
