At first I was excited. Then I was terrified. Now I can’t believe my luck. Like one of those confused characters caught up in a Hollywood find-yourself comedy, I was that person who on a dark winter’s day got the unexpected phone call: a voice on the other end of the line telling me that I had just received a 15th century farmhouse and inherited 50 hectares of rolling Tuscan countryside.
I had no idea it was coming; the journey of how it had led to me being a complicated journey of marriages, divorces and death. But as a result, I became the recipient and sole owner of an Italian property and, just as quickly I realised, all the responsibilities that came with it.
This left me, a week or two later, firmly in the terrified stage amid the curly carpets and fluorescent lights of Stansted Airport, waiting to board a Ryanair flight to Florence. I’m writing this now because once I arrived, I found a place that, thankfully, isn’t terrifying, but so perfect that I want everyone to come and experience it too.
Let’s start with the location. The house is located halfway between Florence and Siena on the top of a hill, parked less than a kilometer from the outskirts of the obsessively Instagrammed village of Castellina-in-Chianti, in the heart of Tuscany’s golden triangle of Renaissance. There are not only the big three of Florence, Pisa and Siena (complete with the Palio horse races in July and August), but also lesser known gems such as San Gimingnano and Val d’Orcia all within striking distance.
Yet it is not the historic splendor of the surrounding towns and villages that makes the location so special. What I realized as I turned off the main road and onto the gravel-covered roads that led up and down the surrounding hills to my new Italian home was that this is a place blessed with the most precious of gifts: peace and tranquility.
It is a cypress-filled agricultural haven: a place where there is no traffic or burdens of people, but a place full of vineyards and olive groves that overshadow the surrounding landscape. Forests and forests lie along the road. As I drove through, deer and wild boar emerged from the foliage to kick their legs away from my oncoming car in shock.
Less than a 15-minute drive away in Castellina you will find world-class restaurants with famous chefs. Forty-five minutes away is the beautiful city of Florence. Towards the end of the drive to my new premises I discovered that there is a vineyard whose wine is internationally treasured and where visitors can take tours to drink straight from the latest bottles.
But at the time of my arrival none of this was a consideration. Rather, it was just the overwhelming feeling that I had stepped out of everyday life and into the backdrop of a Fattori painting, with all the feelings of relief that could bring.
The house is called Il Bacio, Italian for The Kiss, which I can’t help but love, and as you walk up the driveway you are welcomed like a stone-clad ship moored at the quay. Set over two floors and with five expansive en-suite bedrooms, it even has its own courtyard and library. The old wooden olive press from the 19th century farm period is next to what is now the dining room. The old hearth, which dates back to the 15th century, is still the center of the household, just as it was when all the inhabitants had to gather around it to cook and heat.
The previous owner, and the one I inherited it from, was my grandfather’s third wife. She was known for her sense of taste and culture; the type of London lady on stage in theaters and always present on the first evenings of the Royal Academy. The result was that I didn’t have to do anything other than add suitable electronic mod cons to the place. The decor and furnishings were already perfect, right down to the stacks of paperbacks on each bedside table.
Sitting on the veranda, gazing over the valley below, you feel disconnected from the outside world. Concerns arise about how strong to make a gin and tonic or which book to pick up next
But it’s the football field-sized garden that I love most – and the woodlands that stretch around it. When my grandfather bought the property in the late 1960s, he had no interest in olives or wine. He wasn’t really the agricultural type. This has led to the land undergoing a kind of rewilding over the past fifty years. The 50 hectares cover a forest landscape, interspersed with fast-flowing streams, teeming with wildlife that sought and found their own refuge.
Sitting on the veranda, gazing over the valley below, you feel disconnected from the outside world. Concerns arise about how strong to make a gin and tonic or which book to pick up next. We all know how awful the world can feel right now. But I didn’t sit there.
There is a separate building in which a house manager lives who will look after you so there is no stress. In spring and summer you can sunbathe and enjoy the long evenings full of sunsets. In autumn and winter, cozy up around the fireplace after visiting the nearby sights, which are fortunately free of tourists.
Our most recent guests were a group of archers from the Midlands taking part in a Tuscan tournament. It was the garden that swung it for them. It was long enough to set their goals and practice for their competition.
So come and stay. Explore Tuscany if you wish. If you don’t, just enjoy the house and everything there is. Above all, escape from real life. Relax and let us accommodate you. I know how lucky I am that I once received a phone call that unexpectedly opened this new world to me. I hope reading this will do the same for you. Come and visit what could also be your Tuscan home.
If you would like to stay at Il Bacio, please email stayilbacio@gmail.com or book on abnb.me
Five places to visit in Tuscany
Florence
A city praised by UNESCO as having the “largest concentration of universally known works of art in the world” needs no introduction, but in addition to the sights, enjoy wandering through the maze of streets in search of souvenirs or simply to enjoy the famous delicious paninis.
Sienna
Tuscany’s romantic Gothic city, with its famous bareback horse race, the Palio di Siena, held in July and August, is alive with historic art, but is not a museum. The terracotta streets bustle with activity, thanks in no small part to the many university students filling the bars.
The vineyards of Chianti
Almost all major estates offer the opportunity to visit for a tour and tasting, and the most iconic are worth a visit not only for the wine, but also for the architecture. For example, both Brolio and Meleto can boast of their own castles.
San Gimingnano
Perhaps Tuscany’s most iconic hilltop town, with its 14 medieval towers offering opportunities for unparalleled views. A place where you can wander through the alleys, admire the many medieval frescoes and then continue to enjoy the delicious local white vernaccia wine.
Val d’Orcia
Tuscany’s most beautiful and picturesque valley offers endless views over its idyllic surroundings and offers the most iconic cypress-lined roads we all know from photographs, in a landscape that has hardly changed since the 14th and 15th centuries.