Sant’ Angelo in Pontano

Sant’ Angelo in Pontano is a pretty 18th century village, principally built out of a pale pink brick. There are a number of elegant buildings, as well as a couple of attractive churches, a convent (full of nuns, young and old) and a large square.

The village is a five minute walk from the house up a steep slope (avoiding roads except for the final 50 metres) which delivers you into the village square. It takes two minutes to drive if you don’t feel like the walk. Although steep on the way up, it’s a lovely walk on the way down with views on clear days across to the sea. In late May, June and early July evenings the fields are full of crackling fireflies as you walk down to the house from the village in the starlight.

Shopping in the village

You can happily live “out of the village” without needing to shop elsewhere. There is a good mini market with a deli counter, a vegetable van in the mornings (upgraded to a lorry on Fridays), a baker, two butchers, a bank, a chemist and a newsagent. There is usually a fish van on a Friday morning.

About a 15 minute drive away there is a large discount supermarket if you want to buy in bulk, and on the way there the road passes through a village with a fishmonger.

Bars/restaurants

There are three bars (one of which has a pool table), a small coffee/ice cream/pizza bar and three restaurants, all of which are good and one of which has a terrace from which the views are magnificent.

There are many good restaurants in other villages close by, some of which serve simple food and some of which serve sophisticated regional food. There is information in the house about the local restaurants.