Location: Cortona, Arezzo Province, Tuscany, Italy, Europe (2 - 1/2 Hours from Rome - 1 - 1/2 hours from Florence) View Map
Accommodations: Farmhouse, 5 Bedrooms + Other (See Description), 4.5 Baths (Sleeps 10-12)
Keywords: Farmhouse/Villa
Vacation in a Renaissance Painting. . .
Il Rifugio... where you will enjoy privacy, serenity and spectacular views. Unwind in this 17th century farmhouse on fifty-six acres of gardens, fields, woodlands and centuries-old terraced olive groves.
Il Rifugio is comprised of a seventeenth century stone farmhouse and 56 acres of private land. The house is situated on the edge of an ancient olive grove located above the village of Montanare in the community of Cortona in Tuscany, Italy. Cortona is just 10 minutes away by car.
Il Rifugio has two charming buildings: one is the main house, which has ten rooms plus 3-1/2 bathrooms, and the other is a small cottage, a few steps from the kitchen, with a laundry room and a bedroom with a bathroom.
Upstairs in the main house are four bedrooms: a master bedroom with a double bed, en suite bathroom and dressing room; a second bedroom with a double bed and en suite bathroom; two bedrooms that share a bathroom, each with single beds that can be made up as doubles; and a common sitting room with a fireplace.
Downstairs is a large kitchen with a fireplace, separate walk-in pantry, dishwasher, five-burner stove with two ovens, a refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven, American coffee machine, enough pots and pans for cooking gourmet meals, and an outdoor pizza oven.
Also downstairs is a half bath, sitting room, formal dining room and a living room with a large fireplace fitted with a cast-iron wood-burning stove.
The cottage has a laundry room with a washer, dryer and deep sink, and a bedroom with two single beds and an en suite bathroom.
Il Rifugio can accommodate up to twelve people comfortably, with ample space for privacy.
There is plenty of garden furniture and a pergola on the spacious stone terrace for eating or relaxing outdoors, with spectacular views of the surrounding olive grove and the rural valley below.
Utilities are included in the rental price except for telephone charges, which will be deducted from the security deposit at the end of your stay. Of course the house is completely cleaned and supplied with fresh towels, soap, bed linens and basic supplies before you arrive and every week. Additional maid service during the week can be arranged at a minimal cost depending on the number of guests. Additional services, such as private city tours, Tuscan garden tours, private in-house dinners, cooking school, wine or olive oil tasting, etc., can be pre arranged at the time of booking.
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Washer
- Dryer
- Linens Provided
- Covered Parking
- Off Street Parking
- Wood Fireplace (2) : There is a fireplace in the kitchen where you can cook and a fireplace in an upstairs sitting room.
- Wood Stove : There is a very efficient cast iron wood burning stove set on the hearth of the large living room fireplace.
- Beds
- King Bed (2)
- Twin/Single Bed (6) : These beds can also be put together and made up to be a Each pair of these beds can also be put together and made up to be a single queen size bed.
- Convertible Bed : We have two single size day beds; one in a private den and the other in a more public sitting room between the kitchen and the dinning room.
- Crib
- Entertainment
- Cable/Satellite TV
- DVD
- Video Library
- CD Player
- Stereo System
- Music Library
- Private Pool : The pool is located on a terrace above the house in a very private area with spectacular views of the valley below.
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen : The kitchen is large and well equipped with a professional stove, dishwasher, fireplace, island and a separate walk-in pantry.
- Cooking Utensils Provided
- Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
- Microwave
- Catering Available : Please see our web site for more details on our optional guest services.
- Outdoor Features
- Charcoal BBQ Grill
- Deck/Patio
- Gazebo
- View/Location
- Mountain View
- Communications
- Telephone
- Free Long Distance
- Cell Phone
- Other Amenities
- Swimming pool, 3 Fireplaces, one with a Wood-Burning stove, Firewood, Cell phone, Board games, Fully equipped kitchen, Microwave oven, Toaster oven, American coffee machine, Hair dryers in each bathroom, Cooking utensils, Laundry room with Washer, Dryer and deep sink, Outdoor Pizza Oven, Pergola and plenty of lawn furniture on a stone terrace, Wines will be available onsite at cost, No Smoking or pets please
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed
- Kid Friendly
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities
- Tennis
- Shopping
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Wildlife Viewing
- Fishing
- Antiquing
- Live Theatre
- Horseback Riding
- Hiking
- Restaurants
- Cinemas/Movie Theaters
- Museums
- Other Activities
- Great sunsets, and Sightseeing, Cooking classes, Wine or olive oil tasting, Private tours and Language classes can be scheduled, In house Dinners, supplemental Maid services and child care can also be arranged, Bicycle, Scooter and car rentals are close by, There is also Swimming, Sailing and Fishing at Lake Trasimeno, just 20 minutes away and Golfing about 35 minutes away, Centrally located near many small Etruscan hill-top towns, Just 1-1/2 hours by train to Florence, 2 hours to Rome
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
First Saturday in May through the last Saturday in October, $7000
All other times, $6000
Security deposit is $300.
The rental price includes electricity, gas for heat, hot water, cooking and
firewood is available.
Additional mid-week cleaning service can be arranged for a fee.
! Please see our web site for Discounts and Special Offers !
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Map & Owner's Profile
Year Purchased: 2001
Owner's Map of Cortona
In 1988 my wife Shirley and I decided to travel the length of Italy by train to Sicily where all of my grandparents were born. It was also a transition time for me as I was leaving the corporate IT world and starting a one person business as a software developer. The seed was planted on that train ride passing through the Tuscan countryside. The rural terrain spotted with old stone farmhouses in varying degrees of decay struck a deep cord within me. The dream faded away when I woke up upon returning from vacation and had a business to get up and running.
In 2000 I was getting tired of what I was doing and revisited my dream from 12 years ago. I came to Siana for about five weeks and visited a different town every couple of days. I finally decided on Cortona and came back in 2001 to stay for five weeks to get to know the area and confirm my previous feelings about the town and the area. I talked to some real estate agents to check out the market and have some properties to look at knowing Shirley was coming out later.
After looking at several properties we went to see a property we knew was outside of our budget. As soon as we walked on the property it was like getting hit in the chest with two open hands. I was physically taken back and instantly knew this was the property we have been looking for. We just looked at each other and said, whatever it takes.
In 2001 we started the purchase process. In 2002 we finalized the purchase and started a cosmetic restoration. In 2003 we had our first guests. Splitting my time between Cortona and Santa Barbara got old, so in the Spring of 2005 Shirley early retired, I wound down my business, we put our house in Santa Barbara on the market and moved here permanently.
We were never running away from anything but rather running to something we found in Cortona. We very much like the culture, lifestyle and of course meeting and accommodating our guests. Any regrets? Yes. I wish I did it 20 years sooner.
Property Photos
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- Front of House - Cortona, Tuscany, Italy Farmhouse Rental - Vacation in a "Renaissance Painting"
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- Back of House - Cortona, Tuscany, Italy Farmhouse Rental - Vacation in a "Renaissance Painting"
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- Il Rifugio Patio - Cortona, Tuscany, Italy Farmhouse Rental - Vacation in a "Renaissance Painting"
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- Pergola
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- Il Rifugio Front Door
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- Pool Site
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- Pool
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- Autum View from Driveway
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- Olive Grove at Harvest Time
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- Kitchen South Side
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- Kitchen North Side
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- Living Room
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- Den
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- Upstairs Sitting Room
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- Master Bedroom
Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #15722
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This listing was first published here in 2002.
Date last modified - Sunday, November 13, 2011
