Piccolo Castello

Piccolo Castello is immersed in the heart of Tuscany. This splendid mansion is a place where refined elegance beckons total relaxation from the moment one arrives. A ravishingly updated 13th-century villa high in the hills over Castelfiorentino, this property offers a great selection of art, antique bath tubs completely renovated in 2004 and valuable artworks. Spacious boudoirs are graced with original frescoes, scented candles and fresh flowers, and there are a sacred chapel and a swimming pool area with loggiato unique in the entire region. The estate sits on a hill facing San Gimignano - the towers are visible from the main garden and facade of the property - on 25 acres full of olive groves, yet it is located just a few kilometres outside Florence, just perfect for frequent immersions in the Tuscan capital city or the great alternative of San Gimignano (twenty minutes away).

Every place in the Tuscan landscape carries traces of culture going back through the centuries. Piccolo Castello is a significant example. It lies along the old Via Francigena, an ancient trail used from medieval times by the pilgrims from England and France on their way to Rome. It was founded in the XIIIth century, when a noble and powerful family from Certaldo, the Conti Alberti, chose this place to be the centre of the Court of Val D'Elsa and built a castle there. In succeeding centuries it was transformed into an elegant aristocratic villa, but there still remains traces of the original square tower and of the walls next to the villa. Il Castello has been recently renovated to provide all the charm and uniqueness of a historic home, without changing the atmosphere of an aristocratic villa. It has also been equipped with all the latest modern conveniences to satisfy even the most demanding clients: air-conditioning, hydro massage baths, satellite TV, telephone with Internet connection, laundry with washing-machine, dishwasher, freezer, microwave oven, DVD and VHS players. In the garden there is a swimming-pool (10 x 5m), situated on the ramparts of the castle, and with an area shaded by a loggia, the lemon-house converted into a living-room with terrace, and the 13th century chapel. The domestics (who live in an apartment on the first floor with independent access) clean the bedrooms and the bathrooms daily and prepare the continental breakfast 7 days a week between 9.00 and 12.00 in the morning. On request are available: cook, babysitter and further domestic help. Il Castello is recommended for family groups with not more than 4 children less than 12 years old.

6 BEDROOMS / 7 BATHROOMS (640m2/6912 sq ft)

Features & Amenities -

• Wi-Fi, Water consumption
• swimming pool (10 meters X 5 meters)
• Luxury Pool Furniture
• air conditioning in all bedrooms
• Kitchen Amenities: Coffee machine, blender, toaster, microwave, tea pot, dishwasher
• pool-area (covered) with fridge and shower
• outdoor barbecue
• outdoor dining under a shady pergola (in front of the villa)
• patio with seating for 12 people (breakfast, adjacent to the tower)
• consecrated chapel
• Welcome Basket (Spaghetti Pasta, bread, olive oil, salt, sugar, 1 bottle of local red wine, butter, biscuits, milk, pesto and tomatosauce, cheese)
• Daily cleaning 4 hours every day from Monday to Saturday (Sunday cleaning reduced hours)
• Change of bed linen (Wednesday)
• Continental Breakfast
• Change of pool and bathroom towels twice a week (Monday, Wednesday)
• Final Cleaning

COMPOSITION OF THE ESTATE: 1 Main villa (5 bedrooms); 1 Annex, same quality (1 bedroom) and 12 adults and 2 kids is the maximum number of guests the property can accommodate

Location Details -Between Florence & San Gimignano -

Blessed with beauty, wine and an unparalleled artistic legacy, this area of Tuscany that covers partially the province of Florence and faces the glorious San Gimignano, close to Siena, is an area that lives largely up to its fame and deserves it: its fabled rolling landscape has long been considered the embodiment of rural chic, a favourite of foodies and wine lovers, while its cities harbour a significant slice of the world’s Renaissance art. Blessed with beauty, wine and an unparalleled artistic legacy, it is famous for its hills outlined by endless rows of cypress trees, majestic castles, thermal spa towns, tiny medieval villages surrounded by olive groves: this is an idyllic valley with gorgeous emerald green and a medieval past originating from the Via Francigena, a pilgrimage road that connected Rome to northern Italy and beyond. From Chianti Classico to Mugello, from Montalbano to Pistoia, passing through Fiesole and Impruneta, Florence surrounding areas offer a variety of landscapes that are as appealing as the Tuscan city itself. This ring around Florence is within arm’s reach of some of the most important art and architectural sites in the world: guests will be able to head into Florence to visit Brunelleschi’s Duomo, the Santa Maria del Fiore, and experience the beauty, culture, and history of one of Italy’s most unique churches, as well as some of the Renaissance masters in Florence at the Uffizi and the Galleria dell’Accademia.