Holiday Home in Tuscany, Italy - Vacation home in Tuscany, close to Umbria in Central Italy, not far from the sea and coast, Montalcino, Siena, Pienza, Montepulciano, Grosseto...

One of Tuscany's best kept secrets is the beautiful valley sheltering this recently renovated 18th century farm house, a podere retaining all the charm and delight of its past combined with updated comfort.
Podere Santa Pia is an authentic holiday home in Castiglioncello Bandini, a small village in the Maremma, in the south of Tuscany, situated half way between Florence and Rome and close to Montalcino, Arcidosso and Monte Amiata.
Situated in a charming position on the top of a smooth hillside, Podere Santa Pia offers an extensive view of a breathtaking panorama all the way to the sea. The beautifully situated terrace has views over what seems like half of southern Tuscany. On clear days you can have a great view of the islands of Monte Argentario, Elba and even Corsica.

Until 1883 Santa Pia was a small cloister for women.The large stone farmhouse has been lovingly restored, its beautiful stone walls aged by hundreds of years of sun and rain have been barely touched.

The house offers four large bedrooms on the first floor with a total of eleven accommodations (2 rooms with a matrimonial bed, 1 rooms with 4 single beds, 1 room with 2 single beds) and bathroom with a shower and toilet. On the ground floor, there is a second large bathroom with a bathtub. The living room (55 square meters) features two beautiful arches and leads out onto the terrace. The authentic floors and elegant pointed arches create a warm and quietly atmosphere. The big kitchen provides a huge old stone fire place and also leads onto the terrace with magnificent holm oaks which provide deep shade.

Further amenities: dish washer, laundry machine, gas cooker with oven, fridge with freezer compartment, coffee machine, toaster, private parking lot, barbecue, outdoor furniture, open air shower in the garden...
There is also a piano in the living room.
The bedrooms are light, spacious and full of light, with beautiful beamed ceilings.

The apartment, attached to the house, has a spacious kitchen and living room with mezzanine sleeping area for two persons. The terrace offers views on the front garden and the rolling hils around Cinigiano.

Podere Santa Pia is situated in one of the most unspoiled areas of the Maremma Toscana: nestled between Montalcino and Scansano, Podere Santa Pia is surrounded by the "DOC Montecucco" vineyards, olive groves wood and green hills and the silence is broken only by the sounds of nature.

The garden offers various areas for relaxing and soaking in the views.
The incredible view encompasses the cultivated hills of ancient castles (Porrona, Colle Massari, Castelnuovo), framed by the wooden ridges of the Amiata Mountain. A vision of the rolling hills of Tuscany, and the irregular horizon line formed by the dense mediterranean woods, which transport a fresh afternoon sea breeze from the Tirrenian sea, contribute to the farm's idyllic atmosphere. Not too far away, the river Orcia flows into the river Ombrone, which upon surpassing the bottleneck of Sasso, becomes definitively Maremman. There are superb opportunities for trekking and bicycling in a wide variety of landscapes and Podere Santa Pia provides several gides and maps.

Garden

View on the terrace (house)

View on the terrace (apartment)

	people	low season	middle season	high season

House	up to 11	420 €	620 €	820 €
Apartment	2	255 €	345 €	415 €
Together	up to 13	675 €	965 €	1.235 €

2 0 1 3

• high season: 29/06/2013 - 06/09/2013
• middle season: 23/03/2013 - 06/04/2013 (Easter), 27/04/2013 - 28/06/2013, 07/09/2013 -
25/10/2013 and 21/12/2013 - 04/01/2014
• low season: other weeks

Prices per week.
In High season, the house is only available for rental by the week. We only rent from Saturday to Saturday.
In low and mid season we accept shorter stays and other days of arrival.

Reservation is confirmed when 30% advance is paid, the rest of the amount must be paid before arrival.
The rooms are provided with fresh bed linnen and towels.
Final cleaning charge 15 € per person.

Reservation

Podere Santa Pia is an equally good base for art lovers and for nature lovers, and it also offers a number of opportunities to discover the culinary tradition of this area of Tuscany. The splendid 180° views of the valley stretch as far as the Thyrenean Sea and Monte Christo.
Castiglioncello Bandini is part of the municipality of Cinignano which is located to the east of the Siena - Grosseto route, to the south of Montalcino and a little to the west of Arcidosso.
Montalcino (34 km) has inextricably linked its name to that of its most famous product, Brunello, one of the most illustrious words in the international food-and-wine dictionary. The town is dominated by the Rocca, a splendid example of a pentagonal-plan fortress, built after 1361 on the 13th-century wall structure and in an excellent state of preservation.
The mediaeval nucleus of the town consists of the Piazza del Popolo with its 14th-century Palazzo dei Priori, flanked by a large open gallery with round arches and surmounted by a high side tower.
Within one hour drive by car one can reach the historical centres of Siena, San Gimignano, Pitigliano, Massa Marittima and Florence, the thermal baths in Saturnia, Petriolo, San Filippo and Bagno Vignoni, the Abazia Sant'Antimo, Pienza, Montepulciano, the isle of Argentario with Porto Santo Stefano and its park, the Etruscan archeologial sites at Roselle, Grosseto with its market on Thursdays and the beaches of Marina di Grosseto, Castiglione della Pescaia and Cala Violina.

In July, August and September, concerts are held at the chamber music hall in Poggi del Sasso, and other places near Cinigiano (Castello di Colle Massari and Castello di Porrona) | www.amiatapianofestival.com
Podere Santa Pia is only an hour from the Tuscany/Umbria line, and therefore, in good position for day trips to Perugia, Assisi, and its charming hilltowns, and Piero della Francesca’s art in Arezzo and Sansepolcro.

