We rented Villa Chiantina for a family reunion, and it was absolutely delightful. We particularly enjoyed the sweeping views across the valley, which changed according to the weather and time of day. Note that the house is remote and the driveway is tricky. The pool is amazing and the fruit trees full of ripe plums and figs.
We came with very young children. The owners left us with a crib and 2 high chairs, while we brought 2 folding cots. The girls loved the wide steps into the pool, the swing set and the dollhouse. The parents loved that the pool was a little bit away from the house and that there were different flat play areas both inside and outside.
We hired the chef service and Daniela and Alessio were both fabulous! The food was varied and delicious, and what a luxury to be able to relax and enjoy every evening on the terrace after running after little ones all day..!
The house has been thoughtfully restored with historic features and modern conveniences, incl a fully equipped kitchen. Bathrooms were great, though lacking anywhere to hang towels. Beds were comfortable, though the wrong size sheets had been put on the king beds and bunched up when slept on.
Most of the rooms cooled down at night with cross ventilation, ceiling fans and additional fans gratefully supplied. Unfortunately two rooms with only one window struggled to cool down and could be a bit airless at night.
Mosquito screens have been thoughtfully installed on most windows, which was great for a few buggy nights after heavy rainfalls (which had the benefit of bringing down scorching temps). However, in the pigsty there were only netted curtains, which we had to fix down with pins to keep out bugs.
The terrace with the shaded pergola is the place where we spent most of our time, whether enjoying meals or the shade, breeze and stunning views. However, a lot of wasps and hornets were drawn to the ripe grapes hanging overhead and scaring the children. Top tip: we asked the house manager Matteo to arrange to have the grapes cut, and within a few days the gardeners came and the problem was reduced dramatically!
Matteo himself was an excellent communicator (Italian & English); very responsive and helpful. The cleaning crew came midway through our two weeks and were absolutely lovely. Dealing with Ashleigh in the lead up to our stay was also excellent. All in all would highly recommend!!
