Well protected from the nearby road and from Orvieto’s outskirts by its tree-filled gardens, La Ciconia is a small, attractive 16thC grey stone villa with two bays of windows flanking an arched entrance. Inside, you’ll find a variety of styles, from the spacious ground floor public rooms with geometric, polychrome tiled floors, massive stone fireplaces and frescoed friezes to the simpler but more restful sitting rooms on the upper floor, where leather couches add a zestful note of modernity.
The bedrooms are in a more rustic style, with wrought-iron or four-poster beds and antique chests that combine well with the exposed roof-beams and warm, terracotta floors. Bathrooms are spanking new and most have a shower rather than a bath. The gardens are a delight, bounded by two streams and there is now a pleasantly secluded good size pool.
The restaurant serves Umbrian specialities with oil and wine from the owner’s farms - popular for weddings, so it may get busy at weekends. A pleasant alternative to La Badia if the latter is full or you find it too expensive.