"Villa La Rinuccino is a perfect place to start discovering Florence and surroundings. We stayed there (2 adults and 4 children) in the first week of March and had a great time. The apartment is very well equipped (with washing machine, dish washer,…) and is very spacious, even for a family of 6. The living room is separated from the (large) kitchen; it is on the second floor (same level as the bedrooms) and can easily be turned into a bedroom for the children thanks to the two sofa beds (so in fact turning the living room in a third bedroom, next to the master bedroom and separate bedroom with two single beds). When they are asleep, there is still a sofa (and in the near future, TV connection – but we did not need it when we were there) and large table in the kitchen. The furniture is typical Tuscan style (and provides good comfort – we slept extremely well in our beds with very good matrasses and the sheets were new and clean) and brings you in the right mood for “la dolce vita”. The garden is most romantic, and from the patio next to the fountain, you have a magnificent view on the hills with its olive trees and wild deer…
From the Villa, you can easily walk (+/- 10 minutes) to the centre of Fiesole (although there is also a bus stop a few steps away from the Villa which brings you to the centre, but it is much nicer to walk) and take the direct bus n°7 to San Marco in Florence (5 minutes’ walk from Il Duomo). It takes about 15 à 20 minutes from Fiesole to San Marco. Fiesole itself is worth visiting (with its archeological sites from Etruscan and Roman times, its lovely central square from where you have a magnificent view on Florence, and its nice bars and ‘gelateria’. For those working or doing research at the European University Institute in San Domenico di Fiesole (like me), this was the perfect combination of having a place, sufficiently spacious for the family while they were visiting me, and being sufficiently close to the office. I could even easily walk down the hill from Fiesole to San Domenico (it takes +/- 15 à 20 minutes, depending on how long you want to admire the view during the walk or not ;-).
Moreover, the owners are the most welcoming persons I have ever met. I was picked up by Leonardo with my luggage in San Domenico, was even offered a ride when I was running late for a workshop, they provided us with information about good restaurants and walking routes in the area, etc. The family lives in the same villa (which is very large, though, so you have enough privacy), which is a very comfortable feeling: whenever you have a question, they can help.
To conclude, we can strongly recommend this villa to families (or frieds) up to 6 persons looking for a (reasonably priced) place which is sufficiently close to the beautiful city of Florence, but sufficiently distinct to be quiet, peaceful and offering breath-taking views of the hills surrounding Florence!
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