COLLETALLI: YOUR DREAM TUSCAN VILLA

Guest: Vickie S. (Phila. Pa. U.S.A.)
Date of Stay: 09/17/11 Review Submitted: 11/05/11

Colletalli is a very special villa that the present owners, Luana and Cristiano restored with the perfect combination of retaining and rebuilding the original structure while furnishing with beautiful modern conveniences such as a large tiled Jacuzzi, wonderfully equipped kitchen, serious art touches and a large swimming pool. The rooms are light, clean and airy. The up stairs bedroom and bath suite is very large and exceptionally stunning. Three large downstairs bedrooms, plus a smaller bedroom and the spacious living room are all thoughtfully furnished for our comfort and in keeping with the sense of history of this Tuscan villa. The large kitchen is extremely well equipped to cook in and to serve a large number of people. Luana, our hostess, was a dream. Upon our arrival, Luana had furnished us with a solid supply of food stuffs including the best cheese and salami any of us had ever tasted, and we were therefore able to slide easily into the vacation mode, not needing to rush out and shop. The first night she made and with her husband Christiano, served us a marvelous evening Italian meal—outdoors, under the starry sky. Luana is an extraordinary chef and later that week she gave us an exciting afternoon’s lesson, cooking an entire Italian dinner. She and her assistant also served it to us by the huge open fireplace with its roaring fire. Talk about a dream night! Whenever we asked, Luana was very helpful in her suggestions about what towns to visit, what restaurants to eat at, where to shop and available activities, such as horse back riding and where to rent bicycles. We were at Coletalli for 2 weeks and we traveled in day trips to a variety of stunning hill towns. But to tell you the truth, my absolute favorite times were just waking up at the villa to the sounds of the sheep bells as every morning a herd of sheep with the dogs and sheepherder passed by our road. Some mornings we would take a walk through the woods to the small local town of Belforte to have a cappuccino. No tourists, just the local citizenry going about their tasks. Or we would drive 5 minutes to another small town, Radacondolli. In this town there are three good local restaurants. I had always dreamed of renting a Tuscan Villa for my family. Colletalli is the real thing- off by itself down a winding dirt road: close enough to hillside towns for day trips: rounded out by the care and personality of the perfect hostess. We cannot recommend this too highly.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, pet owners, sightseeing, families with young children.

Colletali, Ancient Tuscan Podere in Radicondoli

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/17/11 Review Submitted: 09/22/11

Colletali is marvelous! The rooms are as presented in the pictures, but the view is more impressive. We were three couples and felt well accomodated without feeling cramped. The pool was a welcome relief from the hot Tuscan sun. We enjoyed meals at the outside table watching the full moon rise over the valley. Luana is a warm and gracious hostess . Add the tinkling of the sheep bells as the flock passes in the field below the house each morning and you have one great vacation!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

Shaughnessys, Ontario Canada

Guest: Maureen (Collingwood, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 09/03/11 Review Submitted: 09/22/11

Our daughters from the middle east met us in Rome, where we headed straight for Colletalli. What an amazing place for a family reunion and to celebrate my husband's 70th birthday! From the moment we arrived at this amazing and lovingly restored farmhouse and property we were overwhelmed by the serenity, the views, and the warmth and welcome from our hosts, Luana and Christiano. Luana had prepared the evening meal for our arrival, and although we enjoyed many splendid meals while in Italy, I can say without reserve that Luana's was the best! The house was exactly as pictured in this listing. The country kitchen was stocked with everything one could want, the beds were comfortable and made up with snowy white linens. What wasn't shown was the peace, the soft breeze, and the pervasive scents of rosemary, lavendar, and roses that tumbled onto open windowsills. And you couldn't replicate the distant sounds of bells from flocks of sheep grazing in lower meadows. The swimming pool overlooking the hills and fields was a great addition to our holiday. On at least two of our seven day stay we preferred to relax, walk up to the tiny, medieval village of Bell Forte, enjoy sunning and swimming and a late supper in the garden. Other days we spent visiting hilltop towns of Volterra, San Gimigiano, Greve en Chianti, Sienna, and Firenze, all within an hour's drive. We fell in love with the village of Radicondolli (only 5 minutes from the house) with it's tiny shops and Pergola restaurant where we ate amazing pizza accompanied by great local wines. It was a wonderful holiday...thanks Luana, we hope to return someday!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, age 55+, people with disabilities, sightseeing, families with young children.

