Balconata 4
Elegant Tuscan villa for 4 with shared pool : Figline Valdarno, south of Florence
Nice little touches
- The swimming pool is truly enormous, swimming in here is a delight.
Good to know
- Heating and A/C to be paid directly to the the owner
Close to Florence, on the slopes of the Apennine hills, a skilled architect has transformed a group of ancient farm buildings into beautiful and elegant dwellings. Balconata is set close to the central piazza, with an independent garden and easy access to the enormous and glorious 20 x 10 metre square swimming pool.
The interiors are spacious and airy, both bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms and the whole house is air-conditioned. Great attention has been paid to every detail, making a stay here a delight. The estate, that still functions as a Tuscan olive oil producer, also has its own private restaurant and private concierge, making you feel very well looked after indeed.
The walk into the village is just over 1.5km and takes between 20 and 30 minutes. The quieter path is mostly traffic free and goes via a narrow valley, crossing a historic bridge called "Hannibal's Bridge" - the famous Carthaginian general and his army came through this area two thousand years ago, though I doubt he took his elephants over this small bridge.
Accommodation
One of the first houses encountered upon entering the Borgo, Balconata is also one of the most popular, perhaps because of its private garden, buffered from life in the central piazza by greenery and an attractive stone wall that rises to the level of the balcony. Entrance to the house is via a door near the hamlet well that opens to a small entryway with sliding doors to two double bedrooms, each with garden access and an ensuite bathroom. Both bedrooms are beautifully finished off with stylish fabrics and country antiques, while bathrooms feature twin sinks and travertine stonework.
A stairway from the entry hall leads up to the kitchen, whose clean lines and modern appliances blend well with the beams and original flooring which frame it. An open doorway leads on to the spacious sitting/dining room that spans the width of the house. At one end there is a round marble-topped dining table for four near French doors that open to a balcony overlooking the garden; at the other end, two sofas are bathed in light from two French doors leading to a generous wrap-around balcony overlooking the estate’s central piazza. The balcony extends and gently follows the path leading down to the garden.
Features
Villa Details
- Air Conditioning
- Swimming Pool
- All ensuite
- Wifi
- Free Parking
Bedrooms and Bathrooms
- 2 Double Bedrooms
- 2 Ensuite Bathrooms
- Hairdryer
Kitchen equipment
- Coffee Maker (American And Italian)
- Dishwasher
- Kettle
- Oven
- Microwave (On Request)
- Toaster
Amenities
- Portable Fans Available On Request
- Baby Bed And High Chair
- Television (Satellite)
- Plenty Of Shared Space In Main Estate
- The Billiard Hall Is Equipped With A Gaming Table For Cards, Chess Or Board Games
- Renaissance Open Fireplace In The Billiard Hall And Several Wood Stoves In The Library. Fireplace In The House Is Not To Be Used.
- Furnished Outdoor Areas In Private Garden
- Washing Machine
- Dryer
What's included
- Daily Cleaning (1 Hr/Day, Excluding Sunday), With Mid-Week Linen Change, Included
- Final Cleaning Included
- Pool Towels Provided
Extras
- Airport Transfers Available On Request
- English-Speaking Babysitter, Available On Request
- Extra Cleaning And Linen Change Available On Request
- Laundry Service Available On Request
- Home-Grown Produce Virgin Olive Oil, Vin Santo, Zolfini Beans
- On-Site Restaurant Available On Request
- Cooking Lessons, Available On Request
- Organizing Assistance Available For Events In Estate Theatre, Restaurant, Enoteca And Library
- Spa Massage Room On Site
- Air Conditioning €10 Per Room Per Day, Payable On Site
- Central Heating Is Charged On Consumption, €1.30 Per Cubic Metre Of Gas, Payable On Site
- Cautionary Deposit Of €500, Which Should Be Handed Over In Cash Or Via Credit Card To The Owner Or Her Representative At The Start Of Your Holiday
Outdoors
- Shared Swimming Pool 10 X 20 Metres
- Wine-Tasting On-Site Available In The Enoteca
Nearby Activities
- Tennis Courts At Castelfranco Di Sopra, 10 Km Or Montevarchi, 10 Km
- 18-Hole Golf Course At Circolo Del Golf Dell Ugolino In Grassina, 30 Km
- Horse Riding At Stables Near Reggello, 7 Km
- Bike Rental In Figline Valdarno, 10 Km. - Rental And Excursions Can Be Arranged On Prior Request
- Nearest Restaurants In Pian De Scò And Reggello, 5-12 Mins.
- Read more about the area around Balconata
Photos
There are wonderful walks into the Tuscan countryside starting directly from the house
The swimming pool is shared - but is enormous, 20 metres square - roughly 70 feet. Inside the pool is painted ochre, giving the water a darker, more natural colour.
The living room is on the top floor, with views out over the Borgo
Both bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, with full baths.
This is the facade of Villa Balconata - the living room is on the top floor
The view from the living room. The villa directly ahead is Portico, while the swimming pool is on the right. To the left is the main bulk of the Estate, with its library, private restaurant, billiards table and wine-tasting room.
The estates olive groves are wonderful to walk through
Balconata also has its own private garden, to the rear and side of the house.