The public swimming pool Campo di Sole in Castel del piano, (via dello Stadio), is within easy reach of Casa Santa Pia (18 km).

Distances | Castiglioncello Bandini 2,5 km Massa Marittima 74 km Abbadia San Salvatore 36 km Acquapendente 58 km Arcidosso 14 km Arezzo 115 km Castel del Piano 19 km Chianciano 64,2 km Chiusi 73,4 km Cinigiano 8 km Cortona 99,2 km Crete 84,8 km Firenze 144 km Monte Amiata 35,2 km Montalcino 34,5 km Montepulciano 70,4 km Pienza 56,7 km Pisa 191 km San Gimignano 106 km San Quirico d'Orcia 47,3 km Siena 72,7 km Sinalunga 71,2 km Monte Oliveto Maggiore 55 km Castiglione del lago 97 km Gualdo Tadinio Orvieto 86,8 km Perugia 134 km Spello 161 km Abbey of Sant’Antimo 26 km Gerfalco 80 km

Bagni San Filippo

According to some legends, the beautiful Pia, Nello d'Inghiramo de Pannocchieschi's sorrowful wife, crossed this bridge to go into exile in Maremma, at Castello della Pietra. Dante Alighieri wrote about this legend (Divine Commedy, Purgatorio, Canto V).

"Oh, when you will have come back into the world
And you will have rested from the long walk,
follow the third spirit, after the second,
remember me, I am Pia,
born in Siena and died in Maremma.
How I died, he, who first gave me his ring
And then married me, knows."

Casa Santa Pia is located in the heart of the Monte Cucco wine region. DOC Montecucco is located in Southern Tuscany in the Maremma region which is particularly adapted to the elaboration of fine wines. DOC Montecucco borders such prestigious designation as Brunello di Montalcino, Morellino di Scansano, S. Antimo and Monteregio di Massa Marittima. Therefore DOC Montecucco is one of the most promissing designation in Italy.
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DOCG Brunello di Montalcino | Member companies of the DOCG Brunello di Montalcino

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano | Member companies of the DOCG Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Strada del Vino Orcia

Monte Cucco wine region

Montcello Amiata and Cinigiano are convenient shopping area. Here you find everything you need on a daily basis. Post Office, banks, small shops, fresh take-away pasta, fresh fruits and vegetables, butcher, bakery, etc.

Arcidosso is the nearest larger shopping village (13 kms from Casa Santa Pia). Just on the entrance of the village, next to the the first roundabout when you come from Castiglioncello Bandini and Monticello Amiata, you have the Coop Supermarket (Via Donatori Del Sangue, 58031 Arcidosso), and Conad Supermarket (CO.RI.M. SRL, via risorgimento 75).
Weekly market day in Cinigiano and Arcidosso is on Tuesay.

The extreme simplicity of Tuscan cuisine is its strongest strength, as the flavours that emerge during the cooking process are vibrant and pure. A little known fact about Tuscan cuisine is that the French learned how to cook from their Tuscan counterparts when it was imported by Catherine de' Medici into the court of Henry II. The Tuscan style of cooking is richly flavoured and wholesome. With the 19th century kitchen with open fire and wood burning pizza oven, Casa Santa Pia offers an upbeat atmosphere.

Tuscany | Market days in Tuscany | Weekly market days in Tuscany

Principa a Mare

Arcidosso

Montalcino

Massa Marritima

Terme di Saturnia

Some of the most beautiful beaches in Tuscany (Marina di Alberese, Principa a Mare, Cala Violina, Castiglione della Pescaia), are within easy reach of Casa Santa Pia.
The Maremma seashore, overlooking the Tirrenian Sea, features some of the most beautiful sand beaches of Tuscany.
They stretch from Principina a Mare and Marina di Grosseto through Castiglione della Pescaia to Punta Ala and the blue sweep of the Gulf of Follonica, and afterwards along the spectacular Etruscan coast, the Costa degli Etruschi up to Piombino.

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In the south they spread from the Ombrone delta into the wildest tiny gulfs within the Regional Park of Maremma.

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The natural heritage to be explored in the peaceful surroundings of Podere Santa Pia is limitless.
Hills gently degrading towards the sea, whose main colours are intense green in spring and golden yellow in summer, with the presence of olive-groves and vineyards and woods of oaks and century old large Chestnut Trees, this spectacular landscape has long been a source of inspiration for writers and painters.

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Tuscany has an immense cultural and artistic heritage, expressed in the region's numerous churches, palaces, art galleries, museums, villages and piazzas. Much of these artifacts are found in the main cities, such as Florence and Siena, but also in smaller villages scattered around the region, such as San Gimignano, Pienza, Chiusi, Massa Marittima and many others.

Communities of Siena | Abbadia San Salvatore · Asciano · Buonconvento · Casole d'Elsa · Castellina in Chianti · Castelnuovo Berardenga · Castiglione d'Orcia · Cetona · Chianciano Terme · Chiusdino · Chiusi · Colle di Val d'Elsa · Gaiole in Chianti · Montalcino · Montepulciano · Monteriggioni · Monteroni d'Arbia · Monticiano · Murlo · Piancastagnaio · Pienza · Poggibonsi · Radda in Chianti · Radicofani · Radicondoli · Rapolano Terme · San Casciano dei Bagni · San Gimignano · San Giovanni d'Asso · San Quirico d'Orcia · Sarteano · Siena · Sinalunga · Sovicille · Torrita di Siena · Trequanda
Grotere kaart weergeven

Cortona

Surroundings of Podere Santa Pia, April (between Montalcino and Asciano)

Cala Violina