Casa Santolina is an apartment of 55 square meters (about 590 square feet),
for three people, which is part of an ancient farming estate, built in stone, and
situated in the hills between Florence and Siena. You will have at your
disposition a spacious swimming pool, shared with the guests of two other
apartments.
There is one double-bedded room with a bathroom with shower, and a living room
with fireplace, kitchenette, and one single divan bed.
You will be in the hills at an altitude of 500 meters (about 1640 feet),30 km (about
18 miles) from Florence and 50 km (about 31 miles) from Siena, in the heart of
the region in which the world-famous Chianti Classico wines are produced.
You will be in the open countryside, and your neighbors will be wild boars and
deer, but you will also be at the center of a region rich with history and art.
You will have many ancient villages and castles to visit, and will be able to
take your pick of numerous small trattorias where you can taste the marvelous
cuisine of Tuscany, accompanied by the region’s excellent wines.
You will have at your disposition a lovely swimming pool of 5X10 meters (about
16X32 feet), surrounded by lawn and furnished with umbrellas and sun-lounging
chairs. While relaxing around the pool, you may meet with the guests of the
other two small apartments.
Around your house, you will see gently-rolling hills, covered with grapevines
and olive trees.
Here, your children will be able to run around all day enjoying the nature that
surrounds them, while you relax in a peaceful atmosphere, taking deep breaths of
the clean, floral-perfumed air.
Casa Santolina is part of an historic agricultural estate of about 20 hectares (about
49 acres), the principal product of which is extra-virgin olive oil. On the
estate, you will be able to buy this oil, as well as wine and other agricultural
products.
You will arrive at the farm, after you leave the paved roadway, by passing along
an unpaved stretch of private road.
The “Casa Santolina” apartment is located near the central zone of the farm
estate, on the ground level, with direct access to the garden. In front of the
living room you will find a small patio furnished with table, chairs and
deck-chairs, perfect for outdoor meals.
Nearby, you will also find a long terrace, paved with terracotta, furnished with
table, chairs and umbrellas, and offering a view of the pool and of the hills.
Entering into the house, you will discover the enchanting atmosphere of Tuscany’s
historic country houses: the floors are tiled in terracotta, the ceilings are
supported by wooden beams, the wooden furniture is built in a simple and
graceful Tuscan style, and the kitchen is of stonework. Everything is well cared
for and maintained.
In the living room you will find one single divan bed. You will also find the
telephone and the satellite TV in that room. The kitchenette is equipped with a
four-burner cooker and a refrigerator.
Next to the living room, you will find a spacious bedroom with an antique double
bed, and a bathroom with shower. The bedroom has a window with a beautiful view
of the hills.
Casa Santolina is equipped with central heating and it has a reserved parking
space. The swimming pool is open from June 1st to September 30th.
To stay at Casa Santolina it is necessary to have a car. The closest supermarket
is 8 km (about 5 miles) away, in Greve in Chianti.
800 meters (about half a mile) away, you will find an excellent restaurant with
open-air tables.
At Casa Santolina, you can enjoy the peace of the countryside and relax in the
pool; you will also be in an ideal central position to visit all the main
tourist sites of Tuscany, in particular Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and
Volterra.
The closest town is Greve in Chianti, at 8 km (about 5 miles) away. Greve in
Chianti is the medieval birthplace of Giovanni da Verrazzano, the Italian
navigator who discovered the bay of New York in 1524, and to whom is dedicated
the famous bridge that connects Staten Island with Brooklyn.
Another nearby medieval village is Strada in Chianti, at 10 km (slightly more
than 6 miles) away.
Staying at Casa Santolina, you must not miss the opportunity to travel the “Via
Chiantigiana,” the “wine road” between Florence and Siena that passes through
the fertile hills of the Chianti production zone.
On every hill you will see a tower or a castle; many of these stone sentinel
points were constructed nearly a thousand years ago, when Florence and Siena
battled for dominion over this richly-productive land.
Amazingly, the Chianti zone actually contains 80 castles, each with its own
unique story to tell.
Many of these castles are open to visitors, and some have been transformed into
agricultural and tourist estates.
In each village, you will find small family-owned restaurants in which you can
eat truly wonderful food.
The closest airports are Florence and Pisa.
Accommodations: Independent house or villa in small complex