Gigliola Farmhouses - Tuscany

The owner of the Villa Gigliola has now restored a series of lovely farmhouse accommodations lodged in a completely independent structure on the property. In addition, she has fixed up two fully free-standing farmhouses on her estate, one of which, Il Fienile, has its own swimming pool. None of these farmhouse accommodations interferes with the villa; nor does the villa interfere with the farmhouses.

Furnishings are mostly tasteful new pieces, with extremely comfortable beds and brand-new baths. Every bedroom has its own bathroom, unusual in accommodations of this sort. All kitchens have dishwashers, and there is a clothes washer in a common laundry room. (Fienile and Casa Gialla have their own washers.) Each accommodation has its own private phone line which allows for an accurate, computerized accounting at the end of your stay. In fact, the Gigliola farmhouse accommodations are, in our opinion, first-rate in every way, at good prices.

Read over all of the introductory material on Villa La Gigliola. It applies as well to the farmhouses. The tennis court, however, is not available for farmhouse guests; it is reserved for the villa. As mentioned, Il Fienile has its own swimming pool. All of the other units use yet another large swimming pool located below the pool reserved for the villa. Adjacent to the estate office is a computer with a high-speed internet connection for guests' use at their convenience."

Torre
Accommodates 6 — 3 Bedrooms — 3.5 Baths

It is a shame to call this fully independent accommodation a “flat” or “apartment”, but that is what it is, though it is fully independent and has no sense whatsoever of “apartmentiness”. As its name suggests, it occupies the tower of the farmhouse. A set of exterior stairs leads to the first floor of the Torre where you’ll find two bedrooms, each with joinable twins, each with its own bath (one shower over tub; the other shower only). On a “mezzanine” level is the third bedroom with an indivisible matrimonial bed and its own (small) bath with shower only. Upstairs again are a large living room with fireplace, a guest half-bath, and an open-plan kitchen/dining room giving out onto a spectacular terrace enjoying lovely views over the surroundings. The terrace is plenty big enough for outdoor dining.

Terrazza
Accommodates 6 — 3 Bedrooms — 3 Baths

Terrazza is the same size as Torre, but it is all on one level, namely, the American second floor, accessed completely independently from an outside staircase. (By simply opening a door, by the way, Torre and Terrazza can become one large place for 12.) You enter into a capacious living room with fireplace, and then into the dining room and separate kitchen, which gives out onto a charming terrace ideal for dining and lounging outdoors. One bedroom with indivisible matrimonial bed has a bath with both a tub and separate shower stall. The second bedroom has joinable twins and a bath with shower over tub. The third bedroom has an indivisible matrimonial bed with shower only.

Fattore
Accommodates 6 — 3 Bedrooms — 3 Baths

A tiny bit smaller than Torre and Terrazza, Fattore has the big advantage of immediate access to the grounds, being partly on the ground floor. And yet it’s by no means dark. On the ground floor you’ll find the living/dining room with fireplace, kitchen, and bath with shower over tub. Upstairs are one matrimonial bedroom with en-suite bath (shower over tub) plus two other bedrooms, one matrimonial and one twin, sharing a hall bath with shower only. Nice garden area equipped for outdoor lounging and dining.

Limonaia
Accommodates 4 — 2 Bedrooms — 2 Baths

Limonaia is the end flat in the farmhouse building and quite removed from the other units. It has a particularly pleasant open-plan living/dining/kitchen with good light provided by unusually large windows. It has a “summerhouse” feeling. Two bedrooms, one an indivisible matrimonial and one with joinable twins, complete the accommodation, along with two baths, one with shower over tub, the other with shower only. Delightful outdoor space immediately in front. An excellent, reasonably priced accommodation for two couples or for a small family.

Frantoio
Accommodates 2 — 1 Bedroom — 1 Bath

One of the nicest accommodations for two people which we have seen. Big open-plan living/ dining/kitchen with fireplace, plus matrimonial bedroom with en-suite bath (shower over tub). Immediate access to outdoor garden.

Il Fienile
Accommodates 4 — 2 Bedrooms — 2 Baths

Il Fienile means “hayloft” and this is what it one was. The owner of Gigliola has recently transformed Il Fienile into a particularly attractive holiday home ideal for a small family or for two couples. The biggest plus of Il Fienile is its completely private swimming pool overlooking charming countryside. The cottage contains a nice living/dining room with fireplace and good seating; a small kitchen; and on the ground floor a bedroom with indivisible matrimonial bed and bath with tub and hand-held shower. Upstairs, in what was the true hayloft, is a second bedroom with joinable twins and a bathroom identical to the one below. The cottage has some drawbacks: the baths are a bit awkward to use; and there is some noise from the little-trafficked adjacent road. Fienile does, however, have its own phone and washing machine. We highly recommend Il Fienile; it must be one of the most reasonably priced such accommodations left in Tuscany.

Casa Gialla
Accommodates 6 — 3 Bedrooms — 3 Baths

We loved Casa Gialla when we finally saw it for the first time in October 2000. The exterior woodwork on this fully-free cottage plus the multiplicity of windows lends Casa Gialla something of the flavor of an early 20th- century country cottage, though the yellow stucco marks it as unmistakably Italian. The site is delightful, overlooking the double swimming pools of Villa Gigliola and of the Gigliola farmhouses, in addition to delightful surrounding countryside. (In summer, you’ll undoubtedly hear the sounds of children in the pools nearby, though obviously not after dark.) The location on the estate is quite private, as it is situated below the villa among a small grove of trees, making it particularly pleasant in summer. Developing over two floors, Casa Gialla is composed of a glass-enclosed L-shaped living/dining room, separate kitchen, two matrimonial bedrooms and one twin, plus three baths, two with shower only and one with shower over tub. Telephone, washing machine, independent heating, use of farmhouse swimming pool. We don’t know of a more pleasant, more reasonably priced accommodation for three couples or two small families in all of Tuscany.