This large and luxurious villa, perfectly renovated with respect for its origin and modern taste was our base for one nice week of family vacation in July.

The terrace and room window view is breath taking as you overlook wine and olive fields.
The location just in the middle between Florence and Sienna in the heart for the Chianti district is perfect for food and wine lovers. The local cook preparing dishes from around the area with respect, is very good.

Local sights just a few kilometers away are great.

Our kids spend whole days in the pool. And with everyday cleaning the site maintained it's high standard.

The only very little minus is the gravel road taking you to the Villa, it is in desperate need of some maintenance.

Thanks for a week in luxury and local Tuscan authenticity!

With deep regret, I admit that this review is long overdue. We traveled to Europe last summer (June 2013) for my daughter’s senior graduation. We traveled with her best friend and family, so we were a party of 11 (families of 6 and 5, respectively). After landing in Milano, we rented two vans and drove to Switzerland (Interlaken area), Germany (Bavaria), and then back into Italy for a one-night stay in Verona and a two-night stay in Venezia. That took one week. For our second week, we rented Villa il Santo just outside Barberino Val L’Elsa (Barberino). I have to say that this Villa is simply magnificent, and while we used it as a base to take several day trips, most of us just wanted to hang out at the Villa. The Villa’s owners, Enzo and Annagloria, were delightful, insightful and extremely accommodating. But the Villa, wow!

Even with 11 people, at least one bedroom went unused. The property is large and very unique. After extensive remodeling, this Villa is really a complex, with an old farm house and barn/tower being entirely remodeled and connected by an enclosed, glass walkway. The renovation is first-rate, incorporating modern conveniences and luxuries (flat-screens, WiFi, washer/dryer, etc.), but retaining a rustic Tuscan charm. The kitchen is commercial grade and fully stocked, and the bedroom suites are spacious, comfortable and have romantic walk-in shower rooms. It was fun just following all the little stairways to see where they led—a bathroom here, a bedroom there, and a sitting room here. Combine the spacious interior with all of the outdoor garden sitting areas, patios and terraces, and an individual could easily find peace and solitude even among a group of 11. And the outdoor gardens are immaculately tended.

The Villa is in the perfect location, just 30-40 minutes outside Firenze/Florence. It overlooks a spectacular valley of vineyards, and the sunsets are amazing. In the morning, fog envelopes the valley floor, and the ancient towered city of San Gimigliano rises on the opposite end of the valley, which you can see from the Villa. A few minutes away is the small town of Barberino, which has a modern grocery store and other shops. We were delighted one night to go into town for gelato only to find ourselves in the middle of the town’s annual Medieval Festival, complete with sword fights, ornate costumes, street performers, crafts and a large parade. We seemed to be the only non-locals there! Everyone was so gracious and friendly, and it made a memorable night. To commemorate the event, I purchased a medieval sword from a blacksmith.

As I said, we used the Villa as a base for a few day trips—Firenze/Florence (magnificent city), Pisa (the leaning tower is the ONLY thing to see there), San Gimigliano (get there early to beat the tour buses), Roma/Vaticano (by train, with a guided small tour through the Vatican), Siena (absolutely beautiful and fantastic food), and a vineyard tour. The awesome part about all of these trips is that we got to return to the Villa each night. When we weren’t day-traveling, we were in the Villa’s pool, on its terraces and simply relaxing in its magical environment. We cooked half of our dinners in the kitchen (trying out our own Italian recipes) and had Rosanna cook for us on the other nights, including a large “welcome dinner” the night we arrived. Rosanna is a sweetheart! She’ll cook what you want and throw in some incredible new things. Herbs come directly from the Villa’s gardens. One night, we asked her to cook a variety of pastas and different sauces, and they were delicious!

Enzo and Annagloria were so gracious as hosts. They helped us set up reservations for the vineyard tour, train tickets to Roma and gave us great advice and suggestions about what to do and see on our day-trips. The last evening, they came over together and we just talked for a long while. A wonderful evening! And they gave us olive oil from their own press to take home. You can actually purchase wine and olive oil from their vineyard, which we still need to do. They are just warm and hospitable people.

At Anna’s suggestion, we booked a hot air balloon trip across the Chianti valley, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. We got up early one morning and met the balloons in a field just a few minutes out of town, loaded up into 3 balloons and took off. The views of the valley, Barberino, local castles, vineyards, etc. were spectacular, and the 40-min. ride on the noiseless air was one of the most serine and inspiring things I’ve ever done. A “must do” if you stay at the Villa. (I’ve uploaded pictures here of both the Villa and the hot air balloon ride.)

In all, I tried to plan the trip of a lifetime for my family, and I pulled it off thanks to Enzo and Anna, who gave us great ideas. Their Villa is a masterpiece, and their warm hospitality was the topper. My family talks often about our time in Italy, and they’re already asking when we can go back. When we do, we’ll certainly stay again at Villa il Santo. It’s the perfect Italian experience!