Sleeps 8
2 double bedrooms, 2 double/twin bedrooms, 1 single bedroom and 2 bathrooms with separate showers, 2 shower rooms.
Location: Chianti Villas Tuscany
This property rents from Friday to Friday.
A classic restored Villa in Chianti, Castellaccio sleeps 8 and is nestled in one of nature's amphitheatres in the Chianti area, surrounded by gently rising hills of green and the occasional distant villa. Inspired perhaps by the lay of the land and certainly assisted by gifted gardeners, its owners have created a property that stretches languidly over many levels and invites free flowing movement from one to another. With accommodation in the main house and a spacious barn, this is an excellent place for a group of friends or a multi-generational family to find space for joyous gathering or tranquil retreat.
From the entrance to the fenced property, wide banks of rosemary and lavender and tall flowering shrubs draw you along the path to an umbrella-shaded panoramic terrace whose tables are a natural venue for al fresco meals. Wide staircases flanking the terrace lead up to a larger flagstone terrace between the barn and the house, the stone facade of which is softened and shaded by the wooden pergola draped with roses and white wisteria and furnished with wicker sofas.
As is natural in this part of the world, entry into a house through its kitchen, and Castellaccio's has long marble counters, built-in appliances, a handy breakfast table and a wood stove. Doors from the kitchen lead to an attractive dining room with a plank table for 10, off of which is a small office with a single bed and access to the inner courtyard. Also off the dining room, a corridor, brightened by the arched glass doors from the court, provides access to the upper floor bedrooms, a colorful tiled shower room and the large living room. With an ancient pietra serena fireplace, deep sofas covered in warm russet fabrics and painted wooden furniture, this is a room to retire to at the end of the day and relive the day's adventures. The furnished inner courtyard, partially open to the sun but closed off by a huge wooden door, is another great place for dinner as it is steps away from the pizza oven. Also off the courtyard is the laundry and an external staircase to a loggia with bistro table and chairs which in turn accesses the upper floor bedrooms. There is a beautiful double bedroom with fireplace, which shares a large bathroom with the smaller adjoining twin/double bedroom, as well as another bathroom and a third bedroom under strong chestnut eaves, which can be a double or twin as desired. Both bathrooms have clawed tubs and roomy showers, and all bedrooms are nicely furnished with country antiques and attractive spreads.
Across the terrace from the house are arched doors to the stone barn whose wide entryway features an Arabian-style double bed behind drapes to one side and a large shower room behind an antique turquoise door to the other. A few steps lead down to an enormous sitting room with a tall stone fireplace and generous sofas that invite lounging. There is a handy kitchenette in the corner and wide French doors out to a patio whose travertine table, nearby barbecue and hammock strung in the shade of tall trees all suggest an ideal place for a summer meal. Steps away is a gate to one of the hidden joys of the property, a long arboured walkway whose sides and hanging vines spill over with seasonal colour and perfume, and at the end of which is another surprise, a regulation tennis court. Steps from the limonaia lead down to the long pool with a furnished pergola at one end and a living area under the trees at the other.
In walking distance, albeit uphill, from the house there is a bar/enoteca at the crossroads of Sicelle, but when energy and an adventuring spirit draw visitors further afield, know that there is a short-cut drive to the famous Chiantigiana, the scenic road leading through the most well-known Chianti villages. Wine tasting, lively village markets and summer concerts and exhibitions are easily within reach. And tucked away in the hills as it may seem, Castellaccio is actually not far from the highway that puts you equidistant to medieval Siena or Rennaisance Florence. Step out to savour culture-rich history and still make it home for a poolside sunset and a glass of red - that is a Tuscan holiday.
The last part of the approach road is best taken in low gear, slow and steady, both heading down and back up.
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A really enjoyable stay
La Piazza Restaurant was better than ever Also the Trattoria at the top of the lane takes some beating.
We had a lovely vacation at the villa. It was everything and more than we could have hoped for. Our only regret was that we were not able to stay longer to explore all of the property and to enjoy every sitting area multiple times.
