If you love art and adore frescoes and decor from the late 19th Century, the kind that make your eyes walk up to the ceiling so as not to miss one of the elegant spirals that curl up the walls, then Villa Censi Mancia is the perfect place for you.
Here the clock stopped a long time ago in the heart of the belle époque, a time when everything seemed possible and the future was bright and rose-tinted. This era is represented by the beautiful lamps in the small parlour at the entrance, in the hand-painted wallpaper, and in the friezes of the bookshelves in the library on the second floor.
Every detail has been restored down to the tiniest detail and it’s obvious just from looking that Signora Lucia fell in love upon first sighting the Villa. With great courage she completely restored and restructured the entire building, without disturbing the residential part.
Come and be welcomed like the noble families of days gone by. On the ground floor you will have the benefit of the ample kitchen, with a large central table, the antique coal-burning cooker and and hand-carved stone sink.
The bedrooms are on the first floor. All are furnished in keeping with the style, and decorated in a late 19th Century idiom, with frames and vegetable-inspired plasterwork, the cold tones of ultramarine and grey contrasting with the warmth of the reds and ochres.
Every bedroom is given a unique feel by a central medallion, each of which depicts themes from greek mythology. For example, what room could be better for a couple in love that “Il Bacio” (the kiss) in which Mars and Venus are immortalised in two scenes in the central medallion?
Each corner of this enchanting B&B resonates with pure poetry.
If the elegant decor of the internal rooms has already captivated you, the history will grab you even more. Once a Benedictine Monastery, the Villa was then taken over by the Marquis of Serafini and thus the Counts of Censi Mancia. It was the Marquis of Serafini that collected all the Roman artefacts of ancient Tuficum, the rest of which has been destroyed or lost. Today, they constitute a unique collection in Le Marche and are objects of interest to many passionate students of antiquity.
If all that isn’t enough, this noble residence is made even more fascinating by its surroundings: the lush and blossoming centuries-old park, with its exquisite flowers that bloom in the spring, and an enchanting winter garden, ideal for ceremonies and parties, that allows you to enjoy the park even in the chilliest seasons. Close your eyes and imagine an autumn afternoon spent in the company of a good book, sipping tea to the music of raindrops falling on branches.