“ I Grandi Di Toscana “  is a traditional Tuscan farm estate set amongst olive groves and vineyards in the heart of the Val di Chiana. Recently restored into a luxury retreat, the estate offers beautifully restored holiday apartments and master suites as well as a large swimming pool, health spa, 2-hole golf course "pitch and put" and private country walking trails. The property is set in the most beautiful and relaxing position with stunning panoramic views across the rolling countryside to Cortona in the distance and the low mountains rising up behind Arezzo.

The property is a walk’s distance away from Ciggiano, a small village named in documents dating back to the eleventh century. Here one can find basic services, as well as a bar and restaurant. There is a grape, wine and oil festival, held in September that presents a variety of local products from the area, which is famous for these products. The beautiful medieval villages of Monte San Savino and Civitella in Val di Chiana are a few kilometers away by car and offer a good selection of shops, restaurants, bars and local handicrafts; these villages feature a lively community and active cultural scene, with theatrical performances, concerts and festivals all year round. The property can also offer excellent connections to railways and motorways, all within 10 to 15 minutes distance, with easy access to Florence, Rome and the other main historical and cultural centers of central Italy.

The 62 hectare property, owned by the “ Grifoni “ family since 1850, was originally a working farm producing wines and olive oil. Today, not only have the main farm buildings been meticulously restored, by the well known Architect Giovanni Rupi, but the main “ Fattoria” has also been re-built and brought back to life, producing its own high quality DOCG wine and oil once more. The presence of the Grifoni name is evident as you enter the impressive wrought iron gates, where a bronze griffin is perched on each side, leading you up the cypress lined driveway.

A small travertine path from the main buildings leads to the swimming pool through gardens and wonderful floral beds. The swimming pool is in a quiet spot, with a scenic terrace for sunbathing and meadows where one can enjoy the landscape. It is heated and therefore ideal for off-season swimming, and has convenient changing rooms and restrooms. In order to offer the height of luxury, a wellness center is located near the swimming pool, with a sauna, a large whirlpool bath and a relaxing area with chaise lounges and a massage room.

The design of the gardens required exceptional care, with large open spaces of green lawns, flowers and beautiful shaded areas under the pine trees, offering various secluded places where one can sit down and relax. Just like the common spaces, each flat has its own private garden in front of and behind the house with a wrought-iron table and chairs for outdoor dinners. Some delightful paths lead to secluded vineyards and groves, from which it is possible to explore the surrounding countryside. In the highest area of the property there is a large private lake, with a view that embraces Lake Trasimeno as well as Mount Cetona and Amiata to the south. Various benches are placed in scenic points of the path and allow one to sit down and enjoy the surrounding tranquillity.

In the heart of the property there are two magnificent stone cottages that house the flats and the suites, together with the authentic brick oven that was once shared by all the occupants of the farm. Each flat offers beautiful fittings done in a typical Tuscan and rustic style, the height of comfort and style: spacious and full of light, with high ceilings and chestnut wood beams, stone fireplaces in the living rooms and fully equipped country kitchens. The rooms are decorated in warm colors and furnished with elegance and traditional Tuscan antiques. The walls are brightened by satirical frescoes painted by artists from the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Florence and depict figures and scenes from the lives and works of the great Tuscan masters of the Italian Renaissance. It is from these great figures that the property, I Grandi di Toscana (The Great Ones of Tuscany), has inherited its name: Luca Signorelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Piero della Francesca, Galileo Galilei, Botticelli, Dante Alighieri, Collodi and Giotto.

All the apartments have been meticulously furnished with antiques and are equipped with the following:
Air conditioning
Satellite TV
Telephone
Internet access – Wireless
Hair drier
Linens

Additional services and activities can be organized beforehand are the following:

• Guided tours of the area
• Private minibus, available for group excursions
• Horse ride tour/trekking
• Massages and other treatments in the wellness centre
• Wine, oil and bruschetta tasting
• Professional baby-sitting service (only in the evening)
• “Pitch and putt” golf course

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  RATES 2008

1 Bedroom apartment for 2           from 150 - 185 Euro

1 Bedroom apartment for 4           from 170 - 195 Euro

Suite for 2                                       from 190 - 220 Euro

2 Bedroom apartment for 4           from 290 - 320 Euro

House for 6                                    from 300 - 330 Euro

*Rates above are per night & include VAT, service, & buffet breakfast.

WEEKLY RATES FOR APARTMENTS

1 Bedroom for up to 3 people          from 900 - 1200 Euro

2 Bedroom for up to 5 people          from 1500 - 1700 Euro

2 Bedroom Deluxe for up to 5         from 1700 - 1900 Euro

House for up to 7 people                 from 1800 - 2000 Euro

*Weekly apartment rates include weekly linen change, use of utilities, heating, A.C., & VAT.

To see photos of the I Grandi di Toscana please click here.

To see the location of the I Grandi di Toscana please click here.

For more information or to schedule your stay please contact:
Small & Elegant Hotels, International
9425 Whispering Sands
West Olive, MI 49460
TEL: (616) 844-6000 / FAX: (616) 844-6042
E-Mail: res@smallandeleganthotels.com

Return to Tuscany main page.

For more information or to schedule your stay please contact:
Small & Elegant Hotels, International
9425 Whispering Sands
West Olive, MI 49460
TEL: (616) 844-6000 / FAX: (616) 844-6042
E-Mail: res@smallandeleganthotels.com

Return to Tuscany main page.