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Description:

This beautifull villa is located close to the wonderful town of Lucignano (Arezzo) in Tuscany.

As you cross the electric gate and approach the vast garden area, you will wish you could stay forever. Villa Clara combines the peace of an idyllic countryside setting with the close proximity of the shops and restaurants of medieval walled town, Lucignano, only 1 km away.
The villa is set in extensive gardens and enjoys scenic views over the Chiana Valley.

 

The spacious interiors are cosy, welcoming and elegantly furnished in traditional rustic Tuscan style, while ensuring all modern comforts.
Many original, historic architectural features have been preserved during the restoration of this lovely old farmhouse, both inside and out; these include the external light-stone walls and stairs, the stone or terracotta-tiled floors, the narrow-beamed, terracotta-tiled ceilings, the internal exposed-tile archways, the whitewashed walls and, of course, the massive wood-burning fireplaces.

 

A very elaborate pool and garden area make this villa a very special place.
Beautifully located for visiting all the sights, if ever you leave the property!

 

Accomodation
Ground floor: living room with 26-inch TV, formal dining area, homey family kitchen (fully equipped), ground floor sitting room with fireplace , a large double bedroom (with access to the garden) and bathroom with shower.

Fist floor: 1 king suite with showered bath and 2 sinks, 1 queen bedroom with antiques and a showered bath across the hall, 1king bedroom with en suite bathroom with 2 sinks, first floor sitting room with fireplace and TV, outside staircase to the garden.

Second floor: on the tower a large bedroom with 2 single beds .

 

From the ground-floor portico you enter a hall which leads to a downstairs large bedroom with ensuite bathroom with shower.

 

Another hallway door takes you through to the large, fully-equipped kitchen, with table & chairs and an attractive brick-arched alcove, housing the sink and marble worktops.

 

Adjoining the kitchen is a very spacious "double" dayroom, divided open-plan into dining and sitting areas. Sofas, armchairs and coffee table are grouped round the large working fireplace. Other features include an upright piano; TV- SAT and ceiling fan; french doors open, from here, to the lawn terrace with its rose-pergola, perfect for "al fresco" dining.

 

Internal stairs proceed to the upper floor and open into another comfortably furnished living-room, whose focal-point is the fireplace. External stone stairs with their own portico, lead up to the independent entrance to this room from outside.

 

From this central dayroom you access two double bedrooms, each with its own ensuite bathroom with shower. Further down the corridor is another very spacious double bedroom, with large ensuite bathroom with double basins, bathtub and hand-held shower.

 

The final bedroom is located at the top of a fairly steep "ladder-style" staircase, with banister-rails on either side and an upper gate to close it off.

The room has twin beds, which can also be put together, as well as Sat.TV, however, for safety reasons, we do not recommend this bedroom be used by small children.

Laundry facilities are housed in a separate room at ground-floor level accessible from the outside porch.

 

Outdoor details and surroundings environment
from its entrance gates, the property's gravel drive and bordered by cypress trees, leads up to an informal gravelled parking area, out of sight of the house. The surrounding lawns lie at a raised level, reached by some stone steps. Here the grass is dotted with native shade-giving trees, such as acacias, oak, olive and fig trees. Lavender, thyme, rosemary, broom and oleander bushes decorate the flowerbeds, lemon trees and colourful geraniums fill the big terracotta pots.

 

Growing in profusion over some areas of wall and round the front porches are climbing ivy, scented jasmin and rambling roses. Two separate pergolas support abundant rose blossom and perfumed wisteria. These are just some of the beautiful natural attractions the well-tended grounds offer for garden lovers.

 

An elaborate pool and garden area with many lounges and chairs at poolside.
Tables & chairs for outside dining.
The large, luxurious swimming pool is set away from the house at a sunken level in a secluded part of the grounds. The pool is 8 by 18 meters and is lighted at night and the pool house has 3 showers and 2 toilets.

 

Elegant wrought-iron gates open on to semi-circular stone steps, which invite you down to the tiled pool-surround. Lawns extend all round this, enclosed by shrubs, cypress trees and palms. To one side is a wooden gazebo, housing the barbeque, which overlooks a vineyard, perfect for poolside parties (electricity is available at the barbecue area), however, if you would prefer a break from self-catering, traditional home-made Tuscan specialities can be prepared for you by a cook, on request (extra charge).

 

Facilities available nearby:

The area can offer: horseriding; bike riding; nature hikes; thermal spas; hot-air balloon flights; wine tours and tasting; fabulous dining; and a whole host of nearby locations of historic, artistic, architectural, culinary and scenic renown, such as: Montepulciano (home to the famous Vino Nobile red wine); Montalcino (home to the equally famous Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino red wines); Pienza (famed for its delicious "pecorino", sheep's milk cheese); Torrita di Siena, Sinalunga, Lucignano , Cortona , Arezzo (celebrated for Piero Della Francesca's 15 th century fresco-cycle of the "Legend Of The True Cross"); Lake Trasimeno; the Abbey/Monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore; the ancient Umbrian hilltop town of Perugia, as well as that of Assisi, most important of pilgrimage destinations, being the birthplace of St. Francis; and, of course, Siena home to, among countless otherthings, the world-famous Palio di Siena horserace.

