Wonderful Tuscany Get Away

Guest: Cathy (Aurora,, Ont. Canada)
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 08/10/11

This was our first trip to Europe as a family. My husband I are seasoned travelers and are quite picky about where we stay. With 2 teenagers we were looking for an experience that allowed the kids to learn about history but also indulged their need to have good old fashion summer fun. Staying at this Villa proved to meet all our needs and more. Before heading out each day the kids went swimming or explored the property. After an exhasting day of sightseeing it was back to the magnificent pool. The pool was very large even by North American standards and the property was spectacular. Due to the location of the Villa it was a perfect central location for exploring Florence by foot or driving to any number of attactions in Tuscany. We rented a car but it was not neccessary. The train station is very accessbile and usually faster than driving by car. In Florence there is little need for a car as everything is so close either to walk to or short cab ride. The property was very clean and well-maintained. We had breakfast everyday out on the patio and sometimes ate lunch and dinner at the Villa as well. The photos accurately relfect the appearance and amenities of the property. What they don't reflect is the spectacular view down the valley. Olivia was our main contact. She was extremely helpful and even helped us book our train to Rome. They also provided us with a booklet with helpful information regarding restaurants, local attractions and relavent phone numbers. We used it everyday. If we were to return to Florence we would definately stay here again

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children.

Living the life

Guest: Laurie (USA)
Date of Stay: 07/03/11 Review Submitted: 07/10/11

After searching through many properties on line - and with a long list of "must haves" such as wireless, swimming pool, easy access to town, etc - four of us settled on this wonderful villa to spend two weeks "living" in Tuscany. It was very easy to make the arrangements by email with Antonello and Alexandra and turned out to be the perfect combination of country and city that we were looking for. We found it just as we expected from the photos and the description. We woke in the mornings to the songbirds warbling and looked out on the beautiful hillsides dotted with cypress. We enjoyed the spaciousness and comfort of the villa with it's many windows and doors to the outside, swam every day in the gorgeous pool and walked the path to the bottom of the hill, often seeing pheasant, hares, even a deer and a Hoopoe (you'll want to look it up). Not too far down the busy road we found a quiet path to walk the rest of the way into Galuzzo for groceries or to catch the bus into the heart of Florence in only 15-20 minutes. (We even walked to the center of Florence one day!) Just down the hill to the left was a very old and charming Catholic church where we went to Mass on Sundays and visited with the very friendly parishioners. And very nearby is an amazing Tuscan restaurant called Omero's nestled in the hills (go at sunset). If we had any questions or needs, we just had to ask Olivia. And it seemed as though Tamara was always around keeping things clean for us (and helping us practice our Italian). They even arranged for near-perfect weather the entire time we were there :) Overall a really lovely experience.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, families with young children.

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/07/09 Review Submitted: 09/07/09

Look no further - this is THE place to stay if you want to be close to Florence and yet still have the rural feel of Tuscany. This property is an oasis of olive groves, fruit trees and wonderful herbal scents. The villa, which we stayed in for 4 weeks, is beautifully maintained and the owners are extremely kind and helpful. Nothing like picking your own tomatoes and plums for lunch, lounging by the pool and then driving 5 minutes into Florence or day-tripping to the Chianti towns. La dolce vita!

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Guest: Jessica Morrison, MD (Montreal, Canada)
Date of Stay: 09/07/09 Review Submitted: 09/07/09

I spent the month of august in this beautiful villa with my husband and two small children. We reserved over the Internet without seeing the villa beforehand and were a little nervous about how things would turn out. We were thrilled when we arrived as our expectations were more than exceeded. If anything, the pictures posted on vrbo do not do this place justice. The views from the pool and master bedroom were nothing less than spectacular. We spent every morning playing in the big,private pool with our kids and then walked through the fruit orchard on the property. My 2- year old loved picking ripe tomatoes, sweet cherry plums and figs for our lunch. We felt as though we were living in the Tuscan countryside, yet in the afternoons, our trip into the heart of Florence took only 5 minutes by car. We actually could have walked were it not for the fact we had two strollers to push. Antonello and his family were more than gracious hosts. He was available to answer all of our questions, make recommendations regarding restaurants and shops and generally do all he could to make our stay as easy as possible. He also put up childproof gates in the stairwells, bought a pool alarm and provided us with a swing set and toys for our boys. We are seasoned travellers and have stayed all over the world in high-end places, and we would recommend this villa without hesitation. Thank-you again, Antonello!

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Guest: Andy Korobka (Yorkshire/UK)
Date of Stay: 07/11/09 Review Submitted: 07/11/09

What can I say,amazing views,fantastic amenities and after a day walking around Firenze the pool is so relaxing.The Villa is in an excellent position 10 mins walk from some local shops whose fresh produce is second to none. Alexandra and Antonello are very helpful and considerate.If you are lucky enough to stay in the main bedroom the view in the morning is awe inspiring, thanks for a brilliant holiday.

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Guest: Jewel Miller (Union, N.J. USA)
Date of Stay: 10/16/08 Review Submitted: 10/16/08

Peaceful and serene are the words that come to my mind when I think about our stay here which was not nearly long enough. Entrance is through an electric gate then a long driveway surrounded by trees and vegetation. The villa was built in the 1500's and it is so beautiful it far exceeded our most discriminating imagination, well kept, clean and quiet. The scenery overlooks a beautiful countryside and other magnificent villas. Our portion of the building was extremely secluded we never saw or heard a sound from our neighbors. May be it was because the walls were 36" of cement which also created a natural insulation maintaining a constant temperature. Then there was the private pool, it was just wonderful coming back to the villa and cooling off after a day of touring. Antonello with his family owns and operates the villa. He was absolutely terrific tended to our minor needs. Antonello is thin as a rail but knows the finest restaurants in Italy just ask. It was difficult to say good-bye to our home away from home but off to Rome and then back to the U.S.A. we went. Thanks Antonello Merrill & Jewel Miller

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Guest: Linda & Mark Csernica (Little Silver, NJ)
Date of Stay: 09/25/08 Review Submitted: 09/25/08

This is a wonderful place to stay, while in Florence. A mile from downtown, the villa is located in a lovely hilltop setting, overlooking a valley. It provided a rural setting so close to an urban area. Staying here was the key component in making our trip to Florence so special. We can truly say we experience Tuscany.

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