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Villa di Pratomagno Authentic Italy - Green Vacations - Historic Residence - Romantic Lodgings |
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Have you ever wondered where Leonardo da Vinci was inspired to paint the soft shadows in his landscapes? Many think it was right here, in the Tuscan region called Pratomagno. Certainly the views are incomparable across the broad Arno Valley, ringed with mountains and lined with vineyards, vast fields and tiny hamlets. When you stand in the beautifully tended formal Italian garden that fronts this very stately mansion, you might feel as if you were soaring through the clouds. They call this spot Il Belvedere and when you find out that means “beautiful sight” in Italian, then the reasons are all too clear. Indeed, it was most likely this sweeping view that led to the villa’s being built here in the first place, atop a medieval watchtower that had itself been erected alongside an ancient road built by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. With a vantage point like this, no enemies would likely be surprising the Centurions, the 14th-century merchants, or the extremely wealthy 17th-century family who needed to protect the vast amounts of land and properties they owned between Castelfranco di Sopra and Loro Ciuffenna. In the 18th century, a local abbot asked the family to build a small chapel on the property; this they did, and the delightful place of worship has now been perfectly restored. After belonging to only two families for almost 300 years, in 1935 the entire property was bequeathed to a group of friars, who used it as a monastery until the 1980s. If it is a cliché in Italy that the monks and nuns always find the most beautiful places to live, few examples offer better proof than this one!
The most recent turnover took place in 2001, when the current owners purchased the estate. The challenges of restoring the 300-year-old-property initially tested their resolve and tempered their enthusiasm, but as the magnificent villa gradually recovered her past beauty and character, the restoration effort became a deep passion, and today this is once again a small paradise to be shared by those who seek peace and quiet, glorious views, and simple but elegant comfort in the Tuscan hills.
There are only ten rooms at Villa di Pratomagno. Each is furnished with exquisite taste and simplicity, and offers a kettle, mini-fridge, safe, modern wardrobe with drawers, telephone with modem connection, and satellite TV, as well as a private bathroom with bathtub or stall shower. Attic is a single room with a lovely view of the front garden, plus bathroom with stall shower. Arch is a spacious room on the ground floor with two twin beds or one king bed, and bathroom with bathtub. The original stone floor dates back to the 19th century. Next door is Fountain, a large double room with a very beautiful wrought-iron double bed and sconces, all made by local artisans; its bathroom has a stall shower. These two rooms are both reached directly from the garden and are perfect for two couples or a family of four. Bishop’s Room, a cozy double room painted a delicate light blue, is on the main floor with a lovely view of the front garden. This room’s original fresco decorations, very old wooden ceiling and terracotta floors have been patiently and carefully restored, and the furnishings are all authentic antiques. The bathroom has a stall shower. Then there is Tulips, a delightful double room with views of the olive grove and the Pratomagno mountains. The headboard of its double bed was crafted from a 17th-century iron decoration that was originally part of an altar gate, and its bathroom has a stall shower. Terracotta is a very large double room with pretty 19th-century terracotta fireplace, daybed, three windows with a wonderful panoramic view of the Tuscan landscape, and bathroom with clawfoot bathtub. Swallows takes its name from the birds which inhabit the eaves overhanging its two windows, every year in springtime. This light blue room with a king or twin beds has nice views of the olive groves, and the bathroom has a bathtub. Alcove also has a bathtub, and its bedroom is a warm pastel pink, with a queen bed in a niche between two comfortable wardrobes. Little Suite has a double room with queen bed, plus a separate sitting room with a single sleep sofa, and of course a private bathroom with stall shower. Next door is Fireplace, a very large double room with a typical country fireplace and two picture windows overlooking the garden. The antique furniture includes an impressive 19th-century wrought-iron bed, and the bathroom has a bathtub. Fireplace and Little Suite can be joined to make a suite for 5 people.
The peaceful relaxation at Villa di Pratomagno extends to the elegant 18 x 30-foot swimming pool, whose wrought-iron furniture is shaded by fruit trees. As you lounge here after your many day trips to the nearby hill towns, you may catch a whiff from the neighboring herb garden, or you may just revel in the sun as it sets across the picturesque valley and behind the mountains, which form a backdrop here, just as they did in Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings.
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CLOSED JANUARY-MID MARCH
For this property:
A child 0-6 years old stays free in its parents’ double room. Baby cribs are available free of charge.
Please request a ground-floor room if you prefer not to climb one flight of stairs.
Tennis is available five minutes from the villa. Horseback riding is also available nearby. Mountain bikes are available for hire.
Click here for information about private transfers to the property.
Please note that you need a car to stay here.
It is not possible to guarantee Internet access at any property, because the property does not generate the service, it merely provides access from a server. If the server experiences any kind of problem at all, the property regrets it cannot be responsible for any inconvenience caused by subsequent lack of service.
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