The villa is a 30-minute drive from Montepulciano, Pienza and Cortona. 45 to Siena and one hour to Florence

 

The closest airport is Florence (about 1 ½ hours). Rome and Pisa airport are about 2 hours by car.

 

 

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Locality Description:

Lucignano is a wonderful medieval village located in the heart of Tuscany among Arezzo, Cortona and Siena.

Lucignano lies in the heart of Valdichiana that's a geographic area formed by the bed of the river Chiana. Valdichiana is one of the largest between the Apennine valleys, and its Tuscan stretch extends from Arezzo to Chiusi. In the past, after the Chiana had gradually turned into a marsh, the Medici, and subsequently the Lorenas, had it drained.

The valley, fertile, orderly and very pleasant to cross, is criss-crossed by a dense network of roads; the two main communications routes, the Autostrada del Sole motorway and the Rome-Milan railway line, are complemented by the Umbria - Casentino State roads and the east branch of the Cassia connecting all the towns to each other.

From its strategic position over the valleys of the Esse and the Foenna, Lucignano dominates the road between Siena and Arezzo, and it has an unusual medieval town layout with concentric annular roads.

Lucignano is known as the pearl of Tuscany Valdichiana's valley; the surrounding landscape, with its shades and radiance, long associated with artistic splendor, emits a sense of harmony between man and nature.

We strongly advise, both in summer and in winter, a visit to the Spa located in Rapolano Terme village: the large hot and cold pools, the Turkish bath, the Jacuzzis and various treatments really can't be missed by anyone who wants to relax and tone up in these long-established hot springs that offer so much well-being and all only within 20 minutes drive away.

 

Lucignano’s sightseeing

 

The Medici Fortress

Not far from the town, on the hill opposite the one occupied by Lucignano, are the ruins of the never completed fortress built by order of Cosimo I and credited to Bernardo Puccini. It was originally designed by Gian Battista Belluzzi.

Conceived as part of a defence system in Valdichiana ideated by the Medici, who wanted to use Lucignano as an outpost, building work slowed down and changes were made, until work stopped in 1557. Two different bastions facing Siena and joined together by a crenelated wall are what remains of this military building that, although equipped to house a garrison, was never attacked.

Collegiate Church

The travertine steps of the Collegiate Church are clearly a part of the amazing ellipsoidal design of Lucignano's urban layout. ]t was a creation of Orazio Porta, who ideated this Latin cross layout with a sacristy, bell tower and rectory. The church was built between 1592 and 1621 on the site where the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel and another building with a tower, destroyed by lightning in 1556, had previous stood.

Church of San Francesco

This is where, in 1289, Lucignano formally paid homage to Siena. The church, shaped like an Egyptian cross, with a single nave, has some really magnificent stone altars dating from the XVI th and XVII th centuries, an organ conserved in an original XVIth century wooden chest, frescoes of scenes from the Stories of Saint Francis painted by Bartolo di Fredi and Taddeo di Bartolo, as well as the wonderful Triumph of Death above the first altar on the right wall of the nave. Do not neglect the polyptych by Luca di Tommè.

Church of the SS. Annunziata or Misericordia

The church used to be the oratory of the Company of the SS. Annunziata or Battenti neri, thus named because of the black capes the members wore. It has a rectangular layout and a single nave with a raised presbytery. The inlaid-wood altar dated 1583 and the many XVl th-century paintings of the Tuscan school are very beautiful. The glazed terracotta statues of the Della Robbia school in the high chapel are quite remarkable.

Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Querce

It is about one kilometre outside Lucignano, near the Medici Fortress. It was built in 1564 and might have been designed by Giorgio Vasari, following a miraculous event that took place in 1467.According to the legend, a small Maestà placed below an oak saved a young nobleman from Siena, who had turned in prayer to Our Lady, from his pursuers. This legend is interwoven with the one about the Font of Milk, a well inside the church the water of which is held to have miraculous and therapeutic properties. It used to be given to animals and women as a cure against sterility and lack of milk.

Palazzo Pretorio and the Town Museum

The interesting things about this building are the façade with the coats of arms of the governors who succeeded each other in the course of time, the mechanical clock dating from 1630 on one side and the ribbed bell tower with the public bell, symbol of civilian authority.

The building dates from the end of the XIII th century. It is occupied by some of the municipal offices and, in the rooms that used to be the prison and court, the Town Museum is housed. Among the most prestigious works of art, the reliquary known as the 'Tree of Lucignano' and several paintings by Pietro di Giovanni d'Ambrogio, Bartolo di Fredi, Niccolò di Segna and Luca Signorelli stand out.

 

The basket of flavours

 

To eat well and healthily: in just a few words this is the spirit animating culinary traditions in Valdichiana. The specialities of this Tuscan land strictly follow the rule that each ingredient of a dish must be recognizable. Of the many antipastos, crostini con la milza (toast with spleen) and salt-meats from Siena are peerless. The first courses are genuine dishes with strong flavours: bean soup, pici (pasta) with meat or garlic sauce, pappardelle (pasta) with hare sauce or the exquisite spelt soup.

