Umbria is so beautiful - we've talked about her silvery olive trees and her rolling hills, her rubicund fields of poppies and elegant cypress trees, her smiling sunflowers... It is a region where time seems suspended, where the fortress villages we live in remain untouched by time whether it be medieval, or Roman, or Etruscan.... so many different ancient populations leaving their unmistakable traits. And the towers and castles leer down at you from the hilltops! They are everywhere, keeping watch ... Here, in these castles, touching the banisters while treading on worn travertine steps, you can really feel history seeping through the walls. I felt this when I went to see the Castle of Panicale for the first time. Part of the walls of the ancient hamlet where I live, it is a long fortress building dating back to the XV century, characterised by its almost circular tower and heavily fortified rectangular tower. I walked around the property with the present owners looking at beamed ceilings, old cells and hidden spiral staircases, listening to the history of the place and to the voices of the past. It was a truly touching experience. Not far from Panicale, is the Castle of Montali which owes its name to the feudal lords who once lived there; it became a keystone of the defence system in Perugia as it was the highest and most impregnable castle of the area. The castle was beautifully restored and divided into apartments that boast a view like no other. Gaiche Castle is worth being remembered too and not only for its historical events but also for its statute of the year 1318, which is the oldest of Umbria. The oldest document about the place goes back until 1245 and it is in the banishment register containing the witchcrafts made under the reign of Giovanni Aldebrandi. I could go on for ages. There are so many castles even just around Panicale, never mind around the lake area - with the beautiful white Castle of the Lion in Castiglione del Lago being one example, built by the Emperor Frederick II. A castle is a place of history where battles were fought, where knights walked the the stairs, where pretty maidens watched behind curtains, where treaties were written and blood shed. Umbria has a magic grandeur due to these amazingly beautiful palazzos. I suppose I have always dreamed myown little castle in the clouds and I suppose that's why Il Castello di Tara, my very own castle, is not only my virtual dream place, but a reflection of my philosophy of life: that anything can be and can happen, anything at all if you really want it to. If you dream something, well then you are just a step away from attaining it. And there might be a castle for you here, there are many for sale, from our small Gaiche apartment to the picturesque Castle of Panicale. Take your pick.