Experience the real Italy. Our 400 year old house, once a ruin, was converted into a lovely, comfortable vacation home with a terrace view that we adore. Hilltop medieval towns around every bend. Both skiing and beaches within 30-45 minutes. The space 400 year old restored villa on the edge of the Maiella national park. Beautiful terrace views. Sleeps 6 in 3 pretty bedrooms with an additional person possible in a fold out cot (not recommended). Baby portable cot also available. Two lovely full bathrooms, one in master with both a bathtub and shower, one large family bathroom with shower and bidet. Terrace with table/chairs/umbrella and grill and beautiful views down to the town of Serra and up to the castle ruins...nightly sunsets included free of charge! Fully fitted kitchen with all appliances and kitchenware. Separate beautiful dining area. Cozy living room with open fireplace. Original features remain such as small doorway opening between living and dining (watch your head!), the original stone circular stairs to master bedroom saved for posterity only (modern separate staircase was added to move between levels). Large driveway and parking area. Full sloping yard with the requisite Italian clothesline* available! :-) *washing machine also available. There is NO air conditioning, but there are multiple fans in the house that can be moved as needed...and also an overhead fan in the living room. Because it’s in the foothills of the mountains and is very thick stone the house, according to guests, is normally comfortable sleeping (unless unseasonably warm temps abound.) NOT recommended for crawling infants or toddlers or anyone with any mobility issues as there are open stairways and all floors are stone/brick. NO pets are allowed. Add'l Reviews: Marion Stayed August 2018 ***** “We loved our time at Cece's place. It is charming in a rustic way, but also comfortable and practical. The simple balcony is a lovely outdoor living space with gorgeous views. The whole area is great for hikes and shorter rambles to intriguing abbeys and hermitages. We found local people happy to engage with us, despite our complete lack of Italian, which gave us a very good feeling about the area. Nicoletta, who is the housekeeper here, was extremely welcoming and helpful. She has great local knowledge too, if anyone is in need of a guide... All in all, we had a fantastic stay. Special thanks to Cece for great communication as well as taking on this thoughtful conversion of an ancient building. ” Lynn ***** Stayed June 2018 “We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Serramonacesca, beautiful countryside, great walks and a comfortable house to relax in, with great views. Eating on the terrace was especially enjoyable. Cece and the housekeeper were so easy to communicate with which made the whole trip hassle free. Special thanks to Nicoletta, the housekeeper, for looking after us so well and to Cece for her kindness and generosity. ” Maureen Stayed April 2018 ***** “The house is truly a gem, so cozy & well situated. It has been lovingly restored & with careful attention to detail. We loved having coffee in the mornings, either on the deck or looking out the kitchen window to the tiny piazza next to the house. It was very easy to plan day trips to the many wonderful places in Abruzzo - Chieti, Navelli, Pescara, Santo Stefano, Manoppello, Ortona, etc. After a wonderful but hectic stay in Rome, the peace & tranquility of the countryside made this a perfect stay. Cece & Ed provided all kinds of information about the area, local restaurants & great hikes. It was fun communicating with them via email & we were lucky enough to meet them at their home for a delightful afternoon. ” Fernando Stayed June 2018 ***** “Comunication with Cece was very easy . Nicoletta (the house keeper) was extreme helpful and friendly . The house is fully equiped and the terrace is just espectacular. Perfect for a quiet summer holidays and to enjoy the amazing natural parks of the Abruzzos . Thank you Cece and Nicoletta!” Lynn & Greg Stayed July 2016 ***** “Casa Olivia is a beautifully restored villa in a lovely tranquil location with great walks and views. Cece was very helpful and easy to communicate with. The Villa has a very welcoming feel and drinks on the terrace watching the sunset are a delight. There are beautiful walks everywhere, some right on the doorstep and many opportunities to visit other places of interest in Abruzzo. We relaxed, walked, ate in lovely restaurants and had a wonderful break. Thanks Cece & Ed. ” Joe Stayed June 2016 ***** “This property is outstanding. Impeccably restored and modernized stone villa with beautiful district and mountain views. Ample room for families with separate living areas...we loved the large and private open terrace! Spotlessly clean, well organised with quality appointments throughout. Cece was an absolute pleasure to deal with , very helpful...nothing was too much trouble. Cece gave us great advice on local points of interest...there are so many activities and beautiful places in Abruzzo to visit. It was the highlight of our 4 week European holiday. If you're looking for an authentic Italian stone villa within easy reach of Rome, the mountains and the beach, then your search ends here! Highly recommended. Thank you Cece & Ed! ” Bruce Stayed March 2016 ***** “Cece's house is perfect for a peaceful break. It has beautiful views from the terrace over the nearby valleys and mountains and there are many interesting places to visit, nearby. Positioned close to two national parks, there are many great walks available, including some starting from Cece's door (ie no need to drive beforehand). The house is very well set up and maintained, with everything we needed and very comfortable. Cece was VERY responsive and helpful at all times and a pleasure to deal with. For a peaceful break in a genuine Italian countryside environment, I would thoroughly recommend it. ” Nikola Stayed October 2015 ***** “We had an amazing stay in Serramonacesca. The house is set right bellow beautiful National park Majella, where we experienced breathtaking hikes up to 2900meters above sea level with sea views. House itself looks much better in reality then on pics, and it is completely restored in delicately way. Amazing terrace with even better views to the mountains. Peacefulness... Cece and her husband are extremely lovely couple, openminded, easygoing, very helpful, we had 2dinners with them and had so much laugh. In the house there is plenty of maps of surroundings including national park area. We can only recommend this amazing spot for perfect escape to the wilderness and peacefulness. Nikola” Rafael Stayed July 2015 ***** “We had a wonderful time at Cece´s home. The house is fully equipped with beautiful views from the terrace, it is located in a quiet hamlet close to a nice village near the sea. We had it all, beach, mountains ,old beautiful villages, wonderful food... Don´t miss the abbey and the stream near serramonacesca. ” Suzette Stayed June 2014 ***** “ It was initially quite difficult to get the property because it is in a very small village, but once there the search was worth it. The instructions from Cece was very good, but the fact that the area was new to us, still made it difficult. There is a lot to see and do in the area, but if we just wanted to relax, the veranda with its beautiful view had it all. We found the people in the village very friendly and helpful. We really enjoyed our stay at Casa Olivia and can recommend it to others.” Jaime Stayed May 2014 ***** “My trip consisted in several places in Italy, being Serramonesca, Cece's home in Abruzzo, spectacular, the house was very charming and cozy, the communication between Cece and I was very easy and friendly. She was very easy to talk to and to resolved any issue with might have had with the house, which we did not. I highly recommend this house. Serramonacesca and it's surroundings are amazing and for people who likes walks, scenery and nice food at good pricing, that is the type of place to go.” Guest access Full house and grounds to yourself...our beloved Casa Olivia can be yours as well! Other things to note Tourist info and guidebooks are in house for your use. Laptop computer and wifi available for your use (wifi not very fast). There is no satellite TV although you get some stations via antenna and Firestick is available for use with your netflix other streaming accounts. VCR and videos are also available. There is also a small library of books for your reading pleasure while at the house. Registration number IT068040C2TXHC4O98