Medieval Hilltown in the Green Mountains of Tuscany- on Sale!
- Minimum stay:N/A
- Internet:No
- Pets allowed:Yes
- Wheel chair accessible:No
Last Minute SPECIAL for May- $1600 for the whole month or $450 a week!
Our house is an old stone cottage, in the country, simply furnished, with a remodeled kitchen and bath, on one and a half acres. There is a large terrace with loggia and beautiful views. Cold spring water gushes from a spring into a stone spring box and a small pond. There is a woodstove, fireplace (wood provided) and skiing half hour away for winter guests. (It can be cold in the winter.) There is a woodstove, a fireplace and 2 gas heaters.
In the summer, while Tuscany bakes, it is green, cool, fresh in the mountains. It is a 15 minute walk to a lovely old hilltown that is rarely visited by tourists, an hour's drive to the Mediterranean beach resorts, Etruscan tombs and cities like Pitigliano, Saturnia hot springs and the Val de Orcia (Montalcino and Montepulciano).
The house is surrounded by fruit trees, the villagers' organic gardens, sheep in pasture and the wild hills. There are outdoor concerts in summer and a lively piazza with gelato and traditional Italian life all around. It is three to four hours north of Rome and three hours south of Florence. There is bus service everywhere and a train station 45 minutes away.
The hills are full of mushrooms and chestnuts and local restaurants serve a wonderful, rustic cuisine. The people are friendly and not many speak English. You will find yourself in the midst of the real Italy. It is a magical place.
Keywords: Traditional Stone Farmhouse
Property Type
- 2 story
- Farmhouse
Accommodation Type
- Vacation Rental
Meals
- Guests Provide Their Own Meals
Onsite Services
- Housekeeper Optional
- Car Available
- Private Chef
Suitability
- Long-Term Renters Welcome
- Non Smoking Only
- Pets Considered
- Children Welcome
Bedrooms
- 2 Bedrooms, Sleeps 6, Beds for 5-6
- Bedroom 1
- Bedroom 2
Bathrooms
- 1.0 Bathrooms, 1 Half Bathrooms
- Bathroom 1
Kitchen & Dining
- Oven
- Stove
- Coffee Maker
- Refrigerator
- Kitchen
Amenities
- Heating
- Towels Provided
- Parking
- Living Room seats 5
- Linens Provided
- Washing Machine
- Gas Fireplace
Other Amenities
Entertainment
- Books
- CD Player
Outdoor Features
- Outdoor Grill
- Deck / Patio
Theme
- Away From It All
- Budget
- Family
- Historic
- Sports & Activities
Location & View
Activities
- Museums
- Mountain Biking
- Mountain Climbing
- Hunting Small Game
- Cycling
- Fishing
- Tennis
- Hiking
- Skiing
- Cross Country Skiing
- Medical Services
- Massage Therapist
- Groceries
- ATM/Bank
- Horseback Riding
- Wildlife Viewing
- Sight Seeing
- Walking
- Eco Tourism
- Bird Watching
- Restaurants
- Winery Tours
- Ruins
- Churches
- Snowboarding
- Hunting
Other Activities
Reviews
Write a review-
Tuscan Delight
Tuscan Delight
- Guest Terry
- Date of stay 07/02/12
- Review Submitted 07/25/12
Beautiful home. The first night in the house we all fell asleep with smiles on our face. Gentle Tuscan breezes from one window to the next, luscious linen sheets, singsong cricket and cicada serenade. Beautiful village just a 10 to 15 min walk up through stone streets and buildings. Flowers, bells, birds songs, and the sound of water flowing everywhere. We ate gelato up in the piazza everyday - sometimes twice a day! We are a family of four and we had a blast. Mostly hung out at the house and the village, relaxing and enjoying the bella Italian life. You won't be disappointed with this place - and great price!Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway, adventure seekers.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0
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Authentic Tuscany
Authentic Tuscany
- Guest Jade & Alex
- Date of stay 07/02/11
- Review Submitted 07/14/11
This cottage tucked away in the tuscan hills is ideal for one who wants the true tuscan experience. We stayed at the Santa Fiora house for a week and loved its charm, country feel and the relaxing life we found. The kitchen is well equipped and we enjoyed cooking great Italian meals with amazing local ingredients. The outside patio is a great place to enjoy your morning espresso, dinner or catch some tuscan sun (I spent many hours reading on the outside patio and loved the tranquility and open fresh air!) From the patio all you see is trees, mountains and occasional wildlife (we had a peacock join us one evening and loved the fireflies that emerged later on). The town of Santa Fiora is quaint with only a few restaurants, bars and gelato shops. All the locals we encountered were friendly and welcoming and our nightly walk in to town for a gelato became a must (it is about a 15 minute walk from the house to the town center). We found the location of Santa Fiora to be great and very central; we did day trips to Monte Argentario, Roccalbegna, Montalcino and Siena. We miss the house already and hope to return someday.Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, pet owners, romantic getaway, age 55+, girls getaway.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1
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Santa Fiora Farmhouse
Santa Fiora Farmhouse
- Guest Dennis and Ann
- Date of stay 05/14/11
- Review Submitted 06/08/11
My wife and I were delighted to discover after we had rented this charming famhouse that we had been to Santa Fiora before. Some years ago while passing through the Maremma we stopped for a memorable lunch in a charming village and made a mental note to return. After reading the owner's excellent notes on the house and surroundings we realized the memorable lunch we had had was at the Al Ponte, one of two excellent resturants in this small town. On arrival (for us, a train from Rome with car rental and easy drive from Grosseto) we were again delighted to realize that the farmhouse comes very close to the ideal of the perfect rental casa we have established after numerous vacation rental rentals in Italy - a house in the country and yet within easy walking distance of a town with the 3 essentials - a bar, an alimentari and a decent resturant. Santa Fiora has all this with the added attraction of being both charming and yet free of the sense of being a museum as so many Tucan towns are. The town is set in particularly appealing