The second courses are really rich; there are many types of meat preferably grilled on charcoal - and peerless among them is Chianina, from abreed of cow typical of this area. Crogetti, cantucci, ciambellini, Easter dessert and migliaccio - a kind of flat chestnut flour pie - go down perfectly with a glass of Vinsanto at the end of the meal. Of the wines, you should taste Chianti DOC red wine.

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Photogallery

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Accomodation and facilities:

Property Type :	detached villa
Floor Area :	450 m² (1 sq m aprox. = 10 sq ft)
Accommodation Type :	self catering
Location Type :	rural and luxury
Theme :	away from it all, family, cultural
General:	large pool, big garden, central heating, linen and towels provided (once a week), extra cleanig available on request, many lounges and chairs at pool side, several tables for outside dining, barbeque area, private parking
Kitchen :	4 ring stove, dish washer, freezer, fridge, grill, hob, microwave, oven, washing machine
Living Room :	fireplaces, sofas, armchairs, pouf
Dining :	seating for 10 people
Bathrooms :	4 luxury bathrooms - 2 bathrooms are "ensuite" with double sinks each
Bedrooms :	5 bedrooms, sleeps a maximum of 10 people Bedroom 1 - Large room & its own bathroom at groundfloor,access on the garden Bedroom 2 - King Suite on the first floor (bathroom "ensuite") Bedroom 3 - King Suite on the first floor (bathroom "ensuite") Bedroom 4 - Double bedroom on the first floor (Queen bed) & its own bathroom Bedroom 5 - Large bedroom with 2 single beds on the second floor (top) Bedrooms are furnished with many 18th and 19th century antiques and beamed ceilings
Entertainment :	audio tape player, cd, DVD, radio, satellite or cable, stereo system, tv, video player
Local Activities :	cycling, fishing, golf, horse riding, mountain biking, mountaineering, paragliding, swimming, tennis, walking, bird watching
Suitability :	well-behaved children welcome, long term renters welcome, pets accepted only on request, suitable for elderly, wheelchair accessible only at the ground floor
Outside :	outdoor private pool, 7 by 17 meters, lighted at night. There also a pool house; it has 3 showers, 2 toilets, 2 hair dryers barbecue area (electricity available) overlooking a wineyard, garden, parking, garden chairs, beach chairs, external lighting system
Notes :	wheelchairs good access only for the ground floor. Small pets admitted only and after according request. Final cleaning €130 . In winter the heating cost is €100 daily. Summertime start day on Saturday - minimum stay 1 week. Low seasons minimum 4 days and flexible start day a 500 € security deposit has to be paid locally to the owner or his/her representative; it will be returned on departure less phone calls and breakages

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Prices:

Arrivals: on saturday 3 p.m. - Departures: on saturday within 10 a.m.
During high and medium seasons the changeover day is on Saturday and the minimum period of rental is one week. Rentals & prices for shorter periods, in low seasons, will be value on request.

Season	From	To	Daily (€)	Weekly (€)
high season	12/06/10	18/09/10	----	3600
med season	18/09/10	30/10/10	----	3100
low season	30/10/10	18/12/10		2600
high season	18/12/10	08/01/11		3600
low season	08/01/11	02/04/11	----	2600
med season	02/04/11	11/06/11	----	3100
high season	11/06/11	17/09/11	----	3600

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Rental Rates:

Rates include:
the use of the Villa with water, electricity, and gas - Bed-linen and Towels (1 change week) - The use of the Swimming Pool and equipments - Swimming Pool maintenance - Lawn maintenance - Park and garden use - Car parking
Rates exclude:
final cleaning (130 Euro) - Central heating (only for cold seasons 100Euro/day) - Security deposit (a 500 Euro security deposit has to be paid locally to the owner or his/her representative; it will be returned on departure less phone calls and breakages)
Term and conditions:
the rentals running from Saturday to Saturday during high and medium seasons - Check in from 3 p.m., Check out within 10 a.m
Booking:
it is possible booking your holiday upon availability request via e-mail at info@italytuscanyrentals.com and our booking staff will give you immediate reply. Once we'll confirmed the availability a 30% of the total amount will be requested as booking reservation; after we'll send you a booking confirmation via e-mail or via fax (only on request). The settlement will have to be transfered within 30 days before the arrival date. We accept payments with Bank Transfer or online (PayPal system).
Payment options:
swift money transfer or payment on line. A 30% of the rental fee is requested at time of booking, the balance will have to be transfered within 30 days before the arrival date.
Cancellation policy:
Cancellations from the booking date to 60°day before the arrival: penality of 30 % on the total rental amount.
Cancellations from 59° to 30° day before the arrival date: penality of 50% of the total rental amount.
Cancellations from 29° day to the arrival : penality of 100% of the total rental amount.

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Holiday farmhouses in Tuscany