As interior designers, we really appreciated the collected feeling of the home; a place where years of love and travel have layered the rooms. The photos did not do the villa justice! The bedrooms in the main house are comfortable and cozy. Our kids loved having their special twin bedrooms in which they could plot their pirates or gladiators fantasies underneath the ethereal netting. Many hours of imagination play or scavenger hunts were enjoyed. And when we were too hot, being able to jump into the magical pool made the day complete. The outside building was a bonus place to hangout, play charades or just lazily read.
Castellaccio is a magical place where we promptly boasted about to all our friends, though have fiercely guarded its location for fear that this 'secret' will be found out. Sicelle is the perfect size as home base and the surrounding towns were great to explore whenever we felt like venturing out. Not surprisingly, the local restaurants were incredible and delicious. The market at Panzano was a great surprise and the roasted chicken truck was an eating experience we still reminisce about.
There are not enough words to describe what a great stay we had at your villa. We hope to return again someday. If there was one critique it would be that it is too special for the masses looking for a packaged vacation in the Chianti region. This is not a villa for the bus-tour set but I suspect you are not disappointed to read this. The 'imperfections' and Italian ruggedness of this villa is not for everyone. However for the many who appreciate these characteristics will love it as we did.
dreaming of a return visit,
We stayed at Castellaccio in September. The villa was beautiful, lived up to our expectations completely. It was great to be allowed to treat it as a home for the week. The tennis court and swimming pool were both put to good use. My son and I did a reasonable amount of cooking too - with a little one its much more relaxing to eat at home after she's in bed. The beds were all comfortable - I think we used all of them in the end. The restaurant at the end of the road, at the crossroads - looked really good but the night we wanted to eat there we weren't organised enough to book. I liked shopping in the little shops in Greve for the groceries as well as getting basics from the excellent new coop in San Donato. The villa was convenient for both Siena and Florence. One thing that's not made clear on the website is how lovely and private the whole place is. I would have no hesitation in recommending it fully.
Even if the weather was not friendly this summer Castellaccio was a nice place to stay and it perfectly matched our requirements: secluded, calm, charming in a terrific environment and a die-for pool. As a plant lover I could appreciate its Mediterranean garden with a wide variety of well-managed plants. The house, even if rustic, offers a good taste of authenticity. The staff was correct. Overall our stay at Castellaccio can be rated as very good.
Just a little thing, you should probably warn people renting Castellaccio that, due to the hard steeply track, a four wheel drive vehicle is a better option which should become mandatory in case of heavy rain or in winter.
As repeaters with your agency, I should add we've never been facing a problem with the houses you offer to rent and will surely be back in a future summer.
I am writing to thank both of you for all of your help as we made our plans to stay at Castellaccio during the week of June 20-27, 2014. We spent a wonderful week at the Villa. By far, our favorite part was just relaxing by the beautiful pool. We could not take enough photos. The gardens were just amazing. We all felt very privileged to be there.
The meals that Anna Provvedi prepared for us were both excellent. She is a warm and charming woman. We couldn't believe what she brought with her for the Celebration Meal. All of her own linens, silverware, china, glassware! She brought a beautiful flower arrangement. And, we almost felt guilty as she prepared and served us the meal, then cleaned up! What a treat!
As you know, the only small snafu was the communication about meeting the caretaker upon our arrival and the chain on the driveway. Although, that did provide an interesting/fun/nervous exchange with the animated neighbor! :) We all managed, and I appreciate your prompt response to the situation, JoAnn. Other than that, the week couldn't have been better.
JoAnn, the tours you arranged for us were excellent. Our driver was great! He was a very competent and kind. He told us interesting facts as we drove through the area, and took us through a lovely little village on our way back home, Montefioralle. Our wine tasting lunch at Coltibuono was excellent. Everyone in the group loved it. In fact, two of our group returned there the following week for another meal. Our servers there were fantastic and we connected with the lead server, in particular.
And, the wine tasting and tour at Castello a Verrazzano was wonderful. We had the pleasure of having Matteo as our guide. He was charming, funny, engaging, and left us with many Italian/English expressions that we continued to use during the rest of our time in Italy.
I could go on and on, but I must get back to work. :(
Thank you again. I am attaching a couple of photos that we took at Castellaccio. Please convey our appreciation to the owners, and let them know that the grounds are beautiful and we recognize the hard work that has gone into making it such a beautiful and magical place.
