Il Fienile: the Most Charming Country House You Can Dream of

We had the most amazing stay with Mimma in il Fienile - it really is a very comfortable cottage on a lovely hillside. The pool is fantastic and very well looked after. Do try and persuade Mimma and Franca to give you a cookery lesson - even if you can cook perfectly well the social side is well worth it!

This was our first visit to Tuscany but it won't be our last - we really fell in love with this part of Italy.

My husband and are just getting back to the states after 2 fabulous weeks in Italy. We spent one week at Fienile and found the location to be so central to visiting so many wonderful spots from Florence to Siena. We were able to drive to the coast one day for a day on the beach. The pictures do not do justice to the complete beauty of this house and the surrounding area. We did decide not to travel for two days and simply soaked up the relaxing atmosphere and beautiful views. Mimma is a phenomenal host ...from suggestions for restaurants , grocery shopping , places to visits to a unbelievable cooking class...she is a wealth of information and a truly beautiful person. We feel so fortunate to have been able to spend part of our time in this absolute gem. We hope to be able to return in the future. Jaci and Harold Kipreos

The brilliance of this lovely home was exceeded only by the hospitality of its owners Franco and Mimma. Mimma is most charming, thoughtful, and pleasant without being in your way. She is happy to assist you and offer suggestions as needed. Franco works the fields and also has splendid suggestions. Of course Dabbie was a sweet companion whose exploits are legendary! We'd go back anytime we could.

I recently returned from a wonderful 6 night stay at Il Fienile. The house is situated in the most beautiful and relaxing setting in the hills of Chianti. The views are fantastic and you're surrounded by olive groves, fragrant rosemany, and wisteria. The villa is well stocked with everything you might need, and we were very comfortable. Mimma is very welcoming and accommodating host. We arrived late in the day, and had not had a chance to visit the grocery. The next morning Mimma brought us a hot pot of coffee and biscotti. While completely isolated and peaceful, Il Fienile is centrally located, 5 minutes from the SR222 and Castellina in Chianti, and less than and hour from Florence. My wife and I joined friends here, and we couldn't be more pleased with our stay. We look forward to a return visit!

We stayed 8 wonderful nights at Il Fienile in Radda in the Chianti region. Il Fienile is a charming little villa, once a stone-built hay barn several centuries old, perched on the top of the hill of the surrounding property of Murricciaglia. Surrounding us were the rolling hills of Chianti with the closest property visible as lights across the valley. It is surreally serene and beautiful, especially in the soft evening light.

Il Fienile itself has two proper bedrooms, one with the ensuite on the top floor, and two extra beds in a mezzanine type level you descend through to the living room and kitchen which are both on the ground floor. It is charming, rustic, quirky and very clean. The bedrooms are rustically appointed, with a double bed in the master and 2 twins in the other, all with clean sheets and warmer bedding as required; bathrooms are very clean and the kitchen is adequately equipped for simple meals.

It is located between Castellina (which is the closer) and Radda, two towns which will have all you need in terms of any groceries or daily necessities, and are in themselves very charming little Tuscan towns with eateries, shops, enotecas, and each with its own COOP supermarket. We chose the area because of its central location in Chianti and were not disappointed. It was possible to get to Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca to name a few with minimal effort by car.

Mimma is the gorgeous owner of the property, a 79 year old spritely grandmother who communicates perfectly in English and attended to all our enquiries with incredible promptness, from suggestions about wineries, restaurants, information about the local area, tips about their ZTL restrictions (important for those driving!) She could not have been more helpful and we also had a cooking class with her which ended up not only in a lovely home-cooked meal, but also a bit of a roaming history lesson about the area, stories about life in Italy and her life which are intangibles we will always remember, and about Tuscan cooking.

We spent our time visiting the various towns, and then just sitting in the little garden outside the living room, surveying the rolling hills and the setting sun and watching the stars come out at night. The eternity pool was closed because of the cool weather, but we swopped swimming for walking the estate through the laneways.

It was a sublime experience at Il Fienile, made so by the setting, the charming villa of Il Fienile, and its owner, Mimma.