mix of wooded hills and open fields and, while it is at an elevation somewhat above the ideal for viniculture, the Maremma's Strada del Vino with its excellent Morellino di Scansano is just a short drive down the road. Here, I must confess to a paticular attachment to the Villa Patrizia and their charming and unpretentious cantina quite nearby in Cana. Villa Patrizia also supplies excellent bulk wine to a small shop in Sant Fiore where you can get the 2 litre bottle you will find at the house filled. While there are excellent parks, hiking and charming villages around Santa Fiora, it is also well positioned for visits or, in our case, revisits to that wonderful part of Tuscany below Sienna - Montalcino, Montepulciano, and many other favorites - this trip we got as far as revisting Orvieto and discovered the wonderful Abbey at San Antimo (clueless how we missed this before - with a spectacular hike towards Montalcino). For those willing to drive a bit further afield, a day trip around Chianti is quite do-able. I could go on of course but I should get back to the house...if you are hoping to lounge by the pool on a manicured lawn this may not be for you. But if you are looking for a charming house in a splendid country setting with sheep grazing below the patio, water gushing down the stream and a town to walk to that has a Tavola Calda for a Saturday night re-heat, you may, like us, find this casa just about ideal.Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children, adventure seekers.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5
Rates
Nov-Mar .. $ 950/month & electric(special rates for long term - 3 months or more). Apr-Oct .. $2200/month (special rates for long term - 3 months or more). Weekly rentals available. $250 - $600 $100 security deposit (returned if no damage). $250 deposit to secure reservation.
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Before paying contact the owner to confirm payment details.
Call the owner directly to confirm reservation details and pay with an approved method (credit card, check, or bank transfer), to protect your payment up to $1,000.
Location
- Nearest Airport: Rome or Pisa at 250 Kilometres
- Nearest Ferry: Piombino, to Elba Orbetello to Giglio at 74 Miles
- Nearest Train: Paganico at 40 Miles
- Nearest Motorway: The Autostrada A1 at 15 Miles
- Nearest Beach: Marina di Grosseto at 60 Miles
- Nearest Barpub: Green Feeling at 1000 Metres
- Nearest Ski: Mount Amiata at 10 Miles
- Nearest Restaurant: Il Barilotto (famous in the Slow Food movement) at 1200 Metres
Owner info
Year Purchased: 2000
About the owner: Bill and Sue live in Northern California and bought their house in Italy because they wanted to live abroad for a year and wanted their children to learn another language while they were still young. They lived in Santa Fiora for a wonderful year and have visited every year since then. Bill is a builder and an artist. Sue is a special education teacher. Their daughter, Lucia, is now fluent in Italian and has many friends in Santa Fiora. She feels it is her second home.
Why the Owner Chose Santa Fiora:
Santa Fiora is a beautiful little medieval hill town that is rarely visited by Americans. It is surrounded by forests and mountains. There is an international music festival there every summer.Our house is out in the country but only a short walk from town. It has a constant flow of clear clean water that we capture in a traditional stone washing pool and in some small ponds.
The Unique Benefits at this Farmhouse:
We are away from everything, surrounded by nature, with very little to do but think of what to have for lunch that day. We sit on the terrace and watch the birds in the trees and the sheep or sometimes horses grazing in the field. We love shopping for food in the local market and trying new recipes. If we feel adventurous there are many wonderful places nearby to visit. Bill enjoys doing little improvement projects on the house and Sue reads all the books she didn't have time for during the school year. We love it.
Contact us
- Primary: (707) 456-0581 (California, USA)
Links to more information:
Photos
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Front of house in autumn
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The spring box near the house.
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second bedroom
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A rare snowfall on Santa Fiora
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Rooftops of Santa Fiora
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A local peacock visits the patio
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The town of Santa Fiora, our house just out of sight on the far right.
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The driveway
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Neighborhood church
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One of the works in ceramic by Della Robia in the local church.
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Albertina, cooking teacher, demonstrates homemade pasta technique in our kitchen
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View of the nearby church (5 minute walk) and pond from the city walls
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master bedroom
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Kitchen view
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View from terrace
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Kitchen fireplace
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Living room
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Front door
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Part of "The Borgo" on the way up to town, 1000 year old section of town
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Celebrating New Years Eve in the Piazza with a giant bonfire
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The walk to the Piazza follows medieval streets with ancient door carvings
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Albertina, cooking teacher and neighbor, Sandro- a cooking lesson in our kitchen
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This listing was first published here in 2003.
Date last modified - Tuesday, May 21, 2013
(707) 456-0581 (California, USA)