Villa Saletta – Casolare

This cosy property is snuggled into a hillside and surrounded by forest so feels utterly secluded and private, with nothing but the sound of birds and the wind in the trees.

The garden is on different levels, so you can catch shade and sun at different times of the day. Find a modern, well-equipped kitchen stocked with supplies for your first breakfast along with wine and olive oil from the estate, and a little terrace area outside for dining al fresco – or there’s a covered pergola with a barbecue next to the swimming pool.

Find comfy sofas, books and DVDs, and a beautifully-bound book documenting the estate’s history, from the time of the Etruscans through the Renaissance to the present day. A thick binder details all the activities you can do in the area, including some of Valdera’s gastronomic highlights: truffle hunting through Saletta’s woods, a scenic drive to visit a one-of-its kind cheese “grotto” in the neighbouring medieval village of Lari, visits to local pasta makers and chocolatiers.