PODERE LUCIA - MONTICCHIELLO

6 Bedrooms

Location and Surrounding Area

Property 10775 lies just ten minutes outside Monticchiello, a pretty town offering all of the necessary nearby shops, bars, restaurants and services that you might need. The glorious Val d'Orcia is within easy reach of many of the marvels that Tuscany has to offer. It's only a short drive to the wonders of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Renaissance town of Pienza and home of arguably the finest wine producing area in Italy.

The marvellous natural scenery of the surrounding Val d'Orcia has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Site for years. It is the very same, almost untouched landscape so beloved of the masters of the Sienese School of painting during the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries; rolling hillsides, cypress trees, vineyards, clusters of olive groves and magnificent castles.

Montepulciano is a stunning hilltop Renaissance town and the Cantucci family, for example, has been creating fine wines since the 1700s and is considered one of the founding fathers of the exceptional red wine, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Another sought-after red wine, the Brunello di Montalcino, has been produced in the hills around Montalcino since the early 14th century, partly due to the fact that Montalcino has the warmest and driest climate in Tuscany.

This same mild climate means that golfers can play all year round on some of Italy's most seductive golf courses. The prestigious 18-hole Golf dell'Ugolino, for example, is the oldest Golf club in Italy. It even features in Chris Santella's best-selling book, “Fifty places to play golf before you die”. The Castiglion del Bosco golf course has 18 holes and was designed by Tom Weiskopf, winner of the British Open. It boasts an unparalleled playing experience and is Italy's only Golf Club to be set within a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Perugia is an enchanting university city famous for its art, culture, summer jazz festival and chocolate! Perugia was home to the painter Pietro Vannuci, known as Perugino and teacher to Raphael the great Renaissance artist. Vannuci's frescoes still decorate the Sala del Cambio and there are various paintings in the National Gallery of Umbria in Perugia.

Property 10775 is about an hour and a half's drive from Florence international airport and two and a half hours from Rom's international airports. The nearest town, Monticchiello is only ten minutes down the road, Pienza and Montepulciano are about 20 minutes away. The nearest train station is at Chiusi and is only 25 minutes from the house.

The Property. This magnificent country property is the home of an Italian designer with superb taste and offers luxurious accommodation spread over the main house and the adjacent cottage. Property 10775 generally sleeps up to 11 guests but if required, there is a flexible option of adding two further guests in twin beds on the mezzanine floor in the cottage.

Main house. The main house has three gorgeous, double bedrooms on the first floor, each with an en suite bathroom and a ceiling fan. There is also a lovely living room/studio on the first floor with an open fireplace, long table, satellite TV and double doors leading out to a set of outdoor steps down to the garden.

The spacious sitting room on the ground floor has plenty of seating for everyone to gather together around the fireplace in the evenings. There is also a card table, a film projector plus retractable screen and Satellite/SKY TV for your entertainment. The sitting room has three double doors out into the courtyard, which creates an uplifting sense of space and continuity with the outdoors.

The country-style kitchen has everything you might need if you decide to try your hand at recreating authentic local dishes. In addition to all the conveniences of a modern kitchen, there is a large island in the middle of the kitchen, a traditional Tuscan grill and useful food pantry. The large, kitchen table is absolutely perfect for informal breakfasts and lazy coffee mornings. Double doors lead straight out to the shady pergola with its panoramic, al fresco dining table for 12 people. If you choose to eat inside, the dining room seats up to ten guests and also has double doors onto the outdoor dining area.

To complete the downstairs accommodation in the main house, there is a handy guest bathroom.

Cottage. This lovely Tuscan building sits right next to the main house and comfortably sleeps five guests in a double bedroom and a twin bedroom, all with en suite bathrooms, plus a large single room, known as the writer's room, also with its own en suite bathroom. The enormous sitting room features a marvellous long, wooden table and metal stairs lead up to an open-plan mezzanine area, which has two single beds for any extra guests. All of the bedrooms, except for these two extra beds, are on the ground floor. The cottage also has its own kitchen, which is usually used by the staff.

The extensive gardens and grounds offer a large swimming pool with a furnished poolside area, shady pergola and a hammock. You'll also find a large, organic vegetable garden and fruit orchard, just right for picking yourself a fresh, healthy snack as you wander around. The front garden has a lovely sitting area around a firepit/barbecue, perfect for telling tall stories under the stars at night.