A Celebration Of Italian Art, Craftsmanship, Culture And Design

Deep in the Umbrian countryside, near the Tuscan border and within sight of Assisi, the birthplace of nature loving Saint Francis, lies one of Italy’s most captivating estates. At the centre of Reschio is a thousand-year-old castle surrounded by undulating hills, unspoiled forests, a languid lake, and populated by beautifully restored farmhouses, all thanks to a vision realized by Count Benedikt Bolza and his family. The castle was recently remodelled as a luxury hotel, but Reschio is far more than a hotel, it is a living celebration of Italian culture, craftsmanship and design, where history and modern elegance coexist in perfect harmony.

Visiting the 3,800-acre estate feels like entering another era, yet with every comfort of contemporary luxury. There is an appreciation for slow living and nature, with meals coming from the land, horses grazing in the meadows, and creativity infusing every detail of the interior design.

This is not a place for screens or filters, for the beauty of Reschio’s landscape and architecture is breathtaking. Visiting Reschio feels like escaping reality into a slower paced life where nature is appreciated and Italian culture celebrated. Even the organic cotton uniforms of the staff are in tones of moss green and burnt Umber that echo the landscape and architecture, with the men wearing baker boy caps out of an Italian neorealist movie, like a more chic Italian version of Peaky Blinders. The phrase La Dolce Vita could have been coined for Reschio.

A Castle Reborn

At the heart of the estate stands Castello di Reschio, a thousand-year-old fortress reimagined as a 35-room hotel. Its restoration is the result of nearly three decades of quiet dedication, a generational project guided by the Bolza family since 1994. Once an abandoned ruin, the Castle has become a masterpiece of design in the form of a very unique and quietly luxurious boutique hotel, surrounded by a constellation of restored farmhouses scattered across the hills.

Inside, every surface tells a story. Locally woven linens, hand-cut tiles, and artisanal stonework mingle with bespoke furnishings from the B.B. for Reschio collection – covetable pieces conceived by Count Bolza and crafted by master Italian artisans in wood, marble and bronze. Each lamp, chair and desk blends modern Italian elegance with centuries-old craft traditions. Guests can even take a piece of the aesthetic home, as many designs are available through the BB Reschio brand.

The interiors balance a sense of Italian grandeur with the intimacy of a private home. Think the old-world chic of Claridge’s meeting the rustic sophistication of Soho Farmhouse, with a whisper of 19th-century Parisian charm and a generous dash of La Dolce Vita.

The Creative Heart

The creative soul of Reschio beats inside the Tabaccaia, once a tobacco-curing factory for Tuscan cigars. Today it houses the Count’s architecture and design studio, the B.B. for Reschio workshops, and a curated art and antiques dealership.

For over two decades, the Tabaccaia has been a hive of creative energy, a place where the castle’s restoration was envisioned and where new designs for the estate’s farmhouses take shape. The building itself is a gallery of Italian craftsmanship: steel-framed windows, vintage lighting, and furniture that blends modern minimalism with timeless materials.

Here, the Count and his small team of architects and interior designers come up with plans to renovate abandoned farmhouses on the estate with landscaped gardens and bespoke interiors that embody the Reschio aesthetic. Visitors can also acquire items from the B.B. Reschio collection, from a bronze coffee table or minimalist campaign bed to an Art Deco-inspired Poggibonsi lamp or mid-century writing desk, each handcrafted by local artisans.

The seed of Reschio as it is now was sown in 1984 when Count Bolza’s parents fell in love with Umbria and bought a run-down Parish on the estate. There were 50 farmhouses without roofs and a derelict castle on the estate, which his father bought in 1994 while the Count was studying to become an Architect in London.

The idea came about of selling the properties as ruins but with all the project design and execution of the project, restoration and interior design offered. Each house restoration is totally bespoke and completely individual. Count Bolza explains: “This was a very gradual process, because 31 years later we’ve done 33 of the houses. Our way of doing things is very long term. Each house we sold, we built a new road and our own aqueduct systems.”

The Count and his family moved into the castle and began restoring it, eventually developing it into a hotel and moving into a farmhouse. Count Bolza reminisces: “I moved with my wife into the castle with my wife in 1999 when we first arrived here. We had five children, holes in the roof and no central heating. It was very romantic and charming with fireplaces everywhere and so on, but it wasn’t a good permanent location to live in. And it was always our dream to have a hotel on the estate that we would manage and run, ad look after like a private house.”

So in 2015 they began converting the castle into a hotel. Perhaps its former incarnation as the Count’s family home, combined with his keen eye for design and creating an aesthetically pleasing environment that feels like a comfortably high end house, and a love for the surrounding countryside, passion for slow living and Italian culture and food, that makes Reschio such an enchanting and special place.

