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Villa Scansano - Tuscany/Maremma
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Accommodates 10 — 5 bedrooms —
5 baths
Swimming Pool — High-Speed
Internet
Where is “Maremma”, precisely? It’s a wonderfully scenic area, not precisely defined, in southwesternmost Tuscany, including both a long coastline and an extensive hilly interior famous for both vineyards and olive groves. We visited the region on an unbelievably gorgeous warm sunny October day. The Maremma is an agricultural area, and you can sample the wine, oil, cheese, and charcuterie everywhere you turn.
Scansano, the nearest town to our Villa Scansano, is a bustling, untouristy town with medieval streets and walls which are well preserved. This is the town anyone occupying the Villa Scansano would use as a primary resource for excellent restaurants and all shops and services. Some of Tuscany’s most charming and least heralded (hence least crowded) hill towns and villages are within a short distance. You won’t recognize many of the names, but we assure you they’re all worth a visit: Istia d’Ombrone; Montepo’; Roccalbegna with its impressive castle; Pereta, a particularly charming medieval hamlet; and Magliano in Toscana, with splendid 15th-century fortifications.
More on-the-beaten-path attractions include the delightful village of Montemerano, with its Michelin-starred restaurant Caino; Saturnia, with its famous thermal springs; and, most wonderful of all, though a tiny bit further away, the triad of medieval hilltop jewels Pitigliano, Sorano, and Sovana. Capalbio, closer to the coast, is not only a lovely hilltown but also the site of the French-American artist Niki de Saint-Phalle’s Giardino dei Tarocchi, delightful for both children and adults alike. And finally, you’re within striking distance of world-class sites like Siena, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Pienza, Massa Marittima, and the abbey of Sant’Antimo.
That takes care of the inland possibilities. The coast? Well, you’re within just a few miles of some of the most pleasant seaside resorts Italy has to offer. The Argentario peninsula is especially elegant, especially its two 5-star resort villages, Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole. Ansedonia is also very pleasant. We happen to love two old “fishing villages”, Talamone and Orbetello. Several excellent golf courses are within an hour’s drive of the property. Good beaches, good diving, good boating, good eating.
A week is fine in this area, but we ourselves would opt for two. There’s that much to see and do. But is the Maremma an area for a first-timer to Italy? Probably not. If you’re traveling to Italy for the first time, you’ll likely want to see well-known destinations, and not only Rome, Florence, and Venice, but also perhaps the Lakes, the Amalfi Coast, Assisi, maybe the Cinque Terre. Once you’ve gotten at least some of these under your belt, it might be the occasion for a visit to the “real”, more genuinely authentic Italy. And the Maremma fits that bill to a tee.
Let’s turn then to our Villa Scansano. You’d never know it by looking at it, but it’s virtually a brand-new house on old foundations. Its Milanese owners have produced a villa thoroughly respectful of its surroundings: yellowish stucco outer walls, with terracotta floors and open beamed ceilings within. Downstairs, you’ve got a big living room with working fireplace; wonderfully modern kitchen/dining room; office corner with computer, FAX, phone, and ADSL connection; guest half-bath; and a master bed/bathroom suite. All beds at Villa Scansano are excellent and can be made up as either queen or twin, depending on the exigencies of the group. Upstairs are 4 more-or-less-equal bedrooms with 4 en-suite or immediately adjacent baths. All windows are screened. Furnishings are a highly stylish mixture of family antiques and local rustic pieces.
Outside you’ll find both covered and open-air lounging and dining areas, all of which enjoy tremendous views. The house sits on 17 hectares of land (about 40 acres), but its proximity to Scansano and other even closer villages means that it definitely doesn’t feel isolated: just private.
Daily housekeeping is included at Villa Scansano, and you can arrange for extra services as well: personal laundry and ironing; childcare; food shopping and cooking. A good, simple arrival meal is offered as part of the rental, eliminating the worry of having to shop for food or go out to a restaurant on the very first night.
| Rates: |
June 27-
August 29
|
April 11-18;
May 2-June 27;
Aug 29-Oct 3;
Dec 19-Jan 9, 2009
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Other
periods
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4,150
euros
per week |
3,700 euros
per week |
3,400
euros
per week |
| Extras: |
Final cleaning: 150 euros
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| Arrival: |
Saturday
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Minimum stay:
|
1 week
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| Pool open: |
May 16
- September 26 |
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