My Villa Experience in Tuscany
by Steve Lassman, Vice President & General Manager
When you hear someone tell you they are going to or have just returned from Tuscany, this is almost always accompanied by a smile; either the smile of anticipation, or the smile of memories that will last a lifetime. Tuscany, it is indeed a captivating land, exceptional in that it is equally blessed by nature, and the ingenuity of man. Every inch of the land has been sculpted by nature, with the influence of generations of villagers whose sole purpose was to produce as much as they needed, while making sure that the natural beauty of the land remained pristine. I can assure you that they have succeeded.
There is something in Tuscany for everyone; fine art, natural beauty, great wine and delicious food. I personally was going to seek the sanctity of the countryside, and to relax while enjoying the fruits of the region. During my journey, I decided to visit a few cities that I highly recommend to you:
- Lucca
- Perugia
- San Gimignano
- Siena
While I won’t go into detail on every Tuscan destination I travelled to, I will tell you about two you might be less familiar with: Lucca and San Gimignano.
Lucca is an enchanting medieval city enclosed by an imposing well-preserved 16th century wall. It is renowned for its arena shaped piazza and the church of San Michele, along with many local shops, bakeries (I think we stopped at each of them–had to make sure they were up to our standards–trust me, they were), and cafés galore. When we were not eating, drinking, shopping or site-seeing, we were riding our rented bicycles around and throughout the city. The wall surrounding the city of Lucca is paved and closed to vehicular traffic so it was just the bikers, and the walkers, enjoying our panoramic views of this amazing city. I can now understand why one would want to live “under the Tuscan sun” it was just the most relaxing and fulfilling time of my life.
San Gimignano is a hill town known as the City of Beautiful Towers. Like Lucca, San Gimignano also has abundant medieval architecture. It has 14 medieval towers (there were originally 72) that create a picturesque skyline that is visible from the surrounding Tuscan countryside. It is a great place to walk around, explore, and eat! (I had the best slice of pizza from a very small pizzeria called Pizza al Taglio – I highly recommend!) While there, I stumbled upon a small pottery shop and got to watch with my own eyes a skillful potter create a pot to be sold in his shop (see picture). If I were able to bring his work home with me on the plane, I certainly would have purchased something from him.
I did also want to share with you my villa, as I would recommend it highly to anyone who is looking for old world charm without sacrificing the elegance and service that the Villa Controni Estate has to offer. This incredible estate, which is comprised of four luxurious villas–4, 6, 8, and 11 bedrooms–has everything you need. I was fortunate enough to stay in the Casa Felice Matteucci, a gem of a Tuscan farmhouse, which in the 19th century was the residence of Earl Felice Matteucci, the inventor of the stroke engine, if only these walls could talk, the stories they would tell. This magnificent villa overlooks an olive grove, with young cypress and aromatic herbs surrounding a beautiful lake, which has its own island accessible by bridge, a great wine drinking spot for sure. One of the great benefits of this estate is its location, while it is located in Vorno, a gem of a spot, it’s only 10 minutes from Lucca, 30 minutes to the amazing coast, and a little over an hour to Florence.
A few other villas I toured on my trip included:
- Fattoria Santo Stefano Estate
- Le Rose
- Sorgente
One last thing I wanted to share with you, especially if you go, please make sure you leave time to have dinner at a great local restaurant that is less then 5 minutes down the road in the "town" of Vorno, called Bimbatto. This family owned restaurant is not geared toward the tourist trade, although anyone would feel welcome here. Upon arriving, you immediately sense the charm of the area, and of its people. We were greeted by the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven and by one of the owners, who made us feel like we were family. The food, the service and the wine were all excellent, but the best part of the evening was the feeling that you were having a home cooked meal with your extended family and friends, and is that not what makes you want to return? You bet!
