Luxury Vacation Rentals

4 Bedrooms, 3 Baths,  Pool, Gym   (sleep 9)
Villa “Il Canto” (160sqm) is located in the small medieval village of Casale, situated in the heart of the Tuscan Apennines, immersed in the enchanting Tuscan countryside and surrounded by panoramic views of the Casentinesi and Mugello Forests National Park.  The ideal place to spend your holidays in full relaxation and enjoy long walks along the trekking trails amongst chestnut and beech trees.

The elegant villa has recently been tastefully refurbished. The property is composed of the villa, which accommodates 6 people, a delightful dependence, which can accommodate an additional 3 people, laundry room, an outdoor pool and a fitness room which is accessible from the garden. The property is characterized by a small private consecrated chapel, a spacious furnished veranda, ideal for outdoor lunches, a wood stove, a BBQ and a fountain from which you can drink the fresh spring water of Ortale. The pool, gym and surrounding garden are for exclusive use of the guests. The pool can be used from April 20, 2010 to October 5, 2010. The villa is fitted with autonomous heating. A baby cot is available upon request.

Just a few kilometres away you can visit the birth town of Giotto and Cimabue, the Etruscan archaeological excavations and Dicomano is only 10 minutes away where you can find shops, supermarkets and banks. From Dicomano’s small train station you can comfortably take a train directly to Florence’s city center in just 30 minutes, saving yourself all the cities’ hassle of traffic and parking.  Lake Bilancino is only 20km away and the endless long beaches of the Adriatic coast are 140km away.

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9 Bedrooms, 9 Baths, Pool  (Sleeps up to 22)
Montercarelli Villa lies in the Mugello hills in the village of Montecarelli, 35 Kilometers north of Florence and only an hour and a half to Rome by train. The villa is part of an attractive hamlet in a very panoramic position, with a view of the beautiful Tuscan Countryside, sloping down to the nearby lake at Bilancino.

The façade of the villa is of the Sixteen Century, although there are signs of several different historical epochs, such as the consecrated chapel in the Italianate Garden, making it perfect for weddings. You will enter the villa grounds and the garden through a wrought-iron gate, to the left you will immediately see the pool and sunning terrace. In the middle and opposite the temple, there are flowerbeds and a centre fountain, surrounded by box hedges and young fruit trees. The villa, which has been completely renovated, is equipped with all the modern comforts of home, without compromising it’s original features and character.

The Villa consists of 3 floors, with fully equipped dining room, kitchen, and wood beamed ceilings. On both the ground and the first floors are 8 large bedrooms, and 3 lounge areas. Each bedroom has it’s own individual style and character and all rooms have a private bathroom.

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7 Bedrooms and 6 Bathrooms (Sleeps 14)
This beautifully restored farmhouse is a part of the magnificent La Foce estate in southern Tuscany. It is pleasantly shaded by lush oak, almond and plum trees and has its own large private swimming pool. The ground floor, which was originally the stable, has seven large windows that flood the spacious living room with light. On three sides of the room are comfy benches with cushions and the rest of the space remains open with comfortable sofas for relaxing around the big fireplace. There is one bedroom with bathroom en suite on this floor.

The first floor connects with the ground floor by an outside staircase, typical of Tuscan farmhouses. An upstairs living room looks out over the tree tops and light pours in from the skylight. The adjoining kitchen/dining room has a waist high travertine covered fireplace, which makes grilling a breeze. Two bedrooms with bathroom en suites are followed by two more bedrooms, which share a bathroom. A smaller building next to the main house, called a dépendance, has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, another large living room, an open kitchen and large exposed beams running the length of the house.

The magnificent garden of honeysuckle, lavender, sage, rosemary and hydrangea was designed by the famous English garden designer Peter Curzon. In its midst is a wisteria covered pergola with a large table for outside dining. Summer in this part of southern Tuscany is filled with music festivals and Pienza, Montepulciano and Montalcino are close by.

