Casa Tosca is on perhaps the most beautiful piece of land in all of Tuscany. We have been lucky enough to visit some very special places in our lives but waking up to the sun rising over the Tuscan landscape with the loveliest pool in the foreground makes you feel like royalty. The property is very well attended to, with a perfectly cut lawn, colorful flowers, and hedges that provide a good amount of privacy, despite being quite close to a neighboring old Tuscan home. That home is also owned by Casa Tosca’s owner, but houses a year-long tenant who we saw very little of, yet enough to feel like we were staying in real Italy.
The villa itself is spotless, comfortable and very well-equipped. Given the superb weather, we spent the majority of our time outside when we were there. Inside, the bedrooms and bathrooms are great. The kitchen is small but very well stocked and upon arrival, Monica provided all sorts of wonderful treats (wine, cookies, fruit, oil and herbs, coffee, etc.) free of charge. (She was also incredibly attentive throughout our stay, no matter the subject!) And the kitchen was plenty big enough for our family of four to enjoy a cooking class - we made tiramisu, lamb and fresh pasta! Had we spent more time inside, a more comfortable living space would have been nice, but it was unnecessary for our family.
The hill to the town is long and steep - got the kids to do it once, carrying groceries and all! I did it often - great exercise. The town of Montaione makes it all worth it. Almost a caricature of itself - a mini Sienna, complete with delicious restaurants, gelatti places, a supermarket (co-op) with a wonderful deli and bakery and great selection of fresh produce. Adorable shops line the cobblestone streets and the old Italian men enjoy hanging out together in jovial groups, consistent with the cliche.
The villa is an hour from Sienna (by car), Lucca (by car) and Florence (car to train.) We also visited San Gimignano for dinner on our way back from a day trip to Sienna. A must!
Lastly, the villa guide has been incredibly thoughtfully put together and was an enormous help in pre-planning our itinerary as well as for reference during our stay.
Casa Tosca is a FABULOUS place! With love from your Brooklyn, New York friends.
