When I first stood in the doorway of this beautiful house in Cetona, I had to pinch myself. Finally I was actually standing in this amazing place I'd been looking at in pictures for months. Marco's place is absolutely beautiful. The style and design is perfect in every detail, the architectural renovation was carried out splendidly, and you really do have your very own cave at the back of the side sitting room. Marco was so helpful and responsive, from the beginning of my inquiries to the last day when I emailed to ask directions to the nearest gas station for our departure. His daughter met us in Rome to give us the keys and detailed directions, and all of our interactions with both her and Marco have been friendly and helpful.
We stayed for a week in Cetona, a wonderful small town with its centuries of history and modern life centered around the main square, the Piazza Garibaldi. We chose this house in part because of the convenience and charm of being able to walk to shops and restaurants, and we especially enjoyed interacting with the kind and friendly people who live there. In a minute we could walk to a wonderful bakery, a deli, a wine shop, a green grocer, other shops, and a larger grocery store up on the main road. We enjoyed delicious meals at the two excellent restaurants just steps from the house, the Ristorante da Nilo and the Osteria del Merlo. Cafe Sport, between the two restaurants, serves up delicious gelato, coffees, and wine by the glass. Cetona is also a great jumping off place to visit the Tuscan hill towns and thermal mineral baths (hot springs). We drove to Siena, Pienza, Montepulciano, and Chianciano, and the Fonteverde spa in San Casciano during our stay. I only wish we'd had more time here, as Umbria is right next door and we never did venture there, nor did we fully explore the small towns scattered around the countryside. We would definitely stay here again, in a heartbeat, and we'd recommend this place to anyone looking to step off the wheel and breathe in the beauty of rural Tuscany for a while.
I totally agree with the previous reviewer who stated that you can have expectations as high as you can imagine, and that you will exceed them here. Thanks for everything, Marco, we hope to be your guests again someday! Sonja and Doug