Ground Floor

• Large open living room
• Double bedroom with bathroom en suite and shower (wheelchair accessible)

First Floor

• Large open living room with skylight and fireplace
• Kitchen/dining room with fireplace
• Double bedroom with bathroom en suite with shower
• Double bedroom with bathroom en suite with shower
• Twin bedroom
• Double bedroom
• Bathroom with tub shared by the above two bedrooms

Dépendance

• Large open living room with fireplace and open kitchen
• Double bedroom with bathroom en suite with shower
• Twin bedroom with small bathroom en suite with shower

Amenities
Large private swimming pool, washing machine, dishwasher, telephone, TV, CD, stereo and central heating

Staff
Maid three hours per day

Services Available at an Additional Cost
Extra maid service and a cook

Distances
Contignano (food shops) 7kms., Chianciano Terme 10 kms., Pienza 15 minutes, Montepulciano 20 minutes, Siena 35 minutes, Florence 1 ½ hours and Rome 1 ½

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7 Bedrooms and 6 Bathrooms (Sleeps 14)
The Villa di Collina is an historic Tuscan country house near the village of Vicchio, 35 km north of Florence. This location, the Mugello, is known as the “Switzerland of Tuscany”, because of the hilly, wooded quality of the countryside. Collina’s origin goes back many centuries to at least the Renaissance and quite possibly the Middle Ages. The owner’s ancestors inherited the property in the mid 18th century and have continued to live in the villa ever since. A 10,000 sq. meter enclosed parkland with a fascinating ancient grotto, La Grotta dei Delfini,. and century old trees surround La Collina, which is available year round. It has a splendid view over the countryside as well as an extensive terrace with a pergola and a 5m x 12m swimming pool.

Like most other country houses in Tuscany, Villa di Collina was the center of an agricultural system as well as a summer residence. The house is still surrounded by the tenant farmers’ dwellings, now converted into vacation houses, which are located outside the villa’s walls. Still preserved, but no longer used, are the stables, workshops, wine cellar, and bakery – all of which evoke its past. This lovely ancient house has very large rooms with much of its original furniture. All the floors are cotto bricks or tiles, except living and dining rooms, which have palladiana mosaic. Years of restoration have brought La Collina back to its former glory and it is now one of the most beautiful houses in the region.
Ground Floor

• Spacious entrance hall with a fireplace and French doors leading to the bedrooms and the main staircase
• Wide living room with a fireplace and access to the terrace
• Formal dining room with a fireplace
• Large eat-in kitchen
• Large bedroom with a double bed
• Large bedroom with twin beds
• Large bedroom with twin beds
• Bathroom with a shower
• Bathroom with a tub and shower

First Floor (reached by a stone staircase)

• Spacious drawing room with fireplace and balcony
• Bedroom with a double bed and bathroom en suite with a tub and marble walls
• Bedroom with double bed and bathroom en suite with a shower and marble walls
• Bedroom with twin beds and bathroom en suite with a shower and marble walls
• Bedroom with twin beds and bathroom en suite with a shower and marble walls

Amenities: Central heating, telephone, fax, satellite and regular TV, baby bed, dishwasher and washing machine.

Staff: Cleaning and change of linen once weekly and final cleaning

Additional Costs: Telephone and heating

Services Available at an Additional Cost: Extra domestic help and cooking (2/3 times a week), mountain bike rental and adding one or two more beds. Dogs are allowed for a small fee, which is added to the final cleaning. Cooking classes, vineyard tours and wine tastings can be arranged.

Notes: The owner, who lives away most of the time, uses another completely independent wing of the house with its own entrance. The pool is open until September 29th and from May 3rd to September 27th 2003 and and is for the exclusive use of the guests. A riding school, golf courses and tennis courts are in the vicinity. The fireplaces are purely decorative and may not be lit and barbecues are not permitted.

Distances: Florence (35 km), Arezzo and S. Gimignano (70 km) Siena (80 km), Pisa and Lucca (90 km), are all within easy reach. Rome is 3 hours away by car.

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6 Bedrooms and 4 Bathrooms (Sleeps 12)
Borgo di Calcina di Baldignano is a small estate enjoying panoramic views in rural Tuscany. This lovely property is comprised of two separate and private residences, Calcina and Torre della Luna, which stand 150 yards apart on 20 very pretty acres consisting of a small private church, fruit orchard, woodland, sunflower fields and farmland. Calcina and Torre della Luna are rented separately though are ideal for a large family or group of friends when rented together.

The estate occupies an elevated position in the lower foothills of the lovely Alpe della Luna region near the medieval town of Sansepolcro, birthplace of artist Piero della Francesca and home of his famous work “The Resurrection”. This small but sophisticated walled town also has four restaurants listed in the Michelin guide as well as year-round events and festivals including the traditional crossbow contest the “Palio della Balestra” with rival town Gubbio. Nearby are delightful small hilltop towns including Caprese Michelangelo (allegedly the birthplace of the artist), Monterchi and Monte Santa Maria Tiberina. This is a wonderful base from which to explore many of Tuscany and Umbria’s historical sites or to simply bask by the pool in the Italian sunshine.

