The best way to see Tuscany, Italy is from your own private villa
Staying in one of these idyllic country homes offers the chance to experience the relaxed, wine-infused pace of this glorious slice of Italy. Here is the best way to do it.
Breakfasts of dusky-pink prosciutto and slivers of salty pecorino, piled on to thick slices of freshly baked pane commune. Late afternoon walks through olive groves, the silver foliage backlit by buttery-gold sunlight. That first crisp, cold glass of Vermentino, taken on a vine-shaded terrace, with a bowl of fennel-flavoured taralli to nibble on as we decide which trattoria to stroll to for dinner. These are the things I remember from villa holidays in Italy; not the ancient churches, or the elegant hilltop towns – although those were lovely too.
Instead, my favourite memories are moments, when reality blurred just enough to feel that the gorgeous, terracotta-hued villa we were staying in might just be mine. Tuscany, like New York and Venice, is one of those places that feels hugely familiar even if you haven’t visited. It’s featured in hundreds of travelogues, rom-coms and stories of redoubtable women who threw it all up for a life among the vines. But here’s the thing: it actually is as beautiful as it looks, one of those rare places that exceeds expectations; a patchwork of vineyards and olive groves, overlooked by medieval towns perched on top of the low hills that rise and fall across the region. And while Tuscany has plenty of opulent hotels, staying in a villa offers the chance to really experience the slow, wine-infused, sunset-rich pace of this glorious slice of Italy.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit Tuscany several times over the years; the first was years ago with friends, staying in a villa big enough for 12 of us. I remember the bright, airy kitchen, with a long, scrubbed pine table and bunches of dried oregano and marjoram hanging from hooks above the stove. The villa company arranged for a local chef to come to teach us all how to make pasta; I can see us now, all floured-up fingers and herbs scattered everywhere, a great pile of roughly made tortellini forming in the middle of the table.
A more recent trip with my husband was quieter, less fuelled by Valpolicella, but no less memorable. I spent a considerable amount of time stretched out on a wicker lounger, gazing out over the vineyards that surrounded the property. People talk about the food in Tuscany, the wine, the history and all are wonderful, but it’s the light that gets me, as if everything has been infused by one of those Instagram filters that makes everything seem warmer. The sunsets feel more honeyed and golden than anywhere else, the hills a melty, pistachio-green; even the houses glow in the sunlight, walls the colour of warm sand on a summer’s evening.
Tuscany has its own special soundtrack, too. Stay in a villa, surrounded only by leafy vines and shady olive groves, and the natural world creeps back in; the gentle knock of cuckoos echoing across the fields, goldfinch and nightingales singing in the trees, the rhythmic buzz of cicadas as the sun starts to sink behind the hills. At night, the owls begin their conversations, hooting back and forth, while porcupine and deer rustle through the undergrowth.
One of the magical things about Tuscany is how unspoilt much of it remains, despite the millions of tourists who visit each year. Away from the big drawcards – Florence and Siena, San Gimignano and Lucca – the countryside is latticed with quiet roads that lace together historic estates and lovingly converted farmhouses with picturesque villages. Staying in a villa makes it easy to access these less-visited places, where even the smallest grocery shop has a deli counter stacked with local cheeses and salumeria, and simple trattorias serve delicious wines from nearby vineyards that will never find their way into hotel cellars.
And if staying in a villa feels a little isolated, the best rental companies can supply everything from restaurant recommendations (and reservations) to local guides, chefs and ideas for hiking routes or places to visit. Many employ local managers, who can be a great source of insider tips, from which vineyard offers the best tastings to the must-try traditional recipes. Exploring independently is one of the best ways to get under the skin of this region. Pop to the local shop for breakfast goodies, meet a local winemaker, stand in the kitchen slicing tomatoes bought from the market earlier in the day.
And of course, staying in a villa offers exactly the same chance to visit Tuscany’s unique historic and cultural sites, from Florence’s glorious Duomo and the unparalleled Uffizi Gallery to the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa and Siena’s historic Piazza del Campo. The only difference? At the end of the day, tired, hot and dusty, you come back to find your favourite local wine in the fridge, the kitchen stocked with goodies from the market and no one else to spoil the view. Your very own Tuscan home, in fact, for a week or two at least.
How to rent a villa in Italy
With more than 100 villas in Tuscany, Italian Villa Vacations has properties for every type of holiday, from rural palazzos for extended family get-togethers to converted farmhouses that are wonderfully romantic retreats for two.
Helping people find their perfect Tuscan retreat for more than 25 years, To Tuscany’s experienced villa specialists can recommend everything from luxury estates and hilltop homes to elegantly restored farmhouses.
Award-winning Abercrombie & Kent Villas offers luxurious properties of all sizes, including five country estates in Chianti, bookable for exclusive use, with a number of additional services, such as local chefs, guided tours and bike and car hire.
With elegant properties in every corner of Tuscany, from the cypress-studded hills of the Val d’Orcia to vineyard-clad Chianti and the historic streets of Florence, CV Villas also offers the Above Collection of exceptional villas that come with private staff.
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