Guest: Harriers West Yorkshire (-)
Date of Stay: 03/06/10 Review Submitted: 07/14/11

Fabulous holiday accomodation Review Submitted: December 28, 2010 Date of Stay: March 2010 I would highly recommend this property and will definately be going back. We had a fabulous holiday last March at this beauitiful farmhouse set amongst the hills and countryside with breathtaking views. A car is essential as it is a little remote but that's my idea of a holiday, away from it all with time and room to relax and recharge those batteries. It was so peaceful with ample room for our party of five adults and it was great to feel the warmth of the open log fire after returning for the day. Luana the owner lives closeby and she made us very welcome, nothing was too much trouble. We will definately be returning, hopefully one summer when I believe a new open air swimming pool is planned. Highly recommended, a first class property 10/10. Richard Recommended for: Age 55+, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children

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Guest: Jenny1984 West Midlands (-)
Date of Stay: 07/31/10 Review Submitted: 07/14/11

Best holiday ever! Jenny1984 West Midlands Review Submitted: August 17, 2010 Date of Stay: July 2010 This house is fantastic. The owners are fantastic. Their dog is fantastic. A group of 8 of us stayed there for a week in August 2009 and had an amazing time. The house is everything you would expect from a house in the Tuscan countryside - rustic (in a good way), secluded and oozing with character. The rooms are very comfortable and quite traditional with a mixture of old furniture, though there are some more modern design touches scattered throughout the house. The upstairs bathroom is a work of art in itself! The pool was the real star of the holiday - perfect after a hard days sight-seeing in nearby Siena or Florence. The owners were really approachable and helpful - they really helped us out when our hire car broke down, giving us a lift to the nearest big town and treating us to a calming cup of coffee. There is a great bar and restaurant in nearby Radicondoli. Highly recommended. Recommended for: Age 55+, Adventure Seekers, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children

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Guest: Brad & Danni Australia (-)
Date of Stay: 10/13/10 Review Submitted: 07/14/11

Fantastic Villa with loads of charater From the moment we contacted Luana she made us feel welcome and upon arrival the warmth of both Luana and Cristiano made us feel like we were staying with friends. Nothing was too much trouble, suggestions on places to visit and restaurant recommendations. As we stayed in Autumn it was too cold to use the pool but what a beautiful setting, we sat outside in the sunshine enjoying the view and imagined how beautiful it would be in the warmer months. The property is situated in the middle of the Tuscan countryside with a fabulous drive in which we ran and walked every morning and afternoon. We did many day trips to villages such as San Gimingnano, Siena, Massa Marittima, and the Abbey at San Galgano all within an hours drive. You definitely need a car but after visiting many of the little villages feel it is such a great way to do Tuscany so you get to visit the towns such as Radicondoli that are not full of tourists and allow you to feel part of village life. The house itself has been lovingly restored and has everything you need to have a very comfortable stay, and after experiencing other properties in Europe know that beautiful warm heating, an open fire and an abundance of hot water are rarities and this together with coffee, spices and lots of kitchen amenities is something that we really appreciated. Whilst there we booked Luana for a cooking school and evening dinner and can honestly say it was our best meal in Europe-Luana spent the afternoon teaching us the 4 courses and then set the table, served the meal and did the dishes! The experience is something we will cherish as a family forever and Luana’s patience with our children aged 6 & 9 and the way she included them was wonderful. We will recommend Colletalli to all of our friends and hope to return again very soon-this time making sure we enjoy more than one of Luana’s dinners! *The photos and description are a true indication of the property, many other properties which were available for rent were situated on main roads or with powerlines hindering the view. Colletalli is just as you imagine from the description, at the end of an unmade road with only trees, hills and other villas as the outlook. Recommended for: Age 55+, Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Sightseeing, Families with Teenag

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Guest: Danton London (-)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10 Review Submitted: 07/14/11

