Welcome to
Casale San Ruffino
Tra Mare e Monti — Marche, Italy
Welcome to
Tra Mare e Monti — Marche, Italy
Welcome to our home away from home. We bought this house in autumn 2023 and are slowly converting it further. Come back in a few years to enjoy a built-in pool. We hope you will enjoy the house, the terraces, the food, the villages and above all the scenery as much as we do. You will be staying in a farmhouse that has been part of this hillside for generations — converted about 20 years ago from a traditional local farmhouse that would have had livestock downstairs and large family (with only daughters) living upstairs. You can still see some traces of this: iron rings in the walls downstairs, the old living room and fireplace still in place. The house is more than 100 years old, built with local stone, and therefore benefits from plenty of air circulation. We hope you love it as much as we do. And if there's anything let us know and if its urgent: call Michele under +39 327 465 2099 — he manages the house for us. Should something small break, no worries — just let us know so we can replace it for the next guest.
Use the GPS coordinates rather than the address for navigation in these hills — far more reliable.
GPS Coordinates
43°00'13.9"N 13°25'31.8"E
Decimal: 43.00386, 13.42550 — paste either format into Google Maps
From Servigliano: Drive towards Amandola. After 8 km you will see three subsequent signs for Smerillo — turn left at the third, with a sign for Agriturismo Amargi, and follow the road uphill.
From the Smerillo direction: Look for the SME petrol station — cheapest in the region, worth stopping to fill up. Immediately after it, turn right uphill.
From either direction, follow the road up through 7 bends. You'll see a sign for Agriturismo Paciotti pointing left — ignore it and continue 100 metres straight. The house is on the right-hand side, just past that sign. You'll see a shed first; the driveway is immediately behind it.
The last five minutes are full of hairpin bends — not much traffic, but take your time. At night, keep an eye out for wildlife. There's plenty of porcupine, raccoon and wild boar about.
Full address: Contrada San Giovanni 8, 63856 Smerillo FM, Italy
Everything you need to know about settling in and making yourself at home.
The fuse box — just inside the entrance door on the left
Gauge should read 2.0 bar (white zone)
The boiler is behind the tall cupboard doors in the pantry
Some of the finest hill villages in central Italy are within a short drive. These are the real thing — working communities with festivals, local restaurants and weekly markets worth falling into.
Your village. Pop up for the view — one of the finest panoramic points in central Italy. Sibillini to the west, Adriatic glimmering to the east on clear days. Medieval castle ruins, the restored 13th-century Porta del Sole, and a small Museum of Fossils and Minerals.
In Smerillo itself, Le Logge osteria has a magnificent view towards both mountains and sea — a perfect dinner spot without driving far. Great value for money. Map →
The Fessa di Smerillo hike starts right from the village — through a dramatic cleft in the cliff face. The path was being repaired but should be open. Route info →
Your nearest proper town. Good for a morning coffee in the old square, the Wednesday market, coffee beans for the machine at home, and restocking supplies. Supermarket closes at lunchtime so check before you go. The deli counter is to die for.
Gateway to the Sibillini National Park from this side.
Our bar: Map → | Supermarket: Map →
Amandola — gateway to the Sibillini
An 18th-century 'ideal city' designed by the Pope — its perfectly square baroque walls enclose a grid of streets converging on the monumental Piazza Roma. A beautiful and totally unique Italian town. Nice ice cream and a little restaurant Pane e Vino we go to quite a lot.
For the best meat in the area, try this spot. August hosts the Torneo Cavalleresco di Castel Clementino medieval tournament.
Our restaurant: Map →
Servigliano — one of Italy's best preserved Roman walled towns
You can see the ski resort across the valley from the house. A beautifully preserved medieval hill town with concentric rings of stone lanes climbing to a lovely main square. Has a nice little osteria we like. Nearest slopes in winter — also the base for some excellent Sibillini walks.
Osteria: Map →
One of the real hidden gems of the area — a tiny medieval village perched dramatically on a rocky ridge with extraordinary views. A Renaissance palazzo, an art gallery in the Ricci Palace, and the church of San Martino with works by the Crivelli Brothers. The Papi Family Cellar here is where the rare local Vino Cotto is made — well worth a visit.
Monte San Martino — Penna San Giovanni on the horizon
An ancient hilltop comune in the Macerata province, surrounded by rolling hills between the Sibillini and the Adriatic. A charming 18th-century theatre (Teatro Flora), ancient churches, and a panoramic circular terrace at the very top with 360° views from the mountains to the sea.
And the reason to go: Cibus — a place to die for above a legendary local cheesemaker — creative menu, English-speaking staff, and the warmest welcome in the region. One of our favourite restaurants. Go hungry. Find it on our restaurants map →
A perfectly preserved hilltop town crowned by one of the most impressive papal churches in the Marche — built in the 16th century under Pope Sixtus V, who was born nearby. Walk the steep lanes to Sotto le Scale Osteria, a creative, characterful restaurant with views over the Piceno that will make you want to stay forever. A hidden gem.
