Located in an area rich in Etruscan and Roman ruins and Renaissance castles near Montespertoli, one of the many charming hamlets near Florence, this charming ancient structure that has always been known by the name of the hilltop on which it stands – Montegolfoli – and was once a working farm owned by Count Pietro Guicciardini, who donated it in 1355 to the Carthusian monks of Florence, who enlarged it over the years to become the rambling country homestead typical of the region. Refurbished in the 1970s, it is today a comfortable rustic residence rich in warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The ground floor, which once housed the animal stalls and storage rooms, has been transformed into a living room, dining room and spacious kitchen with an enormous fireplace; there is also one bedroom and a large bath; an exterior porch has an antique working bread oven and provides shelter for nesting swallows. Upstairs are another five bedrooms, a vast veranda with a huge arched window looking out over the valley towards Empoli. There is a meeting room in the centre with a working fireplace and two comfortable restrooms. Up above it all, a quaint little tower/loggia houses another bedroom or study.
The ample tree-lined garden surrounding the house has a sandstone table and benches for cool summer dining. The nearest village (Baccaiano) is 10 minutes away on foot, and the area offers a variety of bike and foot trails to nearby hamlets and castles, with views across an unparalleled Chianti countryside covered in olive groves and vineyards and dotted with chapels, towers and cypress-lined lanes; and by car you’re conveniently located for a day-trip to Florence, Volterra, San Gimignano, Siena and many other towns renowned for their beauty.
Starting from 500 €/night