La Darbia, Lake Orta

A design-led peaceful hideaway on Lake Orta and Piedmont's best kept secret

La Darbia is a peaceful hideaway hotel steeped in nature overlooking the relatively hidden gem of Lake Orta. Piedmont’s best kept secret – just above the historical centre of Orta San Giulio – the elegant hamlet, La Darbia is quietly tucked away, surrounded by lush, Mediterranean gardens designed by landscape architect Anna Regge, as well as lovingly cultivated Nebbiolo-vineyards. 

With a breathtaking view of the shimmering lake and peaks of Monte Rosa, this hideaway, created by two architect brothers from the area, has 20 apartment-style suites, extensive kitchen gardens, a working vineyard, salt water pool and locally-renowned restaurant La Cucina, run by Head Chef Matteo Monfrinotti.

 The iconic tower of La Darbia was part of an abandoned agricultural settlement before it was given a new life in 2008 by architect brothers, Gian Carlo and Matteo Primatesta who come from a local craftsman and wine-growing family. After discovering traces of an old, terraced vineyard, dating back to the 18th Century, on the site of La Darbia, Gian Carlo and Matteo set to work cultivating their own local Nebbiolo grape variety and restoring the dilapidated tower into a peaceful retreat. 

The brothers’ creative vision, marked by the cycles of nature, its elements, colours and flavours is at the root of everything at La Darbia. The 20 suite-apartments, as well as the restaurant, emanate an understated elegance or “Sobrio”, as the Italians would say. Simple, and therefore intriguing. The architecture of La Darbia reflects the simple, formal language of Piedmont’s rural buildings and integrates local materials, Mediterranean vegetation, and unadorned handicrafts. 

The apartments echo rural archetypes with peaceful natural palettes and come with one or two bedrooms, bathroom, living room with dining area and a very well-equipped kitchen, air conditioning and a furnished outdoor area. All look onto views of the lake, woods of century-old chestnuts, hornbeams and the carefully tended vegetable and flower gardens. The fabulous la Darbia breakfast basket with produce from the garden and local farms is delivered to the door each morning.

The extensive organic vegetable garden, filled with vegetables and aromatic herbs becomes La Darbia’s open-air living room in the evening with panoramic views over the glittering Lake Orta. Aperitifs and dinners in the garden, wine tastings in the Cantina and dips in the heated salt water swimming (open from April to October) are positively encouraged to make the most of the hotel grounds.

La Cucina, run by Head Chef Matteo Monfrinotti, is the jewel in La Darbia’s crown. Putting focus on Piemontese produce, Matteo and his team conjure up culinary masterpieces with a nod to the rural traditions of the region. The seasonally-changing menu uses produce from La Darbia’s own organic vegetable garden and nearby farms. 

The unique Chef’s Table experience offers front row seats for the busy workings of dinner service with small tasters of the menu, whilst the restaurant’s terrace and pergola are perfect for romantic dining with breathtaking views of the lake. Guests can choose from the à la carte menu, featuring specialities such as taglioni ‘bossolasco’, sour butter, rabbit and eel, or the show stopping ‘Piedmontese tradition’ and ‘From the garden’ five course tasting menus. 

Just an hour north of Milan, not far from the Swiss border, the narrow, barely 13 km long Lake Orta shimmers in the protected embrace of Monte Rosa. The second highest peak of the Alps rises 4,634 metres into the sky, framed by the contrasting landscape of Piedmont and its many cultural treasures. The Belle Époque gave Lake Orta and its picturesque lakeside towns eclectic buildings and pretty promenades. Lord Byron, Nietzsche, and Balzac, like many other intellectuals and artists at the turn of the century, were inspired by the lake’s siren-like beauty, and the mood of those times still lingers in the air. 

While the tourist crowds in Northern Italy flock to Lake Maggiore, and spotlights shine on glamorous Lake Como, Lake Orta remains a relatively unknown treasure to most of the world. The iconic Isola di San Giulio which rises out of the lake with a still functioning monastery and the Sacro Monte di Orta, an old pilgrimage site perched high above the lake, are settings of spirituality and meditation. Omegna, a charming village and the birthplace of Italian writer Gianni Roadari, is a literary experience perfect for children, with picturesque hikes through woods, churches and panoramic viewpoints. 

For information contact team@passaropubilcity.com or www.ladarbia.com