La Rosa e Il Leone - Self-catering house in Veneto

Everything about La Rosa e Il Leone, from the ancient Roman columns in the flower-filled garden to the Juliet-style balcony of the marble-floored master bedroom, breathes feeling and romance. Named after Valeria's Veronese father and Milanese mother – the Rose of Lombardy, the Lion of the Veneto – the villa is an ode to their love both for each other and for the arts. The walls sing with framed musical scores and programmes from nights at La Scala (Milan) and L'Arena (Verona), while adjoining first-floor sitting rooms celebrate the juxtaposition of the masculine (hard lines, dark colours, stacks of leather-bound books) and the feminine (curves, pastel colours, a passion for music and dance). The soft hand-woven sheets on antique-framed beds were part of Valeria's mother's dowry, the furniture part of her parents' lifetime collection. Stroll under leafy pergolas; listen to the history humming in the ancient cypresses; breakfast outside and admire an extraordinary replica of the Louvre's Winged Victory. Like her house, Valeria is a gold-mine of high culture. A must for anyone visiting Verona.