Exclusive private farmhouse, Chianti hills. A country haven close to Florence - La Cantinetta

La Casermetta is set amongst cultivated rural properties above the village of San Polo in Chianti, reached by a winding 3.5 km country road. It's an ideal family home which, over the years, has proven to be very popular with groups of family and friends gathering to celebrate significant birthdays or anniversaries. The tranquil woodland setting offers picturesque walks and the house, with its many comforts, a private and peaceful haven after a busy day's sightseeing.

For mountain-bike riders there are also marked singletracks through the woodlands around the property where ancient chestnut tree-lined trails offer magic glimpses of Florence to the north, and views across the Valdarno to the south, as well as good proximity to challenging cross-country routes around the iconic Greve in Chianti wine region.

The village of San Polo in Chianti is somewhat removed from the tourist turmoil, yet it has excellent essentials shopping and nearby restaurants, and it’s well placed to access major roads such as the Chiantigiana, linking Florence and Siena, which meanders through beautiful wine country taking in historic sites and villages, and the Superstrada, an alternative route to Siena. Both the northern and southern entrances to the Autostrada, which opens up the rest of Tuscany, are only about 12 km from La Casermetta. (See ‘Location’ for further detail.)

There is a great deal to see in a relatively small radius around Chianti. We offer a very personal service to help our guests get the best out of their holiday. All guests receive a copy of our booklet of daytrip suggestions, our favourite restaurants, driving directions, parking tips, markets, designer outlets, cultural insights for first time visitors, and even ideas for further afield. We update each year, checking hyperlinks and adding or deleting as necessary. After many years of visiting Italy, we’re happy to share our inside knowledge.

La Casermetta (sleeps 7) is a much loved and cared for home which we restored from its partially ruined state, with careful attention to detail, under the guidance of a scrupulous Florentine architect. The main house features a live-in country kitchen, really the heart of the house. A huge oak refectory table and retired ancient boudoir grand loaded with family photos dominate the dining and living rooms. Quality finishes and comfortable furniture attest to the fact that the house was, and occasionally still is our primary residence. Antique wardrobes offer generous spaces for guests to unpack, settle in and feel completely at home. Children are welcome. Additional power supply to the house supports the various appliances. There's good reliable plumbing and strong water pressure. All windows have screens and internal cypress shutters. Central heating keeps the house warm and cosy in the winter and in summer its 400 m elevation promotes refreshing breezes, while thick stone walls help keep the interior cool.

La Cantinetta (sleeps 4) is a well equipped apartment one floor below in the oldest part of the house, also thoughtfully restored in the style of the main house. It shares no common doors or walls with the house above, it has its own driveway and entrance, and there’s a pretty outlook across the valley from all its windows. The apartment does not share the upstairs garden, but it does have its own dining terrace, and the woodland areas around the property provide plenty of scope for picnicking and rambling. Take a drink and watch the sun set from the bench overlooking our little olive grove across the track from La Casermetta's gate. The apricot tree here bears a surprising amount of fruit, if you can beat the locals. Like the main house, the apartment has its own barbecue, alfresco dining setting, deck-chairs and umbrellas. Also centrally heated, the apartment is cosy in the cooler months, while in summer it’s always beautifully cool. (Please click on the Available Rentals tab for further details.)

We return each year and check every little thing, refreshing and updating whatever needs attention, from small things like buying new linen to major improvements such as as redecorating or replacing the heating system. When we’re not there, our manager, Graziella, maintains the property as if it were her own. She and her assistant Franca are like part of the family. A booklet of information at the house covers the A to Z of how things work, with support phone numbers, including a direct line to us, just in case help is needed.

La Casermetta is set in a generous private garden beyond which rambles a further ten acres of forest. The lawn is often carpeted with daisies, and fireflies sometimes come out at night. From the garden there are views across the Arno valley to the Vallombrosa Monastery, nestled in the magnificent oak and pine woodlands of the central Apennines. Depending on the season, around the house and garden you may find grapes, plums, raspberries, apricots or figs. The squirrels get the hazelnuts and almonds.

Around the area are charming walks along chestnut shaded tracks (bring sturdy shoes), one leading to a sudden, unexpected view of Brunelleschi's dome in Florence. Our own land abounds with interesting vegetation and fauna such as capriole (deer), cinghiali (wild boar), picchi (woodpeckers) and istrici (porcupines). Keen-eyed locals inhabit these woods on weekends and can often be seen clutching bundles which could be salad greens, herbs, asparagus as fine as wheat which make delicious frittata, funghi porcini or chestnuts. All are plentiful in these hills at different times of year, although the experts always beat us to the truffles.

The village of San Polo in Chianti has two small supermarkets and a chemist, a laundromat, a popular restaurant (more restaurants not far away), a post office, a bar/tabacchi and an edicola where bus tickets to Florence can be purchased, a petrol station with after-hours self-service, a bank with ATM, a tiny weekly produce market, and a speed camera by the school. Ten kilometres north towards Florence is Grassina with many shops and boutiques, elegant bars and pasticcerie and services such as dry cleaners and medical practitioners. The large hospital at Antella is a few minutes out of Grassina. Ten kilometres south is Figline Valdarno which has a lovely piazza (similar to the distinctive one at Greve in Chianti, also nearby) and a huge supermarket selling absolutely everything. (Look out for Sting at the check-out, I understand his Tuscan hideaway is nearby.)

As well as producing the acclaimed Gallo Nero Chianti Classico, and the rich, peppery, extra virgin olive oil that is synonymous with Tuscany, San Polo is famous for iris production (a labour intensive process yielding prized iris roots, harvested after flowering), supplying the French perfume industry for generations. Production has dwindled in recent decades as life has changed and modernised, but if you're lucky enough to be there in the spring, the hills and houses around the village will be daubed with the distinctive booms. An iris festival is held in May (although dates vary each year) as the locals pay homage to a charming, ancient tradition and try to keep it from fading away.