Villa degli Armeni is a couple of kilometres outside the picturesque village of Poggio Catino, on the side of a mountain covered in forest. Behind you are the Apennine Mountains and in front you look down onto rolling hills stretching down to the River Tiber Valley.

This is the Sabine Hills, or Sabina as it is called here. You probably won’t have heard of it because it sometimes seems like a very well-kept secret, hidden on the very doorstep of Rome! The Sabina is relatively undiscovered by tourism: you won’t find tour buses or menus in English, but those that come here tend to fall in love with its charming medieval villages, constantly changing vistas of olive groves, woodlands and mountains, the great food and the glimpse of real Italian life it offers. Find out more in our guide to the Sabine Hills.

The Sabina is also a great base for exploring further afield in Lazio and Umbria, about an hour’s drive will take you to a range of sights: roman ruins, renaissance palaces, ancient forests, beautiful lakes, impressive waterfalls and medieval towns. Find out more in our guide to Lazio and Umbria

Rome is under an hour away by train or car. A 25 minute drive will get you to one of Italy’s main motorways, with Tuscany about 1 hour further to the North; Naples and Pompei 2.5 hours to the south.

In a hurry? Check out our top ten of things to do when you’re staying at Villa degli Armeni

To help you find your way around and plan your stay, we’ve prepared an interactive map: whether you need to find a monastery, a great ice cream or somewhere to refuel your car, its all on here.

It’s a great tool to help plan your stay, as well as to use while you are here to get information and directions on all the places you need to get to!