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Manfredi - Siena
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Accommodates 4 — 2 Bedrooms —
2 Baths — Air-Conditioning To immerse oneself for a week or more in the heart
of Siena’s centro storico must be one of life’s
great indulgences. No longer off the beaten path, Siena manages
its influx of tourists with dignity and efficiency. The center
really is off-limits to traffic, and exceptions are not granted
to virtually anyone, as in Florence or in Rome. The absence
of traffic alone renders Siena one of Italy’s most gracious
small cities.
Our Manfredi flat, a really upscale accommodation ideal for two couples or a family, is housed in a Renaissance palace smack in the middle of everything. Owned by the same Sienese family which produced two of the twelve Piuses, the palace lies within a 2- to 10-minute walk of virtually everything you might want to see in Siena: the Campo, where the
world-famous Palio takes place every July and August; the
Duomo and its splendid museum; the church of San Domenico;
and the Pinacoteca. Not to mention Italy’s premier music
conservatory, the Accademia Chigiana, which plays host to
a wonderful program of visiting musicians throughout the year.
On a practical level, staying in the Manfredi flat means
you’re just a few steps away from restaurants, coffee
bars, banks, post office, grocer, bakery, butcher – absolutely
everything you need for full immersion in the daily life of
a real Italian city.
Finally, Siena makes a splendid base from which to visit the
marvels of Chianti country, as well as Florence, only an hour
away by express bus. But most of all, you get to explore the
area south of Siena, which we happen to think is Italy’s
most beautiful, and far less touristed than overrated Chianti.
We mean the area of the crete senesi and the Val d’Orcia.
Wonderful places like Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano, and
San Quirico d’Orcia. Unforgettable Bagno Vignoni, where
Tarkovsky filmed Nostalghia. And three of our absolute favorite
sights in all of the Italian countryside: ruined Cistercian
church of SanGalgano, and the abbeys of Sant’Antimo and
Monte Oliveto Maggiore.
Do you need a car to see all
that stuff? Probably it’s a good idea. But the reality
is they’re all reachable via bus or minor train lines
from Siena. How about parking in Siena? Difficult, but not
impossible, as there are numerous and very good municipal
parking garages which issue permits good for a week.
Our Manfredi flat sits on the American third floor of the palazzo. The lift leads up to the fourth floor, and you then have to walk down 13 steps to enter the flat. Large windows all either overlook the lovely palace courtyard or enjoy outstanding views of the townscape and, beyond, the vineclad hills of the Chianti countryside.
The living/dining room is comfortably furnished with good seating and a dining table for 8. One of the pretty much equal bedrooms has an indivisible matrimonial bed and en-suite marble bath with shower over tub; the other has joinable twins and a marble en-suite shower room. The separate eat-in kitchen is fully equipped, and the flat is air-conditioned as well. Amenities include washing machine, dishwasher, microwave, American coffee maker, satellite TV, CD player, stereo/radio, and American/European DVD system. You’ll need to have your own portable phone here; there are public internet points within steps of the flat; otherwise, you can bring your Blackberry, iPhone, or other such device.
| Rates: |
1 week |
2 weeks |
3 weeks |
4 weeks |
| |
2,900 euros |
1,900 euros
per week |
1,600 euros
per week |
1,400 euros
per week |
| Extras: |
$150 final cleaning; flat-rate utilities |
| Arrival: |
Any
day but Saturday |
| Minimum stay: |
1 week,
with extra days pro-rated |
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