The bedrooms are on the ground floor
The ensuite bathrooms are generous, and the bathtubs have showers over them.
Twin sinks in the ensuite bathroom
The kitchen is well-equipped, perfect for testing your Tuscan recipes.
The top floor living room retains the massive beam structure of traditional Tuscan farmhouses
The doors to the rear of the living room give easy access to the private garden
Reviews
Where is Balconata ?
Getting here
- Florence Airport: under 1hr
- Pisa Airport: 1hr 30 min
- Rome Airport: 2 hrs 45 mins
Around Balconata
Borgo Rinnovato is perfectly located to discover why Tuscany has been and remains a destination of choice. Being in the Valdarno, the wide valley through which the Arno River meanders, Florence, the famed city that straddles it immediately comes to mind. Leaving your car at the Figline or San Giovanni Valdarno free station lots, hourly direct trains will easily bring you to the heart of this Renaissance treasure chest where world-famous museums, frescoed churches, graceful bridges and historic piazzas are all accessible on foot, with sustaining gelato stops along the way of course.
The road south arrives at another major Tuscan city, Arezzo. Believed to have been one of the 12 most important Etruscan cities and always a center of commerce, still today Arezzo’s artisans and merchants enliven its medieval center, especially on the first Sunday of the month and the previous Saturday when its Antiquarian Fairs fill the streets with ‘treasures’. June and September visitors delight in Piazza Grande’s costumed Saracen Joust, while visitors the year round seek out the splendid frescoes of Piero della Francesca.
If bustling historic cities and a church too many begin to fatigue, there are other options. Designer outlets are half an hour away for those whose preferences lean to Italian styling and a good bargain. And in less than an hour winding cypress-lined roads through the Chianti region lead to small towns such as Gaiole, Greve or Radda in Chianti, known world-wide for what fills a wine glass and the delicious food that accompanies it.
Should small-scale exploration suit you best, head to nearby Loro Ciuffenna, a delightful medieval town built around a Romanesque bridge spanning the mountain torrent that powered the many water mills producing chestnut flour. Though the mills have ceased to flow, there are charming restaurants, an art museum dedicated to a native son Venturino Venturi and only 1 km out of town in Gropina the impressive Pieve di San Pietro, the oldest (774 A.D.), best preserved Romanesque parish church in Tuscany.
Yet even before hopping into the car to go exploring, the estate’s wooded panorama, reaching as high as the Pratomagno mountains, may well inspire guests to follow paths through their 800 hectares. Or perhaps join a guided hike and wine tasting tour through the nearby village of Castelfranco whose dramatic landscape and colourful eroded shapes, the ‘Balze’, featured in the background of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’. Certainly, with stables nearby and bikes easily arranged, life in the slow lane is a wonderful way to discover your surroundings, and with a beautiful house as your base and a restorative pool at hand, a Tuscan holiday will soon find its rightful rhythm.
Nearby Activities
- Private Restaurant on-site (must be booked)
- Bar, restaurants, supermarkets in pian di scò, 5 min. and san giovani valdarno 20 mins
- Shops and trains in san giovanni valdarno, 20 min, and figline valdarno, 17 min, with free parking and direct line to florence hourly
- Weekly markets in Figline valdarno 17 min and montevarchi 1/2 hr
- Prada outlet and the mall outlet stores in incisa, 1/2 hr.
- Loro ciuffena 16 km, chianti villages 50 min
- Florence 45 min, arezzo 50 min, rapolano spas, 1 hr & siena around 75 min
Sleeps : 4
From € 401 to 501 per day
From € 2807 to € 3509 per week
2
and 2
Calendar for Balconata
How to book
Is Balconata perfect for you?
For availability and pricing see the calendar above. If you have any questions or would like help choosing, we visit our properties regularly and can help you choose and book the best villa for your holidays.
We can hold dates for you for 48 hours while you make sure everything lines up, then you simply pay the deposit (30% of total) to secure your booking. The balance will then be due 10 weeks before you travel. You can also add "XCover" to your booking for a full refund if you can't travel.
For more details see our Booking Conditions and XCover. You can add XCover to your booking at any time until you have paid your balance, simply ask your agent.
Worth knowing
Many local administrations now charge a “Tourist Tax” for people staying in rented accommodation and these vary from town to town. The charges are generally per person per night with a maximum number of nights, usually around 5 but sometimes 7, beyond which they will not charge. The charges range between 50 cents to 3 euro. Children are sometimes included, sometimes not and these charges should be collected by the property owners.
Not sure?
It can often be faster to contact us to ask for advice - we visit all the houses so can give you first hand advice based on your wishlist. Once you find a villa you like we can hold dates for you for up to 48 hours while you check flights or make sure everybody is on board.
Any more questions?
Please ring us with any queries - there are a lot of answers in our FAQ page too. If you want to keep searching, have a look at our suggestions below!
Booking Notes
- This property is subject to a cautionary deposit of € 500, which should be handed over in cash or via credit card to the owner or her representative at the start of your holiday
- Air conditioning €10 per room per day, payable on site
- Central heating is charged on consumption, €1.30 per cubic metre of gas, payable on site
