European Villas 3

Monastero di Monte Forno
Location: near Apecchio, Italy

Price: $5,200 to $8,850 a week

This former 12th-century Benedictine monastery, located in Italy's up and coming Le Marche (pronounced “Lay Markay”) region, was completely converted last year into a capacious, six-bedroom villa. What was once a chapel has been turned into a high-ceilinged sitting room, while the former monks' quarters now house a series of sumptuous-yet-rustic bedrooms and reading rooms. The villa, which sleeps up to 13 people, also boasts one amenity the monks never enjoyed: a heated swimming pool.