Montalto delle Marche — papal town, spectacular views
One of the great panoramic points of the region — on a clear day the view spans from the Sibillini to the Maiella, from Gran Sasso to Monte Conero and the Adriatic. October hosts the Festa dei Sapori (Festival of Flavours).
One of Italy's officially most beautiful villages — a hilltop hamlet above the Adriatic near Marina Palmense. Walk the promontory, find the path down to the Grotta degli Amanti (Lovers' Cave). Combine with a beach stop at Marina Palmense below for a near-perfect day.
Torre di Palme — the sea at your feet
Just 5–10 minutes down the road there's an osteria or a pizzeria on the lake you can see from the house. A very easy option for a first evening when you don't feel like driving far.
A remarkable collection within easy reach — each genuinely different, each worth a full day.
The nearest city. Perched on Sabulo hill with views across the countryside and the coast. Smaller than Ascoli but with a truly lovely old centre.
Don't miss: Piazza del Popolo. The Roman cisterns beneath the city — a remarkable feat of ancient engineering, barely known to visitors. The Duomo. The Sala del Mappamondo.
On summer Thursdays, a craft and antique evening market in the old town — lovely to combine with dinner. And it has our favourite ice cream shop: Map →
Big shop: Girasole shopping centre is near Fermo — a hypermarché-style mall, great for a proper stock-up.
Fermo by night
One of the great small cities of Italy, built almost entirely in pale travertine stone. Piazza del Popolo apparently just voted the most beautiful square in Italy — very lively street scenes at night. Just a very liveable city. Park at the bottom of the hill and take the elevator up.
Eat: Olive all'ascolana are the dish. Restaurant 1 · Restaurant 2 · Pizza
Drink: Caffè Meletti makes a famous anise liqueur. Sit in the art nouveau interior.
Shop: Battente — a large hypermarché-style shopping mall near Ascoli, great for a major shop.
Piazza del Popolo — one of Italy's finest squares
A proper university city on a hill with a beautiful historic centre. The open-air Sferisterio arena hosts the Macerata Opera Festival every July and August — one of the most atmospheric outdoor opera venues in Italy. Book ahead if you're here during the festival.
One of the biggest pilgrimage sites in Italy. A beautiful cathedral houses a tiny building said to be the birthplace of Christ, transported here by angels. Whether or not that's your thing, it's genuinely remarkable. Map →
Over the border into Umbria — just on the other side of the mountains towards Perugia, about an hour through an easy tunnelled highway after 30 minutes of country roads. The Basilica of St Francis is one of the great works of medieval art in Europe. The town itself, in pale pink stone on the slopes of Monte Subasio, is beautiful at any hour. Combine it with Spoleto or Perugia and give it a full day.
Assisi — a full day easily
Another Umbrian gem. A fortress on a hill, a Roman amphitheatre still in use, a beautiful cathedral. Hermann Hesse called it "the most beautiful discovery I made in Italy." The Festival dei Due Mondi brings world-class music and theatre each July. Wonderfully quiet outside festival season.
Spoleto — the Rocca fortress above the city
The roads between these places pass through some of the most beautiful countryside in Italy. Don't rush. Pull over. There will always be a view, a terrace, or an osteria that justifies it.
You're on the edge of the Sibillini National Park — which together with the Monte dei Laghi and Gran Sasso forms one of the last wildernesses in Italy, home to wolves, bears and eagles. The latter you will already spot from our house. The mountains visible from the house range between 1,600 and over 3,000 metres. Serious country, and extraordinary to explore.
The Sibillini ridge — wild and barely touched
The Sibillini at dusk from the valley
Lago di Fiastra — the lake below the mountains
Piano Grande — June/July when the flowers are out
The Gola — barely wide enough for sunlight
The path through — dramatic at any season
Terrapremiata — the winery at dusk
The hunt — dog does the work, hunter gets the glory
The slopes at Sarnano-Sassotetto
Z Chalet — apres-ski Marche style
The coast is about 45–50 minutes away. Focus on the stretch between Pedaso and Cupra — this is our preferred part of the coastline. Blue Flag beaches, sandy, with good seafood on the doorstep.
Our preferred beach. Over 2.5 km of fine golden sand lined with palm trees, oleanders and bougainvillea — part of the Riviera delle Palme. Clear, calm water. Blue Flag since 1997. Perfect for swimming and families.
Koko Beach is our favourite beach club here — a tad more upmarket, serves an excellent lunch. Reservations generally not needed but worth calling ahead in peak summer. Find it →
The town has two halves: the beach below and the charming medieval hilltop village of Marano above — worth the climb for the views and the food. Check out our list.
Cupra Marittima — our favourite beach
Another beach we've been to and like — good food, not too busy, and the sunbeds are reasonably priced. Bonus: the train runs right alongside, which the kids find fascinating. Map →
Fermo's main beach town. 3.7 km of sandy Blue Flag beach, a lively promenade and excellent seafood restaurants by the harbour. In summer there's a small funfair our kids love. Funfair map →
A hidden gem tucked beneath Torre di Palme. Small, unspoiled, Blue Flag. Sand and pebbles. Beautiful views back up to the hilltop village. Combine with a walk up to Torre di Palme for a near-perfect day.