Review Submitted: April 11, 2011 Date of Stay: We rented this wonderful villa for the August bank holiday week 2010. It is everything the lovely photos suggest it will be. Lovingly restored by Luana, it is all that you might have dreamed a villa in Tuscany should be; rustic (yes, in the good sense), very spacious - 4 good size bedrooms, large rooms with solid stone walls and good breezes make it relatively cool in summer without air-con, views from villa and poolside are terrific, proximity to the lovely, authentic village of Radicondoli - 5 mins (3 restaurants, a few shops), close to Siena - 1 hour drive. You can simply chill out by the pool snd enjoy the views but it is well situated for visiting Siena, San Giminagno etc., and if you like wine, the super-Tuscan's by the coast in Bolgheri. Luana was a charming and gracious host. She used to be owner and chef of the best restaurant in Radicondoli, but you can hire her services to cook a meal for you at the villa. Unfortunately, she was booked the whole week we were at the villa but would suggest an evening meal with her the first night that you arrive as an ideal way to unwind and commence to enjoy the holiday. Who is it ideal for? Families, of course, but can readily accommodate two families sharing, positioning of bedrooms gives good privacy and walls great sound insulation, (there is also a fifth smaller room that can be used as a quiet study or futher bedroom, good for children, as not fully private). Ideal place for 4 couples sharing, ideal also for a reunion a la 'Big Chill'! Would unhesitatingly recommend villa to anyoune intrigued by the photos and description. It goes without saying that we would like to return one day. Recommended for: Age 55+, Sightseeing, Families with Young Children

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delighted and rested after peaceful stay

Guest: Mo (San Diego)
Date of Stay: 05/14/10 Review Submitted: 07/13/11

Thank you, Luana and Christiano, for making our stay in your historic and meticulously perserved farm house was a wonderful and relaxing week in which to explore the Tuscan hilltowns. Your welcome dinner was amazing and the perfect topping to the travel wery days before. We were daily drawn to the views from the property of the breathtaking nature, sunrises and sunsets as well as all the animals and birds nearby. If we could only time travel, we would be back there in an instant for a welcome nature retreat to bask in your lovely home and graciousness. Thank you for all the TLC during my sudden illness and ER visit. I am glad to reports my lungs are now clear at last. We send you both hugs and hope to return again in a year or so, In gratitude, Maureen, Greg, Andrea and Dennis from San Diego CA USA

Owner response:grazie mille for your comment ciao Luana

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

Couldn't have been better!

Guest: Conrad & Lisa (Canada)
Date of Stay: 05/29/10 Review Submitted: 08/10/10

Our month at Colle Talli was undeniably a perfect way to celebrate our 25th anniversary! Not only was the house beautifully located and incredibly comfortable, but Luana, Christiano, and Uma were all marvelously welcoming to the continual flux of our random friends and family who came through (even when we overflowed the house and started putting up tents in the yard). The big kitchen was perfect for our large, communally prepared and consumed meals, and the modifications Luana and Christiano made to the house to accommodate wheelchairs allowed everyone except the infants to be completely independent, getting around and out of the house by themselves. Between gatherings around the big living room fireplace during thunder storms, walks into Belforte for coffee or over to Podera Pagnano to get fresh ricotta for breakfast, watching wild boar forage under the mulberry tree in the evenings, chasing lizards, standing among the garden terraces watching the fireflies at night, or simply sitting by the pool enjoying the view all afternoon, everyone had a fantastic time. Thank you so much!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, adventure seekers, age 55+, people with disabilities, families with young children.

Guest: McQuaids (-)
Date of Stay: 07/21/09 Review Submitted: 07/21/09

Just wanted to say how much we absolutely loved staying in your beautiful farmhouse last August. There was a party of 2 families with 9 in total and the house was enormous and full of Tuscan character. The pool and gardens were so clean and well looked after! The farmhouse was a fantastic size for us and very well decorated and equipped. The photo's of the house show how beautiful it is but you can only fully appreciate the property and surroundings by staying there. We really can't thank you enough for all your hands on help and tourist advice during our stay. I can promise we will be back again as we all fell in love with Radicondoli and it has been, by far, the most talked about wonderful family holiday we've all enjoyed! All the very best and hope to speak with you soon! The Lucas' & McQuaids

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