Calcina is a handsome stone farmhouse, a casa padrionale, which has been extensively restored and it has a wonderful view from its hillside position. Blue shutters and blue painted arched doors on the ground floor add to the property’s appeal. To the front and facing down the valley is a large and sunny terrace stretching the full length of the house. Under a vine and clematis covered pergola sits a table with seating for 8 to 10 – an ideal spot for alfresco dining. To the rear of the house is an unrestored barn (for storage) and a small desconsecrated charming church with naïve painted walls. Behind the barn lies a 10m x 5m pool with roman steps and panoramic views of the Umbrian Mountains beyond and the rolling Tuscan countryside below.

Ground Floor

• Large kitchen with a chestnut beamed ceiling and fully equipped with a dishwasher, modern electric oven, gas range, fridge/freezer, washing machine and a central “island” workstation with a sink. Double doors open to the pergola and wide sunny terrace for dining.
• Large and airy dining room with a table seating 12 people. An archway leads to the kitchen and a door opens to the terrace. Stairs from a large lobby off the kitchen/dining area lead to the first floor.
• Bedroom with twin beds, bathroom en suite with a shower (also accessible to kitchen) and a door to the terrace.

First Floor

• Large and comfortable sitting room with a working stone fireplace dating from 1851 and a beamed ceiling. The main entrance to the house, which has a porch, opens into this room.
• Large bedroom with a king-size wooden sleigh bed, windows offering different views across the valley and bathroom en suite with a tub
• Bedroom with a queen-size bed, views across the valley and bathroom en suite with a shower
• Large bedroom with a king-size bed, extra sofa bed and windows offering different views across the valley
• Double bedroom with antique wooden twin beds
• Double bedroom with twin beds overlooking the small private church
• Spacious bathroom with a tub shared by the above three bedrooms

Amenities: Satellite TV and VCR

Staff: Maid service weekly on Saturday and an extra mid-week partial cleaning, pool cleaning twice weekly

Services Available at an Additional Cost: Cook, English-speaking baby sitter, maid for extra cleaning and grocery shopping. Pay-as-one-goes mobile phone.

Notes: Linen and towels are changed weekly and electricity, gas and hot water are included. Cots and high chairs may be available. Pets may be accommodated, please inquire at time of booking.

Distances: Sansepolcro is 4 km. (supermarkets, shops, banks, cafes, post office and a lively market twice weekly), Anghiari is 15-20 minutes, Citta di Castello is about 30 minutes and Arezzo (the location for the town shots in the Oscar-winning film La Vita e Bella) is about 45 minutes. Lake Trasimeno (boat trips, wind surfing, child-friendly beach), Perugia, Assisi, Cortona and Gubbio are all about 1 hour and Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and Bologna are about 2 hours.
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6 Bedrooms and 4 Bathrooms (Sleeps 10)
This beautiful stone Tuscan house is built in the traditional local style around a central courtyard. Originally lived in by the owners of the magnificent La Foce estate it offers gracious living and supreme comfort. The ground floor is made up of a spacious kitchen and three bedrooms, which open on to a gorgeous courtyard of rambling roses, lavender and rosemary bushes. The welcoming interior is filled with precious antiques, books, local terra cotta flooring and exposed beams. Outside are two dining areas, one in the wisteria-covered pergola and the other on the terrace, which is ideal for drinks at sunset. Then you can walk down the shady path to the nearby private pool surrounded by Mediterranean gardens.

Ground Floor

• Open kitchen and dining room with fireplace and doors leading to loggia and garden
• Double bedroom with doors leading to the garden
• Twin bedroom with doors leading to the garden
• Single bedroom with doors leading to the garden
• Bathroom with tub
• Bathroom with shower
• Laundry room

First Floor

• Large living room with fireplace
• Master bedroom with bathroom en suite
• Double bedroom
• Single bedroom (with passage to other room)
• Bathroom

Amenities
Private swimming pool, telephone, washing machine, dishwasher, TV, stereo, central heating and alarm system

Staff
Maid two hours per day

Services Available at an Additional Cost
Extra maid service and a cook

Distances
Contignano (food shope) 7 kms, Chianciano Terme 10 kms, Pienza 15 minutes, Montepulciano 20 minutes, Siena 35 minutes, Florence 1 1/2 hours, Rome 1 1/2 minutes

Pamela H. Murdock – More Info