Private villa (68 properties found)

Sleeps: 2 to 3

Perched high in the Apuan Alps, above Camaiore and Pietrasanta, Argentone looks out over stunning views of the Mediterranean sea, all the way to Corsica. It is set in a fold above the village of S.Anna di Stazzema, a famous centre of Partisan resistance during the second world war, the story recently told in a film by Spike Lee.

Sleeps: 10

A restored farmhouse in the hills between Lucca and the sea, Orfeo looks over a beautiful unspoilt valley with wonderful views, especially to be enjoyed on the terrace at sundown. The swimming pool is beautifully set in these gardens to benefit from the views of woodland and hills.

Sleeps: 10 to 12

Bernardino is situated to savour the views of the wide Maremma plain that stretches below the medieval town of Campiglia Marittima and finishes on the horizon at the Mediterranean Sea. An excellent family house and certainly one to which to invite friends, it has terraces off each bedroom, which offer private retreat, yet spacious rooms and outdoor areas in which to gather.

Sleeps: 8 to 10

Brogino is a large country house in Chianti, its already lyrical setting enhanced by the spectacular medieval Abbey - Badia di Passignano - which faces it from a mile away across vine and olive clothed hills. The garden, with flowers and shrubs nestling amongst the rocks and sandy soil of the area, merges imperceptibly into the olive groves beyond.

Sleeps: 5 to 6

Overlooking the Arno Valley and a pleasant walk to the local village bar and restaurant, Casa Allioni is spacious retreat in the green or an excellent place for couples or a small family to gather. With a panoramic pool and vineyards and olive groves surrounding it, this beautifully restored farmhouse offers country life yet easy access to major Tuscan cities.

Sleeps: 4

Casa Anna is a converted cottage above the tiny hamlet of Sant'Anna di Stazzema, with a terraced garden, a Jacuzzi, and a covered pergola with lovely views of the surrounding hills. The owners have carefully converted and modernised their family retreat to make an excellent base for a holiday in these fascinating mountains.

Sleeps: 4 to 6

Argento has been beautifully restored by the London based owner and is a stylish retreat, either as a base for invigorating mountain walks, a welcome home after a day by the beach only 25 minutes away, or as a restoring refuge from city life. Sitting in the Jacuzzi on the large terrace, gazing out of the sea over 600 metres below, worldly cares fade into insignificance.

Sleeps: 12 to 14

Set on a wooded hillside halfway between Arezzo and Sansepolcro, this large stone house is perfect for a reunion of family or friends. With a marvelous sense of space, Casa Cerfone has both the ample areas you look forward to congregating in and the more intimate areas you delight in retreating to. Add to this the organic produce available on site, a coffee/cocktail bar run by the owner and a pizza-maker on standby and you have elements of a splendid vacation.

Sleeps: 8

Nestled in the hills above Campiglia Marittima, a charming well-preserved medieval town overlooking the Mediterranean, Casa dei Fichi is a wonderful family house that matches the landscape that surrounds it.

Sleeps: 6

This stylish family home and joyous garden is a wonderful gathering place for a family or group of friends who appreciate a wonderful panorama when they spot one. Just outside the Maremman hilltown whose wine-making tradition has produced the respected Morellino di Scansano, it offers congenial comfort and is a great base from which to explore the hidden treasures of southern Tuscany.

Sleeps: 2

In a quiet hillside position, opposite the ancient hill village of Ameglia, this lovely cottage for two, with beautiful views both of the Magra estuary and of the Apuan marble mountains, has a swimming pool and furnished patio from which to survey it all.

Sleeps: 10

A short distance from the birthplace of the famous sculptor, Casa Michelangelo is a delightful stone farmhouse with pool, positioned to take in the Tiber valley and Lake Montedoglio in one breathtaking panorama. The ideal place for a family reunion or a gathering of friends, the house has lively medieval towns, excellent restaurants and the nature that inspired artists close at hand.

Sleeps: 6 to 7

Casa Pretello was restored by the Swiss artist owner 30 years ago. It still has the simple air of an ancient Tuscan farmhouse, with spacious airy rooms, an enormous fireplace and large chestnut beams. The swimming pool on the hillside shares its views of olive groves, cypress and holm oaks and helps make it a wonderful low-key place for a family to stretch out and relax.

Sleeps: 8 to 10

Casa Rosa is a carefully restored farmhouse at the end of a secluded country road, but minutes from the centre of Lucca. It is set in its own 12 acres of grounds, with a large pool, enclosed with a box hedge, and a children's play area.

Sleeps: 4 to 5

High on the side of a hill, looking out over the folds of the Chianti landscape, Casa Silvia is an enchantingly simple house, with terraces and gardens ranged around it allowing you to follow the sun or avoid it. This is a house designed for reading, sipping wine and setting the world to rights, relaxed in an armchair watching the sun change the colours of the hills as it sinks in the distance.

Sleeps: 6

On the hillside of a fertile wooded valley, Casa Umbra, restored in golden local stone, retains the feel of its Umbrian country heritage, yet offers every comfort a modern guest might wish for.

Sleeps: 6 to 8

Il Casale is a beautifully converted, rambling Tuscan farmhouse in the Montagnola hills west of Siena. Sufficiently high to take advantage of the wonderful views of this historic area, yet set just below the crest of the hills, it is snugly settled into its 3 hectares of grounds, gently perfumed by lavender, antique roses, wisteria and herbs, and protected within a boundary of cypresses and Holm oaks.

Sleeps: 4

Ten minutes drive from Lucca, on the road that leads towards the marble mountains of the Apuane and Camaiore, a small drive leads to an idyllic hidden valley, where La Casina nestles snugly beneath its parent house. The views are wonderfully Tuscan: ancient farmhouses perch on hilltops and forested hillsides wrap around the valley.

Sleeps: 6

The Casina, together with the owners main house, was built in 1600 and is set in ten acres of lush Tuscan countryside, originally part of an estate including a large villa, a chapel and a "grotto" with mosaics, of which some remains are still visible. A swimming pool sits to the right of La Casina, taking the place of the original threshing floor.

Sleeps: 8

Originating around 1250, Castell'Orlando is now one of the most beautiful and best conserved private castles in Umbria. This impressive castle has been carefully restructured; the architects have maintained the harsh, original, stone structure, and have made sensitive use of stone, iron and wood to create a blend of comfortable contemporary details with the existing historic structure.