The gamekeepers abode

OVERVIEW Guardia 1

What used to be the gamekeepers dwelling lies on the edge of the Pietrafitta hamlet and overlooks the pool and the surrounding rolling hills covered in woods and olive groves. The floor above used to house the hamlets school, today it can also be rented by the week.
You enter the Casa del Guardia over the small piazzetta shared with the house Pera. The large living room is the center of the holiday apartment. The kitchen opens onto a private terrace for outdoor meals. One double and one single bedroom share a bathroom.
Internet access free of charge available in the apartment.

Amenities and services

Floorplan of the villa

Ground floor
Living and dining room
Kitchen
1 double bedroom
1 single bedroom
1 bathroom (tub)

Garden :

Private terrace equipped with table and seats
Shared infinity pool (18x6m) for all guests of the estate. Small pool (3x3m) for children. Outdoor shower. Panoramic outdoor area equipped for barbecue.

ESTATE: Borgo di Pietrafitta

The hamlet of Pietrafitta is supremely located in the heart of the Chianti region, half way between Florence and Siena, not far from San Gimignano, Volterra. The name Pietrafitta can be loosely translated by «stone pressed into the ground » marking a tollgate on the old road from Siena to Florence. This road can still be retraced through the hamlet and then into neighbouring woods.

As in a picture book, the hamlet lies on top of a hill, overlooking the world famous Tuscan hills covered in manicured vineyards, silvery-green olive groves and vast forests of gnarled evergreen oaks.

The farmhouses loosely gather around the main villa surrounded by a charming formal garden. At the summit of the hamlet the family chapel  – which can be used for wedding ceremonies –  continues to placidly oversee the daily to and fro of locals and travellers alike.

The estate can accomodate up to 50 guests in 15 units sleeping from 2 to 8 people. A large majority of the houses has its own garden space. The infinity pool and a beautifully planned barbecue area are shared by all guests.

Cinzia Spatafora, the manager of Borgo di Pietrafitta, will go out of her way to help you plan your days. She will help you choose the right restaurant, find amusing activities for your children, order museum tickets so as to avoid the daunting cues in front of Florence’ and Siena’s main attractions, give you expert advice on walks in the surrounding, and more and more.

The estate produces its own Chianti Classico wine and extra virgin olive oil which can be tasted and bought on the premises.

ACTIVITIES

• The nearest village Castellina in Chianti is a small medieval town nestled at the top of a rolling green hill at an altitude of 578m. Via Ferrucci, a pedestrian zone, is the main street and home to a number of restaurants, some with outdoor seating. Castellina is dominated by its early 15th century castle. The parish church San Salvatore contains an important fresco of the enthroned Madonna attributed to Bicci di Lorenzo.
• The Chianti area: Famous for its wines – the Chianti Classico – this area of Tuscany has more than just world-class oenological pleasures to offer. You will come across many delightful villages, each of them with a history of its own. Let us simply mention gems such as the romanesque church of Sant’Appiano, the Basilica of Impruneta, the fortified Castle of Montefioralle in Greve in Chianti, the Church of San Leolino and the Oratory of Sant`Eufrosino in Panzano in Chianti , the Castello di Brolio in Gaiole in Chianti, the roofless romanesque abbey of San Galgano which are all close. And don’t miss the Saturday market in the small town of Greve in Chianti on  the famous Piazza del Mercato.
• Badia a Passignano –The splendid monastery of Badia a Passignano takes the form of a quadrangular fortified monastic complex with corner towers. Towards the middle of the 15 C the convent was augmented by the addition of cloisters and a wall. Information regarding the year of the Badia’s foundation is unclear. In 1049 Badia passed into the Vallombrosano order, a reformed branch of the Benedictines. In 1545, the abbey became an important theological, literary and scientific study centre; the monastery chronicles report that Galileo Galilei taught mathematics here from 1587-1588. The monastery is still today occupied by the Valombrosiani monk community.
• The „Strada Chiantigiana“ (SR 222) an ancient road leading from Florence to Siena is full of spectacular scenery, historic sites and the romance of the Tuscany region of Italy. This back road runs through rolling hills overgrown with vineyards to Chianti’s small cities and towns such as Greve, Radda, and Gaiole.
• Hot Springs: In Tuscany there are several natural hot springs feed by volcanic water from 30 to 55 degrees Celsius. Some of them have been known from Etruscan and roman times like Calidario and Saturnia. You can add to your holiday in Tuscany a day in a thermal hot spring.
• Siena: The Sienese have no doubt, their town is the most beautiful in all of Tuscany, if not all of Italy. Siena has remained a Gothic city. Renaissance, one of the major influences in Florence, hardly affected the urban development of Siena. The city unfolds around the main shell-shaped square called “Il Campo.” Twice a year the famous horse race known as the “Palio” takes place here. The narrow streets are lined with old shops and small cafes, while churches and museums are real treasures of the fourteenth century.
• Florence: The city lies on the Arno River and is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture. A centre of medieval European trade and finance, the city is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance; in fact, it has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. It was long under the de facto rule of the Medici family. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. The historic centre of Florence continues to attract millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.
• San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. It is mainly famous for its medieval architecture, especially its towers, which may be seen from several kilometers outside the town. The town also is known for the white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, grown in the area.
• Ballooning In Tuscany: This is a unique experience to see the real, old Tuscany, as yet almost untouched by tourism. Robert Etherington, who lives in the village of Montisi, organizes morning flights (starting at about 6 am) which last more than an hour. Afterwards you will enjoy a champagne breakfast laid out in the fields where you land. The whole flight, from inflation to return to base, takes about three and half hours. The ballooning season is approximately late Spring to early Autumn.  www.ballooningintuscany.com

RATES

GUEST REVIEWS, Guardia 1, Borgo di Pietrafitta

LOCATION

Borgo di Pietrafitta lies in the heart of the Chianti region. The village of Castellina in Chianti, at 4 kilometer from the Estate offers excellent shopping facilites and restaurants.