Who are we? - Casa San Carlo

Nice to meet you! We are Torben and Klaartje Heerze. We are originally Dutch, but we emigrated to Italy in 2008, to a small town called Monteleone d’Orvieto in the region Umbria. We have lived and worked here ever since with our two daughters Giulia (2007) and Elena (2010). We are the owners of 7 holiday apartments within 1 beautiful villa with swimming pool called Casa San Carlo, situated right on the border with Tuscany.

How it all began

In 2006, after spending numerous holidays in Italy, we decided that we wanted to live and work here. We had always had a ‘soft spot’ fort he region Umbria, also know as the Green Heart of Italy. In February 2007 we first laid eyes on Casa San Carlo, and we fell in love. The impressive villa, consisting of 6 apartments and a little separate studio, had all the exact qualities that we were looking for in a possible rental business. Its location was stunning, it had beautiful views, it had a large swimming pool, spacious apartments fort he guests and a communal dining area, a large roofed terrace….We took the plunge and 1 year later we signed the notary deed. We could start our new adventure in life! We lef tour jobs in The Netherlands, sold our house and packed up all of our stuff and our six-months old baby daughter, and started a new life in Umbria.

Making you feel at home

Right from the start, from our very first tourist season in 2008, our aim was to turn Casa San Carlo into a ‘home away from home’ for all of our guests. We have tried to create a relaxed, familiar, friendly atmosphere in Casa San Carlo, making sure everyone is comfortable and feels at home. Over the years, many of our guests have become returning guests, some of them even dear friends. This is exactly what we hoped for when we started renting out Casa San Carlo 12 years ago.

We have never consciously tried to ‘create a concept’, to use a modern marketing term. We have simply worked hard to be able to live the lives that we wanted to create for ourselves and our daughters, while making sure that our guests can enjoy our lovely region alongside with us. And we feel very fortunate that many people have wanted to be part of that ‘way of life’ by spending their holiday at Casa San Carlo.

Our guests

Casa San Carlo is ideal for both individual travellers and for bigger groups. We rent out the 7 apartments separately, but the whole villa can also be booked exclusively. We have been lucky to have received many different ‘types’ of guests over the past 12 years.

We have hosted numerous weddings at Casa San Carlo, organizing everything for the brides and grooms, making sure their wedding day was exactly what they had envisioned. We organize special Culinary Wine Trips and we have accommodated Yoga Retreats for 5 years now. Every year in september, we offer a unique Masterclass in Portrait Photography. Our aim is to share Casa San Carlo with many different guests, so that a wide variety of people can enjoy Umbria in all its beauty.

Different seasons

During the months of April May, June, September, October and November, we receive guests of all ages with all sorts of interests. People who like culture and want to visit the cities and villages around us, people who like to go on long nature walks or go cycling, young couples with their toddlers who want to realx by the pool… This is also the period in which we accomodate wedding parties and organize our other Special Weeks (Yoga, Photography, Culinary & Wine)

During our High Season (July and August) we only accomodate families (with children between 0 and 16 years old). Our daughters Giulia and Elena literary grew up at Casa San Carlo, and have met many new holiday friends, from tiny to teen. They love to play and eat together with the children of our guests; this is why we have a special play ground, and serve special children menus as well.

Personal note

To guarantee dat we can offer you, our future or returning guests, the type of holiday or stay at CAsa San Carlo that you look for, we prefer to email you personally about your booking. This way, Klaartje can advise you about the best apartment for your travelling party, listen to any preferences you may have and give you tips on what to expect (and what not to expect) form your stay at Casa San Carlo. And most important of all: if something might not be as you expected or had hoped for, we hope our guests will simply just tel lus what they feel might be lacking. This way, we can do our best to solve any ‘problem’ and make sure all of our guests will be able to enjoy our Casa San Carlo in the future as well.

To make sure that during high season we, as a family, can also enjoy some privacy, we do not live at CAsa San Carlo, but rent a house along the road, withing walking distance.