With its medieval architecture, Renaissance art and the incredible spectacle of Il Duomo, Florence is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful towns in Europe and the undisputed capital of Italy’s Tuscany region. But for a true taste of Tuscan life, one must travel beyond the Florentine city limits and discover rural life among the vines and farmland.
Enter the newest member of the Belmond family, Castello di Casole: a 1,000-year-old castle that occupies it’s own picturesque, cypress-covered hillock in the countryside between Siena and San Gimignano – two of Tuscany’s other must-visit towns.
Restored by the aristocratic Bargagli family before the turn of the millennium, the castle sits within it’s own medieval village, which is home to an ancient Etruscan wine cellar (now the Essere Spa), olive press and winemaking facilities. Original fireplaces can still be found in the suites located in the 10th century medieval tower, and all 39 suites feature authentic historical elements such as original stone flooring and alabaster from the nearby region of Volterra.
More recent history abounds in Bar Visconti, named for Italian director and scriptwriter Luchino Visconti, who once entertained the likes of Sophia Loren and Helmut Berger at the castle. Venetian dishes come courtesy of an outpost of Cip’s Cup from Belmond Hotel Cipriani, and traditional Tuscan fare is prepared using fresh ingredients grown in the hotel’s gardens at Tosca.
Guests staying at the castle are invited to try their hand at truffle hunting or look out for wild boar and foxes during sunset safari walks. If the great outdoors proves too much and guests long for the big city, Castelo di Casole’s big sister, Villa San Michele, is just a short drive away in Florence. Rooms start from EUR 550 (US $638).
