Rental Fee Per Week:
June 1 - August 31 = 4400 euro
March 23 - June 1 = 3200 euro
August 31 - Oct 26 = 3200 euro
December 21 - January 4 = 3200 euro
Rest of the year = 2400 euro
Amenities:
BBQ - A wood or charcoal BBQ is available.
Car - It is necessary to have a car to fully enjoy Villa Bongiove
Cook - Advance notice is required and this service is payable on-site in Euro to the cook directly.
Language Spoken – The owners speak English, Italian and French.
Golf – 18 hole golf course, Circolo del Golf l' Ugolino, is 18 km/11miles away..
Grounds - Private, meticulously kept, 3 hectars / 7 acres approx, entirely enclosed.
Heating - Heating is payable on-site in Euro.
Interior decor – An authentic Tuscan Leopoldina style villa from the 1700s featuring massive stone and plaster walls, the signature tower, an arched portico and thick beam ceilings. Boasting larger rooms with breathtaking views from each of its 27 windows, the villa is furnished with Italian antiques and has three open hearth fireplaces.
Interior Amenities: All five bedrooms have their own bathroom, four of which are en suite and one adjacent to the bedroom. Every bedroom has window screens and the tower bedroom and ground floor master bedroom are air conditioned. SKY satellite television with news programmed in English language is available.
Internet access: WIFI.
Layout Notes: Set on two floors plus a tower. The ground floor has one master bedroom - the Master Garden Bedroom - with a marble and stucco veneziano bathroom with shower en suite, and one bedroom - the Landscape Bedroom - with two single beds and a marble and stucco veneziano bathroom with shower adjacent; a study; foyer, open living room, dining room, and kitchen in cherry wood and marble. Big double glass doors open from the dining room onto the patio with gazebo and garden. The second floor has two master bedrooms - the Master Pink Bedroom and Master Blue Bedroom - each with en suite changing rooms and bath (one that is frescoed and with a tub, the other in marble and with a shower; both have two sinks); two living rooms with fireplaces (one very large with a traditional, large working Tuscan fireplace; the other a sunny, corner room with a decorative fireplace); an enclosed loggia; and a second, traditional style kitchen. The tower has a master bedroom - the Master Tower Bedroom - with a small, frescoed bathroom ensuite, a working fireplace and an internal balcony made of hand carved wood recurperated from wine casks.
Location – Villa Bongiove is situated in the center of the triangle formed by Florence, Siena and Arezzo, straddling the Chianti Hills and the Valdarno Valley. It is ideally located for easy day trips to Florence, Siena, Assisi, Arezzo, Lucca, San Gimignano, Perugia, Pisa, Cortona, Montepulciano, Bologna, Viterbo and more. The location is also reknowned for its natural beauty, great wines and fine dining.
Kitchen - The main kitchen on the ground floor has an open layout and plenty of counter space. It is in cherrywood and Travertine Marble, is equiped with a stove top, two ovens, a large American fridge and dishwasher.
Minuses - The Tower bedroom is unique and romantic, but has a very small bathroom. The caretaker resides in the renovated barn nearby. There are two dogs on the property with their own fenced in area - one is a labrador mix and the other a “cane Corso,” a very old Italian breed..
No Smoking - the home is strictly for non smokers. Smoking is permitted on the grounds only.
Parking – free on the property.
Pool – The pool is a private, panoramic 15 x 7 meter / 49 x 23 foot pool filled with saltwater to minimze exposure to chlorine. It is open from June 1 to September 21. Pool towels are provided.
Pluses – Villa Bongiove is an exceptional retreat in a glorious setting with easy access for day trips to all the great cultural, wine and culinary sites of Tuscany. All bedroom windows are screened with the exception of the air conditioned tower bedroom and the ground floor master bedroom.
Resident Staff - the groundskeeper lives in the renovated barn on the property near the villa. The owner has a pied a’ terre above the limonaia, the lemon tree conservatory on the property.
Road Conditions - Driving in this area is on paved and curvy roads typical of the Chianti countryside. A convenient highway is about 8 km / 16 miles away. The approach to the villa is on an easy gravel driveway.
Screens – all the 27 windows have screens except for one in the enclsoed loggia on the second floor.
Steps and stairs – From the ancient stone plaza in front of the villa there is one step onto the the loggia. Another two steps bring you inside where there is a foyer, a master bedroom with bathroom ensuite, a bedroom with two single beds and its own bathroom, a living room, dining room, study and a spacious open kitchen. The second floor is reached by sturdy stone stairs with a hand railing Guests of the tower bedroom on the third floor must be agile due to the narrow staircase. The tower has an internal balcony made of hand carved wood recuperated from ancient wine casks.
Telephone - A portable cellular phone charged with 25 euro is made available to guests at check-in. Guests only pay for their usage. If you require additional minutes, please ask your keyholder for assistance.
Television - Satellite Reception with international channels including English language ones is available.
Views – Villa Bongiove overlooks the Chianti Hills, the Valdarno valley, and even the Apenine mountain range. Rolling hills, groves of olive and cherry trees, vineyards, fields of sunflowers, rows of Cypress trees, distant farmhouses, villas and a country church characterize the 360 degree vista.
Washing Machine - A washing machine is available and is shared with the cleaner.
What’s Nearby:
Several distinguished wineries and exceptional restaurants variously priced are in Villa Bongiove's immediate vicinity and we are happy to provide you with a list of our favorite.
British rock star Sting's il Palagio wine and organic produce shop is literally next door.
The magnificent surrounding hills - dotted with majestic Cypress trees, hidden villas and vineyards - can be explored on foot, horse trekking, or by car. Follow ancient paths, go through Mediterranean woods, discover centuries old monasteries and castles.
The 18 hole golf course, Circolo del Golf l’Ugolino, 18 km/11 miles away, is open year around.
Don't miss our friend Dario Cecchini's unequaled steakhouse (featured in NY Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Gourmet) a couple of towns over.
Have a delicious gelato on Figline's medieval piazza.
Visit Greve's handmade embroidery shop, and its renowned specialty food shops.
A weekly open air market and a modern supermarket are in Figline Valdarno (4.5 km/2.8 miles), along with all amenities from hospital to dry cleaner. The train for Florence city center, which takes 20 Min, leaves from here.
In the evening, join the locals for an aperitivo in one of Figline's quaint bars.
In the heart of medieval Arezzo (54 km/ 34 miles), Italy's largest antique fair takes place on the first Sunday of the month.
Festivals take place spring, summer and fall. Festivals easily reached from Villa Bongiove include:
Estate Fiesolana in a ancient Roman amphitheater - Jazz, theater, dance.
Puccini Opera at Torri del Lago.
Sun Festival Cortona - with world class musicians.
Melodia del Vino - wine and music, some in patrician palazzi.
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino - dance, music.
Chigiana Musical Summer - classical.
Palio di Siena - renaissance horse race.
Monteriggione – faithful recreation of a medieval festival.
Settembre Gaiolese – local gastronomy fair.
Go to one, if only for the ambiance, as they are all set in extraordinary locations sometimes open just for these events.
