Villa Felceto is around 580m above sea level, with long distance views to Monte Amiata and a handful of villages whose lights twinkle at night. The house sits on a saddle of land in the middle of the Val D'Orcia countryside – there are virtually no other houses in sight, and nothing to disturb the eye.
It has been designed to sleep twelve people comfortably, and to divide in half for two families if required. Each half can exist independently with its own entrance, kitchen, sitting and dining rooms. At over 500 sm. the house has a very un-crowded six bedrooms, five ensuite bathrooms, and spacious reception rooms. In the winter you can snuggle into a huge oval sofa in front of a log fire, and in the summer the thick stone walls keep the house unusually cool. The house has recently been restored to the highest standards; for instance every floor and bathroom tile has been hand-made. Yet the bathrooms are light and modern, and the water positively gushes. The swimming pool is discretely placed down the hill from the house; just out of sight and in a situation of complete privacy. It has been designed to share the same views as the main house, and to have areas of complete shade for reading and relaxing.
If you wish we can arrange for meals to be cooked for you, by our Italian staff, and left in the kitchen so that you can heat and serve them whenever you wish; the wine cellar is also left stocked so that you can help yourself to whatever you want. There is a big reading library, strong on art history, general history, and novels, as well as Sky TV for those who enjoy it.
The owners have young children and the house is designed to be child friendly; one bedroom is dedicated to children's needs being cool and quiet, with a cot, and well stocked with books and toys.
If you like spas then one of the best in Europe is only six kilometres away. The resort was built by the Grand Duke Ferdinand I de Medici in the seventeenth century around thermal springs famous for their healing properties. It now comprises seven pools, hot and cold, inside and outdoor, as well as a ‘Wellness Centre' that ‘provides complete health and beauty spa experiences for face and body'. Visit www.fonteverdespa.com.
For visitors The Val D'Orcia in Southern Tuscany is looser, less well groomed you may say, than the North of the county – it appeals to country lovers who prefer the company of vertiginous views and gem-like smaller towns to the manicured vineyards and jostling cities of the North. It also appeals to the touring aesthete, who wants a base from which to visit the extraordinary assembly of local towns. Our part of Italy, the Val D'Orcia, has comparatively few tourists, Italian is still spoken in the restaurants and bars, menus are not bilingual, and prices are modest. Yet we are within a day's trip of a plethora of beautiful places to visit. Our shortlist includes: • Abbadia S. Salvatore • Acquapendente • Arezzo • Assisi • Castiglione del Lago • Chiusi • Citta della Pieve • Florence • Lago di Bolsena • Lago di Trasimeno • Montalcino • Monte Amiato • Montepulciano • Orvieto • Perugia • Pienza • Pitigliano • Sarteano • S. Quirico d'Orcia • Siena We are also in the center of an area famous for outdoor activities including ski-ing, walking and horse-riding. Nearby Monte Amiata, rising to 1728m, attracts many thousands of local skiers in the winter months although to be fair the runs are short compared to Alpine resorts. If you would like to walk, the house is on very edge of the huge national park called Monte Ruffeno which is covered in forests of oak and chestnut and full of wildlife. For the horse rider there are two local stables, and one of them, Il Poggio, has been recently patronized by Camilla Duchess of Cornwall when on a riding tour of Tuscany. Thermal baths may appeal more in the colder months; in the summer there are the local lakes (Bolsema, Trasimeno, Chiusi) all of which have beach facilities and cater for visitors wanting to swim and sunbathe.
And if you want to stay home you can relax on the beautiful pergola covered terrace, enjoy the 20 kilometre view, and open a bottle of prosecco – straight out of ‘Cooking with Fernet Branca' perhaps!
Guest comments:
‘What an amazing week of enjoyment and contrasts: heat, sun, pelting rain, frescoes in Arezzo, blackberry picking, Etruscan baths, cows grazing in the dusk next to your very beautiful house. It has been a memorable holiday.' 27 August 2007
‘Words are not enough to express our happiness whilst we have been here. We have explored so many charming villages, learnt so much of Italian history, and enjoyed living amongst the beautiful scenery that captures you every time you look out of the windows of Felceto. We were lucky enough to see deer most days, and we were so pleased to see the spring flowers emerging in the wood before we left.' 3 March 2008
‘The house and Tuscany pulled out all the stops for us. New amazing views at every turn, the weather - a forecaster's nightmare – hot sun to snow, frost and gales to blow one over. The wildlife joined in and we've seen deer, hares, and even a wild boar'. 14 March 2008
