Casa Bella B&B Authentic Italy - Green Vacations

Character: Unique ancient farmhouse furnished by the owners - a family of decorators - with one-of-a-kind pieces you can also purchase. Advantages: Fantastic atmosphere for anyone who likes antiques or decorating; unbeatable location for day trips in Tuscany and Umbria; very friendly hosts; a wonderful home-cooked dinner is available at the restaurant. Location: In Valdichiana, about three miles from the A1 autostrada and the Siena-Perugia superstrada. The property is in the country with beautiful views, but also very near a tiny hamlet with a few shops and a restaurant. Siena, Assisi, Florence and Rome are all under an hour's drive. About 20 minutes to Montepulciano or Cortona. Click here to see a map. Size: Five double rooms with brand-new en suite bathrooms, including a very romantic one on the ground floor, and a duplex junior suite for three people. Features: Telephone with complimentary 24-hour-a-day DSL connection in every room, air conditioning, Internet access in the office, satellite TV (on request at arrival), screens on all the windows, hair dryers (on request). Swimming pool and restaurant. Price includes a very good breakfast. Minimum stay: Three nights. Disadvantages: No elevator; English speakers are not always available. Car needed: Yes.

If you decide to stay a few days in this Tuscan jewel-box, don't be surprised to find different furnishings than those that appear on this page. That is because your very friendly young hosts, Paolo and his brother Carlo, come from a large family of well-known antique dealers and interior decorators, and every single item in the house, from the largest four-poster bed to the classic clawfoot tub to the silver candlesticks, can be purchased (only by houseguests, of course). You may arrive in a sports car, but there's a chance you'll go away with a U-Haul and a big Cheshire cat grin on your face!

Casa Bella occupies a stone farmhouse that was built about 350 years ago. In those days, the gentleman who owned it most certainly chose its hilltop position so that he could keep an eye on all his animals, fields and vineyards. Our needs are less practical: all we want is the breathtaking views of the entire Chiana Valley, and front row seats on the big patio and in the garden for the fiery sunsets that light up the sky each evening. Although this spot is just a half dozen miles from the autostrada, it is way off the beaten track, about 12 miles from Montepulciano and from Cortona. You can drive to Florence, Assisi and Siena in just over an hour, and there are countless great restaurants - ranging from renowned La Chiusa to the most humble trattoria - within easy reach. Of course the easiest, and one of the very best, is the property's own restaurant, where we urge you to enjoy at least one dinner.

Another element contributing to the tranquility of this property is its size: no more than eleven guests can stay here at any time, in four double rooms and one junior suite, each with en suite bathroom. The ground floor, with its ancient terra cotta floor and huge fireplace, is almost all given over to comfortable sitting rooms and the cozy breakfast room, where everyone eats at the same long table. Your hosts take great pride in serving a delicious meal featuring fresh fruit, homemade croissants, cakes and jam, and eggs, meat and cheese on request. The one guestroom on this level, Number One, is small but very romantic. It features a queen-sized canopy bed, fireplace, desk, bathroom with stall shower, and a door opening onto the garden.

Upstairs, Number Two has a pair of picture windows overlooking the garden. The sun streams in on its green-striped walls, queen-sized bed, large wardrobe and bathroom with two sinks and bathtub with shower. Number Three is smaller, and ideal for a single person. Its bathroom has a shower. Number Four is a duplex junior suite featuring a single day bed, wardrobe and bathroom with shower on the lower level, and two twins or one double bed with bathtub on the loft above. Number Five has a wrought-iron queen-sized bed, a bookcase, wardrobe, and dresser. The bathroom, entirely frescoed in the Egyptian manner, has a stall shower.

For this property:
A child 0-3 years old sleeps free in its parents’ double room.
One animal is welcome.
Casa Bella is located near a small farm road. All the rooms except Number Three are on the rear of the house and only the very lightest of sleepers should hear any traffic.

Click here for information about half-day cooking lessons, pizza lessons or wine lessons nearby.

Please note that you need a car to stay here.

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