Let yourself be enveloped by the authentic history of a prestigious historic residence in Umbria, whose origins date back to 1579, when the Counts Donini chose this strategic location to build their summer home, nearby Perugia and Assisi.
The piano nobile, renovated in the mid-18th century, still preserves the classic series of rooms adorned with doors and canvases painted by Nicola Giuli in 1780. Here you can admire the concert hall, whose walls are entirely covered with paintings from the school of Francesco Appiani. Also by Appiani is a magnificent altarpiece, oil on canvas, located in the 18th-century chapel, depicting Saint Philip Neri and the Madonna.
On the ground floor there are five rooms feature ceilings frescoed in the early and late 19th century.
Across the two-hectare park, visitors can discover a mausoleum dedicated to Countess Laura Donini, dating back to 1850, and a dovecote entirely painted in faux wood from the same period. Along an avenue are situated five Etruscan cinerary urns from the 3rd century BC, while six 18th-century terracotta vases grace the main entrance to the villa.
The last countess of the family lived in the villa until 1964, when the property was sold to a family from Perugia. In 1999, engineer Ennio Mencaroni acquired the villa and opened it to the public as a historic residence, now protected by the Cultural Heritage Authority.
Another wing serves as a 4-star hotel, restored to host 24 elegantly appointed rooms. Posta Donini 1579 is still managed by engineer Ennio Mencaroni, together with his wife Maria Luisa and their children Ettore and Lucia, who welcome guests to discover the history of this remarkable place and share its ongoing story.
To preserve the memory of the villa, after years of research a precious volume has been published: “Trame | I Donini i San Martino in Campo”, curated by Maria Luisa Puletti Mencaroni and Maria Mencaroni Zoppetti. Available on-site, this engaging and fluid read transports the reader through the centuries, revealing the story of a family and the places that bear witness to its legacy.
