Villa Molinella, Tenuta di Murlo

Tucked into a secluded valley within Tenuta di Murlo, Villa Molinella is an ancient watermill transformed into an intimate retreat for two. A stream still runs alongside its old stone walls, while the former mill basin has inspired the pool and vaulted spaces beneath the house now conceal a private spa.

Story

Molinella began life as a medieval watermill, built beside one of the streams that flow through the Murlo estate. An earlier Murlo brochure dates the restored mill to the 13th century, and its relationship with water remains fundamental to the house today.

Its restoration has worked around those original features rather than erasing them: ancient stone walls remain exposed, the swimming pool echoes the form of the old mill basin, and beneath the house an original vaulted space has become an atmospheric private spa.

Molinella is one of nine private villas scattered across Tenuta di Murlo, the vast Umbrian estate stewarded for generations by the Carabba Tettamanti Radziwill family. But unlike the larger farmhouses designed for families and groups, Molinella is conceived entirely for two guests, making it the estate's most intimate hideaway.

Why we selected Molinella

A medieval building with its original purpose still visible

The architecture isn't merely old: the villa's position beside the stream, stone vaults and former mill basin still reveal how this building once functioned within rural Umbria.

Water shapes the entire stay

The stream runs alongside the house, natural pools can be found nearby, and the private swimming pool takes its form from the historic mill basin. Even the underground Jacuzzi sits beneath the mill's ancient stone vaults.

Murlo's most intimate villa

While many of the estate's restored houses accommodate large groups, Molinella is exclusively for two adults. Its small scale makes the history and landscape feel unusually personal.

Part of a much larger living estate

Beyond the villa lie thousands of hectares of woodland, olive groves, valleys, lakes and streams, giving guests access to the history, food and rural traditions of Murlo while retaining complete privacy.

Local life & traditions

Watermills were once essential pieces of rural infrastructure across central Italy, harnessing streams to process the grains grown in the surrounding countryside. Molinella's position beside running water is therefore part of the agricultural history of this landscape.

That rural culture continues across Murlo through olive growing, farming, woodland and seasonal food. Guests encounter it through estate produce, local ingredients, Umbrian wines and traditions such as truffle hunting.

Authentic experiences in the area

Search for Umbrian truffles

Head into Murlo’s woods with a local expert and truffle dog, learning about one of Umbria’s most enduring relationships between food, woodland and season.

Cook with the flavours of Umbria

Arrange a private cooking experience or chef in the villa, using regional and estate ingredients to explore the dishes of central Italy.

Follow the water through Murlo

Walk from Molinella along the estate’s streams and woodland paths to discover the natural pools hidden nearby — a landscape that explains why the mill was originally built here.

Discover the wines and food of Umbria

Explore regional producers through tastings and the wider estate, or dine at Il Caldaro, where Murlo’s hospitality is rooted in the flavours and ingredients of the surrounding countryside.

Protecting culture & land

Molinella's restoration allows the 13th-century mill to remain legible as a historic building. Stone walls and vaulted spaces survive, while the old mill basin itself provided the inspiration for the swimming pool rather than being removed from the landscape.

It sits within a much wider estate still characterised by woodland, fields, olive groves, lakes and streams. The Carabba Tettamanti Radziwill family's approach has been to restore the historic buildings dispersed through this landscape while continuing to steward the land around them.

Location & surroundings

Villa Molinella lies deep within the valley of Tenuta di Murlo, beside one of the streams crossing the estate and surrounded by woodland.

The setting feels exceptionally secluded, but guests remain within reach of the rest of Murlo, including Il Caldaro restaurant and the estate’s experiences. Perugia lies beyond the estate, while Assisi and Gubbio can also be explored as day trips.

Key details

Address

Villa Molinella, Tenuta di Murlo
Strada Antognolla – Ascagnano SNC
06133 Perugia (PG)
Umbria, Italy

Getting here

By plane: Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi Airport is the closest airport. Rome Fiumicino offers considerably more international connections.

By train: Perugia is the nearest major rail destination, followed by a private transfer to the estate.

By car: The estate lies in the countryside north of Perugia; a car is useful if you plan to explore Umbria beyond Murlo.

Facilities

Villa Molinella is designed exclusively for two adults and has two super-king bedrooms, both with en-suite bathrooms

Private pool

Heated wooden outdoor hot tub

Fully equipped kitchen

Private spa: beneath the old stone vaults are a heated indoor whirlpool and private sauna

Private breakfast, a chef and butler, or meals and aperitivi can be arranged to be delivered directly to the villa

Every stay booked direct keeps value with the people of this place, so they can reinvest in culture, community and land

We believe travel should give back more than it takes; that it can protect cultures, not erode them.

That is why we connect you directly with each hotel’s own website. By booking direct, value remains in the hands of those who shape these places, enabling reinvestment into local culture, community, and land.

Book Villa Molinella direct. Play a part in preserving the culture, community and landscape of this place.

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Villa Italy Umbria

Villa Molinella, Tenuta di Murlo

A Medieval Watermill Hidden in the Umbrian Valley

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Every stay booked direct keeps more value in the hands of the people who shape this place, so they can reinvest in local culture, community and land.

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