- Check in between 4.00 pm – 8 pm
- Check out before 10 am on the day of departure
- Max 12+3 persons (Villa 8+2; Cottage 4+1)
- Children welcome
- Required security deposit Eu 600 payable onsite in cash or traveler’s check,
- Final Cleaning Eu 350
- Small Pets allowed on request in the Cottage Eu 50 for the stay
- Baby Cot (0/2 years old) Eu 20 per day
- No Smoking Villa
- Extra beds exciding 8 in the main Villa, 4 in the Cottage: Eu 20 per day for children up to 6 y. , Eu 35 per day from 7 y
- Rental car recommended
On Request
- Cooking lessons
- Personal Chef
- Housekeeper
- Babysitting service
- Wine & Food Tastings and wine pairing
- Guided tours (Wine Tours, Shopping Tours, Bicycle Tours and Art and Culture Tours)
- Naive Painting lessons
- Seasonal activities (like Olives and Grapes harvest…)
- Horseback riding (nearby)
Area Information: Cortona is one of the oldest hill towns in Tuscany and is featured in Francis Mayes book Under the Tuscan Sun later made into a movie. Its medieval streets are pleasant to wander and you’ll be rewarded with fabulous views of the countryside along the medieval town walls. Cortona has remnants of its pre-Roman Etruscan past, Renaissance artists Luca Signorelli and Fra Angelico, and Baroque artist Pietro di Cortona. This town is in the eastern part of Tuscany very near the border of the Umbria region and Lake Trasimeno. The closest cities are Arezzo in Tuscany and Perugia in Umbria. Cortona is reachable by train from Rome, Florence, or Arezzo. There are two stations, both below the town, at Terontola-Cortona or Camucia-Cortona. From either station, a bus runs up the hill, arriving at Piazza Garibaldi just outside the center. The heart of Cortona is Piazza della Repubblica, with the Palazzo Comunale or town hall building overlooking the square. The city is small but offers many interesting places to visit, among these the Diocesan Museum (where you can admire a beautiful panel painting of the Annunciation by Beato Angelico) and the MAEC(The Etruscan Academy Museum of the City of Cortona), where it is possible to see many artifacts found in the Eruscan archeological sites in the area. You can also request additional information about the Archeological Park at the museum. You should not miss a visit to the beautiful Santa Margherita Sanctuary, patron of the city, and to the Girifalco Fortress. Both are on the highest point on the hill and are easy to reach after a short, uphill walk. Following the path that follows the city walls, you can also enjoy a beautiful view over the surrounding countryside. The Girifalco Fortress, constructed for military purposes, has undergone many substantial changes throughout the centuries and today only a part is open to the public. Various small shops on the main streets of Cortona offer local handmade items and gastronomical products. Great red wines are made in the area (we are just a few kilometers from Montepulciano and Montalcino) and all of the wine bars offer a wide selection. There are many restaurants in the city, most offering traditional local and Tuscan cuisine (the Chianina cattle, one of Italy’s oldest, high quality bovine breeds is bred in Valdichiana). Just outside of Cortona’s walls you’ll find the Franciscan hermitage Le Celle, the first monastery built by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1211, where a small community of friars still lives today. Through the course of the centuries, the hermitage was restructured and enlarged several times but Saint Francis’s small cell has always been conserved in its original state and can be visited today. In summer, Cortona organizes theTuscan Sun Festival, an annual event dedicated to the arts which sees the participation of several international stars and artists.
Vehicles: Due to the fact that many properties in this area can be accessed only by unsealed roads and driveways, we advise people intending to take a sports or low-slung car on holiday, to check with us first whether the access to the property allows for such a car. We advise against the use of vans and minibuses. Please always check with us at the time of booking if you are planning to use this type of vehicle when staying at a property in this area.
Swimming: If your rental period is outside the period May 15th to September 30dt, please check with us that the pool can be opened. Swimming pools are not enclosed with fences and there are no lifeguards. Clients’ use of the swimming pool is at their own risk.
Heating: Usage will be metered throughout your stay and you will be charged accordingly. Charges must be paid directly on the spot to the owner or his/her representative before departing. Please note that heating in Italy, when not subject to restrictions by the local Government, is more expensive compared to other countries. If you look for a property in low season, make sure to ask for an estimate of the heating cost. You may be asked to make a supplementary deposit for heating expenses.
Water and Electricity: Please note that most of the properties in our portfolio are not the typical purpose-built Mediterranean holiday villas. Most are converted farmhouses or former manor houses, full of character and history. Water shortages do occur; please use it sparingly during the summer months. At the same time, Italy is probably one of the few countries in the world where the government has introduced a system of electricity limitators to contain the national consumption. This means you must be careful when using more than one appliance at once because the limitator will shut the electricity off.
Internet Connection: Many of our properties have an internet connection. From our experience, when a connection is interrupted due to technical reasons beyond our control, it is unfortunately very difficult, despite our efforts, to receive immediate assistance from some of the internet providers operating in Italy. We therefore strongly suggest that those who need to access their emails should bring their own BlackBerry, or a similar portable device. Please note that in any case we cannot accept responsibility for lack of these services.
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