La Pesa Tuscany

This beautiful Villa is situated in the heartland of the Chianti Classico region and is located near Firenze and Siena, both 22.5 miles away.

From its hilltop location, the Villa and its property overlook the underlying countryside with vineyards and olive groves. The last mile of road that reaches the property is dirt track in good condition.

The Villa is large and it has been built upon and remodeled in the course of the centuries, enclosing part of an 11th Century Romanic tower. It develops on 4 floors around a central internal courtyard, which has a series of doors opening onto it. The Villa is surrounded by its own private gardens with pine trees and well kept lawns that follow the contours of the hill and lead to a terraced area where the private swimming pool (6 x 12 meters, depth from 1.30 to 1.90 meters). The pool is tiled and the terrace offers a pool house, with complete bathroom, bocce court and a small barn set into the side of the hill that is used to keep the lemon trees in winter and as children's game room in the summer. Under a pergola attached to this barn is a ping-pong table and on one side is the brick barbecue with washbasin and kitchen counter.

The property is not isolated in that on the opposite side to the northern access to the property an Italian resident family that has dogs and goats occupies a farmhouse. A wrought iron gate leads from the external driveway directly into the Villa grounds on the west side. The large garden is fenced in to afford privacy and tall shady trees protect the parking area. This southeast side of the Villa is where most of the summertime activities take place on the furnished pergolas and terraced dining areas with comfortable outside sofas and chairs. Down a flight of stairs from this area is the swimming pool that is hidden by tall hedges.

Up two steps in the center of this side of the Villa, a glass door opens into an entrance hall, with a spacious living room with high ceiling on the left that is divided into different areas. Large glass doors in the living room open onto the garden. There is a CD player with surround sound. To the right of the entrance, down a few steps is another large room that is also divided into sections by columns and arches. A formal dining room is on the left, a sitting room is on the right, and a breakfast room is on the far right, with an open plan kitchen/cooking station in the center. The kitchen creates an island that separates the various zones. It is fully equipped with gas range, professional gas oven, washbasin and ceiling fan. The central island holds an electric stove, a microwave oven, American coffee machine, food processor, kettle, toaster and other kitchen appliances. A series of glass doors in this area provide access to the outside terrace on this side of the Villa.

From this area, an open archway leads into a second kitchen that is partially open, with large double refrigerator, marble counter with two washbasins, two ovens set into the wall (one static and one ventilated), and dishwasher. A wall with fitted kitchen cupboards divide it from a flight of 6 steps that lead up to the internal courtyard. A second door leads into the laundry room with washing machine, dryer, ironing equipment and linen closets. A door in the laundry room opens out on the courtyard again, and another door opens into the eastern side of the Villa gardens.

Back in the entrance hall, a short hallway facing the door leads to a utilities room with another large double refrigerator. From this hallway, up three steps is an atrium with stairs on the right leading to the first floor, glass doors to the internal courtyard, guest bath, and door to the wine cellar on the left. The property produces Chianti Classico wines and extra virgin olive oil. The cellar is open to guests who can purchase the products from the house manager.

The internal courtyard has 3 covered areas with wood burning oven and large dining table. A door in the courtyard opens into a separate 276-sqft apartment that develops on two floors and is only offered for parties of 16 to 22 guets. Ground floor consists of a small hall with door on the left to a living/dining room with kitchen area that has a washbasin and fridge (no stove) and door to the eastern part of the garden; door in the center to a complete bathroom with shower stall and washing machine; and staircase to the first floor. The first floor has a landing with doors to a double bedroom with French bed, and twin bedded room.

Back inside the Villa, from the atrium, the staircase leads up to a mezzanine with door to the master suite (360 sqft) with spacious sitting area divided by an open brick arch from the large bed with canopy. Up a few steps from the sitting area are doors to the wardrobe and to the complete bathroom with double washbasins, and both shower and bathtub. The sitting area is equipped with tape recorder and CD player. From the mezzanine, up two more sets of stairs is the first floor passage room with an old fireplace that is fitted with cushions and provides a private sitting niche. There is also a vertical piano here and a glass door opens into a covered 8-sqm, furnished balcony that overlooks the courtyard below.

On one side of the room is a hallway with doors to two bedrooms with French beds and door to a complete bathroom with shower stall. Another flight of stairs leads up to a landing with door to a double bedroom with French bed. To the right of the piano, an open passageway leads into the TV room with satellite TV, WiFi (in parts of the house), DVD, VCR (European format) and CD player. Up two steps from here is a room with large Swiss style billiards table.

This is the oldest part of the Villa. From the TV room, a large hall again has doors to the balcony and on the left, a wooden staircase that leads to the tower. Under the stairs a door opens into a 120-sqft suite with kitchen/dining room. The kitchen is equipped with gas range, oven and fridge fitted into the counter with washbasin in original stone. Through this room is a door to a double bedroom with ensuite bathroom with washbasin. From the hall you also reach a corridor with door on the left to a double bedroom in the tower with stone on sight. A door in the hall opens into the room's complete bathroom with shower. At the end of the hall a flight of stone steps lead back down to the ground floor with access to the internal courtyard and to the northern approach to the Villa grounds.

The Tower: At the top of the wooden stairs is a landing with sitting room and hallway with two doors that open into a complete bathroom with shower and to a small laundry room with washbasin and washing machine. On the left of the landing are two wings of the Villa: one to the left called "Bellavista" and one to the right called "La Vecchia Torre."

"Bellavista" (225 sqft): Hallway with door on the right to a double bedroom, door at the end of the hallway to a spacious dining room with Asian day bed with canopy, while to the left and down three steps, is another hallway with door to a utilities room, to a small kitchen with gas range, oven, fridge fitted into the counter, and door to a complete bathroom with shower.

"La Vecchia Torre" (381 sqft): Hallway with door to a twin bedroom with beds that can be united on request, open passage into a spacious kitchen/dining room and steps down to a complete bathroom with shower and to a utilities room with fridge. From the hallway, two short ramps of wooden stairs lead to a living room with fireplace. From this room, a final flight of wooden steps lead up to the top of the tower with double bedroom and small ensuite bathroom.

The Villa is elegant and comfortably furnished in refined good taste with original pieces from Asia and modern amenities. The ceilings boast wood beams on sight and the floors are in the original cotto tiles. Whitewashed walls in combination with stone on sight complete the typical Tuscan style. The windows have mosquito screens and all bathrooms have shower stalls with curtains. The Villa offers telephone, Internet access and 2 baby cots. The price includes housekeeping service 5 hours daily from Monday to Saturday. Extra hours dedicated to washing and ironing personal laundry are charged at 15 Euros per hour.

The caretaker of the Villa has been there for over 20 years and is an excellent cook, available for this service three times weekly (on request at time of booking) and prepares full meals, pizzas in the outside oven, or barbecues. Please call for details. Extra linen changes are charged at Euros 20 per bed.

Water use may be limited, if supply is depleted, guests are responsible for replacement cost. Central gas heating is at an extra cost.

Location:

• Panzano in Chianti with shops, facilities and restaurants: 4.5 miles
• Greve in Chianti: 7.5 miles
• Florence airport: 22.5 miles
• Pisa airport is a 90-minute drive