The late Marchesa wrote a delightful book about her passion for this lovely old manor, in the family for 400 years. A gorgeous, genuinely unspoilt place, a maze of stairs, nooks, crannies and corners, it is full of old-fashioned comfort. Staff bustle with easy-going friendliness under the guidance of the owners, a charming and gracious couple who spend part of the year here. Bathrooms are being modernised and bedrooms vary, some in the villa, others in outbuildings, most with rich coordinated fabrics, paintings, prints and antiques. Some are small, others grand, all are in warm Tuscan style. In the drawing room is the irresistible comfort of a log fire on chilly nights, and glossy coffee table tomes to whet your appetite for Italy. The airy wine store has become a dining room, a leisurely setting for Tuscan dinners and fine wines. The gardens are no less appealing, all roses, olive trees and lavender; there’s a tennis court, a training track, a terrace for the idle, and a pool far too seductive for those intent upon a cultural holiday. Don’t miss the exquisite church of San Leolino, a step away.