A bit further but absolutely worth it for something dramatic — the Adriatic's answer to the Amalfi coast. White limestone cliffs plunging into turquoise water, hidden coves only reachable by boat or a 30-minute hike. Seafood to die for in Portonovo, Sirolo and Numana. This is the Marche at its most beautiful.
The Conero coast — white cliffs, turquoise sea
Lunch on the Conero — the Adriatic at your feet
The main beach at Monte Conero is pebbly but stunning. This bay is even more beautiful — can get busy in peak season. Rent a boat from Numana or Porto Recanati to reach the quieter coves.
The cooking here is honest and excellent — fresh pasta, fresh fish, local vegetables, cured meats, truffles in season. The Rosso Piceno wine is as underrated as the white Falerio, and the olive oil is outstanding.
All our restaurant recommendations — from the osteria on the lake five minutes from the house to the best spot for a sunset seafood dinner on the coast — are in our suggestions list at the end of this guide.
| Dish | Where |
|---|---|
| Olive all'ascolana | Any trattoria in Ascoli Piceno |
| Vincisgrassi | Local trattorias — the Marche lasagne |
| Fresh pasta with truffle | Autumn menus across the area |
| Porchetta | Weekly markets and sagre festivals |
| Brodetto di pesce | Adriatic fish stew — on the coast |
| Castelluccio lentils | Any good local restaurant |
| Drink | Notes |
|---|---|
| Rosso Piceno | The local red — try Terrapremiata (20 min) or Velenosi in Ascoli Piceno for a serious bottle |
| Verdicchio | The classic Marche white |
| Offida Pecorino | Full-bodied aromatic nicer white 😊 |
| Vino Cotto | Rare cooked wine — a local tradition |
| Anisette (Meletti) | The liqueur of Ascoli — at Caffè Meletti |
Every town in the area has a weekly market — the best way to shop for fresh produce, cheese, salumi, clothing and household goods. All morning; they pack up by early afternoon.
| Day | Markets nearby |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Fermo (city centre) · Porto Sant'Elpidio · San Benedetto del Tronto |
| Wednesday | Amandola (closest to us) · Ascoli Piceno · Macerata |
| Thursday | Porto San Giorgio · Sarnano · Offida · Fermo evening antique & craft market |
| Friday | Sant'Elpidio a Mare · San Benedetto del Tronto |
| Saturday | Montegiorgio · Montegranaro · Falerone |
| Sunday | Santa Vittoria in Matenano (check locally) |
The Fermo Thursday evening antique and craft market runs from late afternoon into the evening in summer — lovely to combine with dinner in the city.
We hope you won't need any of this. But it's here if you do.
In any medical emergency, call 118. Your address is Contrada San Giovanni 8, 63856 Smerillo, Provincia di Fermo, Marche.
| What | Where / Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Address | Contrada San Giovanni 8, 63856 Smerillo | Give this to emergency services |
| GPS | 43°00'13.9"N, 13°25'31.8"E | Use this for navigation, not the address |
| WiFi | Starlink — no password | Best signal upstairs workspace |
| Fuse box | Entrance door left / shed left side of house | See house section for full details |
| House manager | Michele — +39 327 465 2099 | For anything urgent |
| Nearest restaurant | Osteria/pizzeria on lake — 5–10 min | Osteria map · Pizzeria map |
| Smerillo osteria | Le Logge — village, 5 min | Magnificent mountain and sea view |
| Best value dinner | Cibus, Penna San Giovanni — ~30 min | Extraordinary — a must |
| Nearest town | Amandola — 7 km / 15 min | Market, pharmacy, supermarket, coffee beans (DUM Falerone) |
| Nearest city | Fermo — 25 km / 40 min | Best ice cream, Thursday evening market |
| Our favourite beach | Cupra Marittima — ~50 min ★ | Blue Flag, Koko Beach, palm-lined |
| Our favourite winery | Terrapremiata — ~20 min | Tastings Friday afternoons, try the pink bubbly |
| Olive oil mill | ~20 min | English-speaking owner, award-winning |
| Best meat | Servigliano — 20 min | Map link |
| Big supermarket (Fermo) | Girasole mall — ~40 min | Near Fermo, hypermarché-style |
| Big supermarket (Ascoli) | Battente mall — ~45 min | Near Ascoli, larger with more stores |
| Skiing | Bolognola — ~40 min / Sarnano — 20 min | Bolognola is the main resort; Sarnano good for beginners |
| Hospital (English) | Amandola — 15 min | English-speaking first aid |
| Medical emergency | 118 or 112 | Works from any phone |
| Non-urgent medical | 116117 | English available, 24/7 |
| Check-in / out | After 15:00 / Before 12:00 | Lockbox — code from host |
| Assisi | ~70 min | Worth a full day — combine with Spoleto |
| Spoleto | ~70 min | Festival dei Due Mondi in July |
We've spent a lot of time exploring this area and built up our personal map for everything we like — restaurants, beaches, hikes, wine, activities, local produce and more. Real recommendations, real visits. Tap any category to open the map on your phone. We hope you like them as well.
