THE PERFECT TUSCAN VILLA FOR YOU AND 20 OF YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS

by YouShouldGoHere
June 20, 2000
in Go Here, Stay Here
0

NOTE: THESE ARE LOUSY SCANS OF LOUSY PICTURES FROM A LONG TIME AGO, CLICK THE LINKS TO SEE PRETTY PICTURES FROM THEIR SITE:

[MONTAIONE, TUSCANY] — Let the hoards of English, Germans and Americans crowd the overly popular Under The Tuscan Sun areas south of Florence and the tourist-choked villages of Montepulciano. To me, I loved staying on the western edges of Tuscany centered around the cool and undiscovered town of Montaione. The geography of this area is more farmland than grapes and a prime hunting ground. And Villa Cerretello is the perfect villa. Part of a larger private farm that includes other agriturismo villas, hunting grounds, the massive Villa Cerretello is the perfect base for entertaining lots of your friends.

While it’s big, when you divide up the place — with individual fully outfitted mini-apartments with their own kitchens and sitting areas — it’s comes out waaaay cheaper than getting a hotel room in Florence. The fit and finish of each apartment is on the standards of a first class hotel. It has 10 bedrooms, with 6 double apartments and two suites.

There for a wedding, we had 100 friends come over for the week, spread out all over the nearby farms, so there are lots of accommodations to fit any size. At the time, in June 2000, the main manager of the entire Fattoria Santo Stefano complex was a wonderful woman named Sarah Phillips. They keep adding cooler and cooler villas to their property. I’ve stayed there twice, with different groups each time and she made the whole trip flawless. Ask if she’s still around.

: With its sturdy structure as a working farm building, even with 25 people you barely hear others rummage about. Everyone gets their own private space.

: nd because it’s Tuscany, every villa gets their own hill.

: If Cerretello isn’t big enough, it is part of a larger complex of agritourism villas by the same owner. Like the view of Vignola, the newer property you can see on the hill across the valley. Vignola can sleep an equal amount of people, but also can accommodate smaller groups with independent apartments in the main building — sleeping any combinations of 2-4 people. It has an equally awesome pool and outdoor dining area.

: The best part about Cerretello is the the expansive eating (partying) area by the pool, overlooking the farmland and hunting grounds on the rolling mountains below.

: With its sturdy structure as a working farm building, even with 25 people you barely hear others rummage about. Everyone gets their own private space.

: After day-trips exploring all the surrounding Tuscan towns, one of the best things to do is to hire a local chef (we paid $12/hour) who shop and come in and do all the cooking for you. They can even arrange a pig roast or larger catered affair. It’s incredible to come “home” each night, eat an incredible meal al fresco and share stories from everyone’s adventures. Highly recommended dispensing with bottles of wine. Just get one of the ubiquitous large vats of perfect local red and white for the week. Can’t beat it.

: Here’s a gratuitous pool shot from another of the villas in Fattoria Santo Stefano, called Vignola. Also a very groovy big converted farmhouse and highly recommend it as well. It was just a short walk down the road, on its own hilltop. I think it could fit up to 27 people or so, with little apartments carved out of a big old farm building, furnished perfectly. What makes both of these villas great is each has its own private pool and their own covered outdoor kitchens and dining areas like over there on the right. Killer views over the surrounding rolling hills, overlooking a fenced hunting preserve with wild boar and pheasants running all over the place. Views for miles… Bring a lot of friends. Google their website for tons of better pictures and other villas on the property.

: It also sits on its own hilltop, so you can have amazing views for miles.

: Every villa pretty much has its own hilltop

: Here’s a general map of the area, showing the villas and also others that our friends stayed in and would recommend if you’re looking for smaller places.

: From it’s central location in western Tuscany, all the cool towns are all within 20-30 minutes drive, including San Gimignano, Volterra and Lucca. Not to mention Firenze.

: Definitely look into doing local activities, like horseback riding or go on a forage for truffles in season.

: I mean… It was ridiculous. Frying squash blossoms over there in the corner… White doves launch in 30….

: I know, a little creepy, but it was the single best party I’ve ever thrown. Italian style. 100 people on a hilltop villa with vast sculpted gardens. They custom built a 30m table that sat everyone in one long candle-lit shabang. With the cellist in the background and like 10 courses. It was before Italy went to the Euro, so it was cheaper than a shotgun wedding at a Holidome in Hays Kansas. Like ridiculously cheap. That’s including the white doves and endless prosecco. (Editor’s note: We’re better friends now than when married. Now I’m really into #solotravel ! 😜). If you need help planning your Italian wedding, call me. I got it down. Marriage advice… not so much.

: Okay, I lied. Just one one more…this one just makes me go bwwaaahahaaaa. You can imagine having a hundred friends in Tuscany for a week. Parties will happen. Every night. I think we went through four or five 70 litre vats of wine or something like that…do the math. I was younger then. “No sulfites!”, we said. This is my oldest and wiser brother, the life of the party, every night. Breakfast and lunch and dawns, too. I think this was around Day Five, on what I hear was a disastrous trip trying to find a Tuscan winery, which isn’t really that hard to do. Finally had enough and needed an Emergency Nap. (My great designer friend @marktarry made a postcard of it… natch! 📬) I think he was still picking gravel out of his cheek days later. Okay, we’ll get back to genuine places to see here now… sorry for this diversion…