Il Castagno

One of the joys of staying in Italy is being able to enjoy 20th century comforts, whilst immersing oneself in its rich history by way of a sojourn in an original Tuscan farmhouse. The spectacular views from its gardens, large pool and tennis court to one of Tuscany’s most beautiful mediaeval towns provides a magical, almost theatrical backdrop, making Il Castagno a venue that cannot fail to delight all Frances Mayes’ devotees.

The countrified approach to Il Castagno, and finally through woodland surrounding the property emphasises the feeling of seclusion, yet always with beautiful views of nearby mediaeval Cortona from the house and grounds reminding that civilisation is close by. Arriving at the house, two huge and ancient Lebanese cedars provide a frame for this delightful home. The original tower portion of the house dates from the 17th century, and like many converted farmhouses, the ground floor was once home to the animals, whilst the family lived above.

The owners have been most careful to retain the original features, reflected in its rustic yet comfortable style. Entering by a large stone porch covered with jasmine, the charming sitting room is still dominated by the original beams. Wide steps leads to a dining room and traditional kitchen. Circular stairs from ground floor lead up to the original living room/hall, with a huge working fireplace, and a door leads to a small terrace and the original stone outside staircase. A guest bedroom has a large shower-room opposite, and the master bedroom, with interconnecting dressing room and single bed, suitable for a child, has an en suite bathroom.

(Steep) steps lead up to a simple twin bedroom with tiny shower-room, suitable only for teenagers. Outside, is a guest annexe with a large spacious bedroom suite, its 2 extra beds/sofas also making an ideal “dorm” for older children wanting to get away from their parents! From the kitchen, a door leads to the garden and a small covered loggia, and then to a delightful wisteria covered area for outside dining.

In the evening the twinkling lights of Cortona, and the hypnotic chant of cicadas in the olive trees provide an idyllic setting. From here, looking up the hillside, is a glimpse of the tiny hamlet of Castagno, an enchanting destination for an evening stroll. The property is surrounded by a small area of informal garden and lawn, with olives, fig trees, lemon trees and up and behind the house terraces of vines lead to the 11 hectares of woodland with walking trails to the top of the hill. From the garden, steps lead down to an unusually long swimming pool, surrounded by grass, and an all weather tennis court.

A game of tennis in the cool of the evening, with beautiful Cortona clearly visible in the distance, is an experience in itself. For maximum comfort, this delightful property is most ideal for 6, or for 8 to include teenagers. A delightful and atmospheric venue for a truly Tuscan experience “under a beautiful Tuscan sun.”

Room Description

Ground Floor: Sitting room • Kitchen/dining room

First Floor: Hall/sitting area • Double bedroom • Bathroom • Master double bedroom with air conditioning and dressing room with single bed and bathroom en suite • Double Bedroom with private Shower Room across the landing.

Second Floor: Simple twin bedroom with bathroom Shower Room en suite.

Off Courtyard Annexe: Large double bedroom with a single sofa bed and separate single bed for children and bathroom en suite.

Rental Condition: This house is suitable for a maximum of 6 adults and 2 children.

Facilities

Washing Machine, Dishwasher, Microwave, Satellite TV (freeview only), DVD player, Stereo/CD Player, Telephone, Air Conditioning (Master bedroom only. Included in rental) 

Heating (payable locally), Insect Screens (bedrooms, kitchen windows), Portable Barbecue.

Children's Facilities

A travel cot is available on request.

Private Swimming Pool

13m x 6m, 1.4m - 2m deep with ladder steps. Pool Towels. The pool is open from mid May until mid September. Outside these dates, the pool can be opened on request for an extra charge.

Private Tennis Court

Please note that the floodlights cannot be used.

Welcome Provisions Included

A welcome gesture to offer you a drink after your journey; tea or coffee and biscuits, wine or juice and a snack. They are not sufficient for an entire meal. Owners will also generally leave a few other items such as some salt, sugar, oil, bin bags and toilet paper.

Food Hamper

Can be arranged for an additional cost and service charge payable locally. For guests who are arriving late or who recognize they may be delayed and arrive with no time to do shopping. Shops are shut on Sundays, so the aim of the Food Hampers is to provide two light meals and two breakfasts, to allow guests to go out for one meal, then do more shopping on Monday. We can adapt these hampers to take into account allergies, dislikes and dietary requirements, or according to whether there are children in the party.

Cook Service

One of Il Castagno’s maids, is very happy to cook during the week for clients going to Il Castagno. She cooks very good local food, though her choice of sweets may be somewhat limited by British standards. She would normally do the shopping for the meal, prepare some things at home, last-minute dishes at Il Castagno, lay the table, serve the first course, and leave after having brought the main course to the table and having cleared the kitchen. She would not normally expect to work after 9.30 pm. She does not work on Sundays or Public Holidays, except  under very special circumstances.

For the arrival weekend, Il Castagno's housekeeper, will prepare and leave something for you to heat up or eat cold, both for the Saturday evening and  a light meal for the Sunday.

The cost of the cook service is 12 Euro per hour to include time spent shopping and travelling. As a guideline, please bear in mind that shopping in the country and then cooking can take a long time, so a charge of 6 hours for a meal (depending on the number of people, how many courses, how complex, even how far the cook has to travel to get certain ingredients) may not  be considered excessive, though usually, for a simple meal, the hours would be fewer. The cost of food would be added on to this.

The cook service is on request and payable locally (booking fee applicable). If you are happy with the above arrangements, we would be grateful if you could ask for and complete the cook questionnaire and return it to us as soon as possible, so that the cook is informed well in time that you would like her to cook for your party. The staff may have other commitments, so we cannot guarantee that she will always be available.

CV Contact

An English speaking CV representative in Italy will be available by phone during your stay. Contact details will be sent with your travel documents.

Food Hamper

Can be arranged for an additional cost, payable locally including 30 Euro service charge.

Linen and Towels

Provided once per week on Saturday. Extra changes are available on request for an additional charge.

Maid Service

3 hours a day, 6 days a week.

Tenancy Times

Tenancies commence at 16:00 hours on the day of arrival and villas are to be vacated at 10:00 hours on the day of departure

Activities

Private Tennis Court (basic racquets are supplied. Please note that the tennis court cannot be floodlit and is not of a professional standard)

Your Location

Airport

Perugia 50km,  Florence 110km, Pisa 190kms, Bologna 215km, Rome 225km

Amenities

Nearest restuarant at Ossaia 2km. Small shop at Terontola 4km, Supermarket at Camucia 6km, Watersports - Lake Trasimeno 12km, Golf at Ellera di Perugia 40km.

Places of Interest

Cortona 5km, Arezzo 30km, Montepulciano 45km, Perugia 50km, Assisi 75km, Siena 70km.

Station

Terontola-Cortona 4km

CV Contact • CV Exclusive