This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.
10/10 Excellent
Sarah M.
4 Sept 2011
"I wish I could give this...
"I wish I could give this property 6/5! We stayed in two out of the three apartments (one in one week, one in the next), all of them contained in a beautifully-renovated stone house in an amazing rural setting with views out on all sides over the hills and forests. Fabulous sunsets. The first apartment (the one with the arched windows in the photographs) has two spacious and airy bedrooms with double beds, together with a smart shower-room, a large kitchen/dining area and a balcony. The second apartment (one large double bedroom and a big sofabed) is on the ground floor below, and has doors leading directly from the rooms out onto the stone-paved terrace at the front of the house, as well as the vine-covered pergola to the side. The beds were really comfortable, and the kitchens well-equipped. The farm is set along a rural track, not far from the road but with no passing traffic (unless you count horse-riders!) Mauro has done a great job restoring the building, which has terracotta floors and wooden beams but also all mod cons - including wi-fi. Each apartment has its own outdoor eating area with furniture (as well as good garden lighting), and there's lots of space in the garden/meadow around the pool in which to stretch out beneath the many fruit trees, or in the sun. The pool is about 5' deep throughout, great for a proper swim and kids can just jump in. It also has a paddling pool beside it which is ideal for families with babies or toddlers.
The property is part of a small farm, where Mauro keeps a few chickens, rabbits, sheep, goats, cows - our neighbours' children loved seeing the animals and exploring the farm, which is small enough that they could go off together while their parents relaxed in the garden. It really is an ideal place for a family holiday but also for couples or friends who want to be near, but not in, the major cities of central Italy. And the location is ideal if you want a holiday out in the countryside but don't want to be completely cut-off because it's only about 10 minutes' walk from San Benedetto, a small hill town with a good supermarket (Crai: open 9-1 and 4-7.30, closed all day Thursday and Sunday afternoon I think - there's also the ECU about five minutes' drive away, open similar hours but closed all day Monday instead). The town has a couple of bars (one of which has gelati), a newsagent, cashpoint, pharmacist - and the Osteria/Pizzeria Lo Stuzzichino which has really good food at good prices (if you go on Friday/Saturday, they also have a special menu of fish dishes). The property is about 35 minutes' drive from Bologna, and about 45 minutes from Florence, but there's also a train station 8km away where you can park for free and get the train to both cities in about the same time for roughly €8 return.
But what really made our holiday special was getting to know Mauro, who is just fantastic. His English is excellent (as is his German), and he's a really interesting guy from Florence who left a career in textile design (I think that's right!) to establish this place. Both he and his family were immediately welcoming and friendly. They live in an amazing wooden house on the farm, and Mauro is an incredibly creative, generous person who offered us wine, honey, fruit and vegetables from the farm. He held a couple of evening get-togethers which meant we made friends with our neighbours over drinks. Thank you, Thomas and Sandra, for speaking such very good English! "
