Near Florence, Tuscany
Property 7023
8 Guests
4 Bedrooms
4.5 Bathrooms
320 square meters indoor
1 Hectares outdoor
Casale di Fiesole is a delightful and fabulously accessible villa in all the right ways. To reach it by car for touring is easy and free of dirt road driving. You are a short and beautiful drive to Fiesole, Settignano, Compiobbi and Sieci -- any of them places for dining, shopping or meandering. Perhaps most importantly for anyone familiar with the crowded outskirts of Florence, the city is an easy and direct drive of 20 minutes or an equally easy train-ride from Compiobbi. The house itself is elegantly well appointed, beautifully maintained and of an appealing size and layout that works well for many different group configurations. The maid/cook speaks English, is very well trained and happy to prepare true Tuscan home cooking using recipes passed down from generation to generation. Casale di Fiesole really offers you a complete villa vacation experience.
Casale di Fiesole was originally a farmhouse, believed to have been built around 1875 by owners important enough to have the house blessed by the powerful Vescovo family. The high ceilings, square rooms and larger windows are some of the benefits of this more modern era, although the entrance level with its remaining open archways remind you that pigs, cows and horses once lived here too. An old bridge from the kitchen to the back yard was in all likelihood the primary entrance for humans, as there would have been no internal staircase. The building was divided into two homes in the years following World War II and remains so to this day; one half is being rented as Casale di Fiesole. About 50 years ago a two-story addition was added to create what is today the stunning sun-room/living room and master bedroom suite.
What you experience today at Casale di Fiesole reflects the thoughtful investment of the current owners who spent some four years upgrading it for their own use and continue to invest in upgrading the property with every season. The hillside setting of Casale di Fiesole has been developed sensitively to create gracious outdoor living and today the property offers an exceptionally lovely garden and pool area. The olive grove has been tended and is being supplemented and developed with four varieties of fruit-bearing trees. The fruit orchard of 50 trees has also benefited from the attentions of the owner, and you can pick at will from what is in season during your stay; peaches, pears, apricots, apples, cherries, prune plums and figs plus berries of all kinds. The surrounding vineyard is young and lovely to look at. A large shady pergola in the garden, two hammocks under the umbrella pines, plus the newly added furnishings at the pool give you plenty of opportunity to enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
Casale di Fiesole is graced with newly updated bathrooms and large airy rooms with both window screens and air conditioning. The living room is a fabulous and unique feature of the house, with both a lovely seating area and a gracious dining area in a room ringed in windows for exceptional light and views in all seasons. Casale di Fiesole is as good a choice for off-season as in, given the size, comfort and position of the property.
Casale di Fiesole is situated on a southwest-facing hillside with a view across to an adjacent hillside and the valley of the Arno River beyond. It is a dynamic and interesting view, encompassing the village of Sieci down by the river, plus the farms and woodlands of neighbors to the south and west. The vista includes handsome stone farmhouses from earlier centuries, which have still not been updated, and adding to the unspoiled nature of this location. Unblemished vistas such as you will enjoy at Casale di Fiesole are a triumph this close to Florence and Fiesole when they do not also require a tortuous drive on a dirt road for their enjoyment. You may hear the farmer calling his cows, or the rooster that crows at sundown more regularly than at sunup, proof you are indeed in the country. Most of the time you can simply enjoy cheerful birdsong from the garden.
A successful and memorable villa vacation takes attention and consideration. Regarding location, you want to have the right services and amenities close at hand for the experience you are envisioning. In this, Casale di Fiesole is well suited to those who want to combine easy touring options with a relaxed, tranquil countryside setting; a highly desirable but not easily achievable combination. The location of Casale di Fiesole offers an opportunity to get to know four surrounding villages with no more than a scenic 10 minute drive, an exceptional fact for Tuscany. Fiesole is among the best known of villages near to Florence, and is well prepared for tourism. There are several good restaurants, a charming piazza, and various concerts and cultural activities to enjoy in the summer time. Compiobbi is the small village at the bottom of the hill, with a morning market, good bar and train station, among other services. This is your everyday village, and gives you a chance to live locally. Sieci is the same, a bit larger. Settignano is historic, a real jewel, with a local pizzeria that really hops on a Saturday evening.
Price information available upon request.
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