We are called Poggiosole: a farm and vacation rental on 7 hectares (about 17 acres) of olive groves and meadows located 30 km (19 miles) from Florence. We have two early-19th century stone and timber buildings on our property: a main house for staff and, across a wide flagstone-paved courtyard, a large two-story farmhouse (a.k.a. fienile or hayloft). This vacation rental is comprised of two luxurious side-by-side lodgings with private swimming pool. On Vrbo (and only on Vrbo) we offer these lodgings together as a single residence which comfortably sleeps up to 10 adults and up to three children aged 4 and under (we provide wooden cribs) while offering two living areas, two outdoor patios with parasols and two nuttily well-equipped kitchens.
With 200 square meters (2150 sq ft) of air-conditioned indoor living space the farmhouse contains five bedrooms, three of which connect to an en-suite full bath (there are a further two-and-a-half bathrooms besides). The kitchens are equipped with Alessi cookware, Wüsthof chef's knives, Bosch mixers and citrus juicer, Dualit toasters, Rösle stainless prep bowls, Bodum Chambord coffee presses, Pulltex corkscrews, non-stick baking tins... even a digital scale. Each kitchen also includes a full-size fridge, dishwasher, gas cooktop, oven and a Lavazza espresso machine with separate milk foamer. The living areas with fireplaces feature furniture and accessories by Cassina, Fritz Hansen, Vitra and Kartell and lighting by kreon, Artemide, Tecnolumen and Flos. In our bathrooms you'll find Duravit ceramics and Dyson hairdryers. The two patios are linked by a floor-lit 7-meter-long terracotta sidewalk and are furnished for outdoor lounging and dining, including Weber BBQ grills.
The larger of the two lodgings offers a long dining table that will seat 8 adults comfortably, and 10 in a pinch (for when everyone wants to dine or breakfast together). We have free Wi-Fi (60 mbps) and a couple of audiophile-grade sound systems (plus a pair of B&O wireless speakers). There is no additional charge for A/C, heating, weekly towel changes or use of laundry facilities (the farmhouse is equipped with two Miele clothes washers and a Miele dryer). Each lodging also has a chess set, Go set, playing cards, Jenga blocks and, yes, also a streaming-capable TV.
About 30 meters (100 feet) from the farmhouse is a crystalline salt-chlorinated swimming pool outfitted with five teak loungers, two teak and canvas deck chairs and two large canvas parasols. The pool is for the exclusive use of farmhouse guests.
All our outdoor spaces equipped for lounging or dining (pool, courtyard, and patios) are misted by a state-of-the-art nebulizing system which dispenses insect repellents throughout the afternoon and evening and, at 7am every day, a powerful insecticide to keep mosquitos and wasps away.
Our land gradually slopes into a verdant valley of which our larger lodging in particular has a commanding view. All guests are welcome to walk through and picnic in any part of the property, and informal walking tours are available free of charge. For runners, a 5 or 8 km circuit is a short jog from our front gate. There are ten varied and excellent restaurants within a 15-minute drive, with the nearest a short walk away (three Led Lenser flashlights are provided for getting there and back after dark). The local general store in the hamlet of Romita is a short walk across one of our fields, then 200 meters along a country road.
The nearest town is called Tavarnelle Val di Pesa and can be reached by car in 8 minutes. In Tavarnelle you'll find a supermarket, several grocers, one exceptional butcher, a gelato shop, a pharmacy, a couple of hair salons and a hole-in-the-wall movie theater run by a guy with excellent taste in films (unfortunately even the English-language ones are dubbed).
The broader context is the Chianti fiorentino, the portion of the historic Tuscan wine-growing region that's closer to the Florence-Siena axis. By car, Poggiosole is within 30 minutes of Certaldo Alto, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Greve, Montefioralle, and Castellina in Chianti as well as Florence itself. Closer in are the towns of Barberino, Marcialla, San Casciano, Monteriggioni, Badia a Passignano, and Panzano. Siena and Volterra are less than an hour away.
We are new to Vrbo but have a 9.9 rating on Booking (25 reviews) and a 5 star rating on Airbnb and Google (14 reviews). Poggiosole has been hosting guests since 2008.