The estate has also become a magnet for artists, notably British sculptor Nic Fiddian-Green, renowned for his monumental horse heads. After a chance meeting in London – when Count Bolza noticed Fiddian-Green causing a stir in St. James’s while installing some sculptures, and struck up a friendship which led to an invitation to visit Reschio – the artist ended up establishing a studio at Reschio, creating bronzes and Carrara marble sculptures inspired by the estate’s Andalusian horses, often sketching or sculpting them en plein air.

Fiddian-Green held an exhibition of his sculptures in the Tabaccaia in 2022, and now fifteen of his magnificent horse sculptures punctuate the landscape, appearing among olive groves and meadows like equine guardians of the land.

Life on the Estate

Life at Reschio moves at an unhurried pace, attuned to nature’s rhythm. Early mornings might begin with a ride through dew-laced meadows, as mist curls around the castle towers. Horses are central to the estate’s identity, and Count Bolza’s lifelong passion led to the creation of a stud farm in 1999, dedicated to breeding and training world-class Andalusian dressage horses. Guests can take lessons, explore on horseback, or attend equestrian performances at dusk.

The estate also offers the age old country pursuits of falconry and archery, while guided nature walks and cycling tours reveal the biodiversity of the Umbrian hills. Truffle-hunting excursions with the chef connect visitors directly to the land, and the Truffles might end up on the dishes that later grace their dinner plates.

The entire estate radiates a sense of authenticity. The architecture respects Umbrian vernacular traditions, while each room reflects the Count’s meticulous eye for design: vaulted ceilings, softly lit stone walls, vintage oil portraits and antique treasures collected from markets and auctions across Europe. Together, they create a world that feels at once ancient and effortlessly stylish.

From Farm to Fork

Dining at Reschio is a deeply rooted experience. The estate’s organic gardens, olive groves, and vineyards supply the kitchens, ensuring that every meal tells the story of the land.

Ristorante Al Castello, set within the castle walls, serves refined interpretations of Umbrian cuisine, such as homemade pastas, estate olive oil, local meats and seasonal vegetables. Beneath a glass roof, the Palm Court recalls a 19th-century Parisian conservatory, perfect for afternoon tea or an aperitivo among soaring palms.

At the poolside Il Torrino, a converted watchtower, guests can enjoy relaxed all-day dining with sweeping views of the hills, while Ristorante Alle Scuderie, housed in the former stables, offers Italianate family-style meals centered on simplicity and freshness.

Even the artistic floral arrangements – crafted daily from wildflowers, brilliant yellow Jerusalem artichoke flowers and grasses gathered across the estate – are part of the design philosophy: a celebration of natural beauty and craftsmanship that permeates every corner of Reschio.

The Bathhouse

Hidden within the castle’s vaulted cellars lies The Bathhouse, Reschio’s atmospheric spa inspired by ancient Roman baths. Guests can move from a saltwater plunge pool to a sauna and hammam lit by flickering firelight, while treatments use rosemary, bay and olive oil gathered from the surrounding hills of the estate. The restorative experience connects guests to centuries of Italian wellness tradition.

A Legacy of Renewal

The story of Reschio is one of revival. When much of rural Umbria was abandoned in the 1970s, the Bolza family began restoring a single farmhouse on this wild estate. Over the decades, that small project grew into one of Italy’s most visionary examples of hospitality and cultural regeneration.

Count Benedikt Bolza – architect, designer, and creative director – has transformed Reschio into a philosophy as much as a place. It’s a world where guests are encouraged to slow down, reconnect with nature, and rediscover the pleasures of simplicity. Whether harvesting olives, sketching in the Palm Court, or watching the sun dip behind the Apennines, visitors experience a rare harmony between past and present.

A Place Apart

The setting itself is breathtaking. The foothills of the Apennines stretch in every direction, a tapestry of vineyards, olive groves and cypress-lined ridges. The air is fragrant with thyme and wild fennel, and the landscape’s palette of gold, green and stone grey seems to shift with every hour of the day.

Yet despite its cinematic beauty, Reschio never feels staged. Its magic lies in its sincerity: the laughter of a cooking class, the rustle of leaves in the conservatory, the rhythmic motion of a horse in dressage. This is not a resort built on spectacle, but a sanctuary built on soul.

For travelers who love art, architecture and the countryside, Reschio offers complete immersion in Italian life. It is a place where design and nature are inseparable, where food and flowers are both sustenance and art, and where every detail — from a forged door handle to a sunset over the hills — embodies the timeless beauty of Italian craftsmanship.

Count Bolza’s vision, rooted in respect for tradition and guided by an artist’s eye, has created something extraordinary: a living estate that continues to evolve while preserving its ancient spirit. To visit Reschio is to step into a world where life moves to a slower, more poetic rhythm, into the heart of Italy itself.

Find more information on Reschio here and on BB Reschio here.