How They Pulled It Off: A Hilltop Home in Italy Built Around a 17th-Century Watchtower

Welcome to How They Pulled It Off, where we take a close look at one particularly challenging aspect of a home design and get the nitty-gritty details about how it became a reality.

The old farmhouse and adjacent 17th-century watchtower Emanuela and Francesco sought to renovate in the mountainous Abruzzo region of central Italy was at the top of a hill so steep, the couple called it "Peppa Pig hill", after an episode of the animated kids’ show in which Peppa Pig’s family hikes a steep slope. There are views there—hence the watchtower—but the farmhouse itself, which previously belonged to Francesco’s family, had been made unlivable by several earthquakes.

In its place the couple built their new family home with the help of Florence studio Map Architetti, creating a plan that wraps around the watchtower—from a glass-walled entry, through the dining area, and around to the living room. The home’s two levels (not to mention the tower) capture views of the Gran Sasso range, and the interiors feature bespoke oak joinery, brick floors, and exposed concrete and wood beams. Map Architetti blended the home with the watchtower (which required extensive repairs) by sourcing reclaimed brick from nearby farmhouses that had been demolished, creating a novel hilltop home that references the region’s rural vernacular while looking out over it.