Portico 8
Elegant villa for 8 with shared pool in Tuscan Hamlet : Figline Valdarno, south of Florence
Nice little touches
- The large swimming pool is difficult to photograph, but you'll be surpised by its sheer size. A little building housing a bar makes the pool a perfect spot to spend long relaxing days.
An elegant villa on this Florentine Borgo, this property for 8 overlooks the main square with a colonnaded portico. The interiors are spacious and airy, and all bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms and the whole house is air-conditioned. Great attention has been paid to every detail, making a stay here a delight.
To its left is the large shared pool, a large 10 x 20 metre expanse reminiscent of the pools in Roman villas. The whole estate has been impeccably designed and detailed by the owner, a well-known architect who has worked, among others, for the vatican (you'll see photos of him with the Pope in the conference rooms). This is a house for true relaxation and being looked after.
The walk into the village is just over 1.5km and takes between 20 and 30 minutes. The quieter path is mostly traffic free and goes via a narrow valley, crossing a historic bridge called "Hannibal's Bridge" - the famous Carthaginian general and his army came through this area two thousand years ago, though I doubt he took his elephants over this small bridge.
Accommodation
The main entrance Portico is actually the door to the right of the covered porch facing the central hamlet piazza and fronted with a small garden space, but with two other sets of French doors on the facade, it is obvious that flow in and out of the house will depend of the guests’ preference. The main door leads up to a landing at the bottom of the original pietra serena stairway and then down four steps into a large sitting room whose earlier role as a kitchen is seen in the presence of the original hamlet bread oven. Now its sofa, armchairs and attractive antiques clearly create a comfortable place for guests to relax and reflect on or plan their excursions.
To one side French doors provide a view of the piazza, buffered by the porch; to the other side an open doorway leads to a charming eat-in kitchen with vaulted ceiling, country fireplace and a round marble-topped dining table for 8. On the ground floor there is also a double bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and independent outdoor access. Upstairs there is a laundry room and three further bedrooms – one twin and two doubles. All bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms with twin sinks and one of the double bedrooms has a small loggia from which to look out over life in the central square and listen to the gentle splashing of the fountain.
Features
Villa Details
- Air Conditioning
- Swimming Pool
- All ensuite
- Wifi
- Free Parking
- Central Heating
- Gated Property
- Shared Swimming Pool
Bedrooms and Bathrooms
- 3 Double Bedrooms
- 1 Twin Bedroom
- 4 Bathrooms, All En-Suite
Kitchen equipment
- Coffee Maker (American And Italian)
- Dishwasher
- Kettle
- Oven
- Microwave (On Request)
- Toaster
Amenities
- Shared Swimming Pool 10X20 M
- Honesty Bar By The Swimming Pool, Which Can Be Stocked With Alcohol On Request.
- Plenty Of Shared Space In Main Estate
- Air-Conditioning In Bedrooms (Extra)
- Portable Fans Available On Request
- Free Wifi - Speed 35 Mbps
- Baby Bed And High Chair
- Television (Satellite)
- The Billiard Hall Is Equipped With A Gaming Table For Cards, Chess Or Board Games
- Renaissance Open Fireplace In The Billiard Hall And Several Wood Stoves In The Library. Fireplace In The House Is Not To Be Used.
- Washing Machine
- Dryer
What's included
- Daily Cleaning (1 Hr/Day, Excluding Sunday), With Mid-Week Linen Change, Included
- Final Cleaning Included
- Pool Towels Provided
Extras
- Airport Transfers Available On Request
- English-Speaking Babysitter, Available On Request
- Extra Cleaning And Linen Change Available On Request
- Laundry Service Available On Request
- Home-Grown Produce Virgin Olive Oil, Vin Santo, Zolfini Beans
- On-Site Restaurant Available On Request
- Cooking Lessons, Available On Request
- Organizing Assistance Available For Events In Estate Theatre, Restaurant, Enoteca And Library
- Spa Massage Room On Site
- Air Conditioning €10 Per Room Per Day, Payable On Site
- Central Heating Is Charged On Consumption, 1.30€ Per Cubic Metre Of Gas, Payable On Site
- Cautionary Deposit Of €800, Which Should Be Handed Over In Cash Or Via Credit Card To The Owner Or Her Representative At The Start Of Your Holiday
Outdoors
- Shared Swimming Pool (10 M X 20 M)
Nearby Activities
- Tennis Courts At Castelfranco Di Sopra, 10 Km Or Montevarchi, 10 Km
- 18-Hole Golf Course At Circolo Del Golf Dell Ugolino In Grassina, 30 Km
- Horse Riding At Stables Near Reggello, 7 Km
- Bike Rental In Figline Valdarno, 10 Km. - Rental And Excursions Can Be Arranged On Prior Request
- Read more about the area around Portico
Photos
FAQ about Portico
1. What's the approach road like?
- There is a final stretch of 400 metres of gravel road that leads to a car park among the olive trees.
2. What is the walk into the village like?
- The walk in from the Borgo can be made in three ways. The favoured way is to walk down the 400m track, turn left on a small local road and then go back onto a track that leads down to a tiny old bridge, known as Hannibal's bridge, and then walk up the track into the village. You can also stay on the road which involves less climbing but can be less pleasant if there's traffic. Finally there's a third pathway, called the "sentiero della memoria" which is beautiful but often overgrown. The distance to the nearest restaurant is around 1.8km - just over a mile.
Where is Portico ?
Getting here
- Florence Airport: under 1hr
- Pisa Airport: 1hr 30 min
- Rome Airport: 2 hrs 45 mins
Around Portico
Borgo Rinnovato is perfectly located to discover why Tuscany has been and remains such a popular destination. Based in the Valdarno, the wide valley through which the Arno River meanders, Florence immediately comes to mind. You can easily reach Florence by leaving your car at the Figline or San Giovanni Valdarno free station lots and taking one of the hourly direct trains that swiftly bring you to the heart of this Renaissance treasure chest where world-famous museums, frescoed churches, graceful bridges and historic piazzas are all accessible on foot, with sustaining gelato stops along the way of course.
The road south arrives at another major Tuscan city, Arezzo. Believed to have been one of the 12 most important Etruscan cities and always a center of commerce, still today Arezzo’s artisans and merchants enliven its medieval center, especially on the first Sunday of the month and the previous Saturday when its Antiquarian Fairs fill the streets with ‘treasures’. June and September visitors delight in Piazza Grande’s costumed Saracen Joust, while visitors the year round seek out the splendid frescoes of Piero della Francesca.
If bustling historic cities and a church too many begin to fatigue, there are other options. Designer outlets like The Mall are half an hour away for those whose preferences lean to Italian styling and a good bargain. And in less than an hour winding cypress-lined roads through the Chianti region lead to small towns such as Gaiole, Greve or Radda in Chianti, known world-wide for what fills a wine glass and the delicious food that accompanies it.
Should small-scale exploration suit you best, head to nearby Loro Ciuffenna, a delightful medieval town built around a Romanesque bridge spanning the mountain torrent that powered the many water mills producing chestnut flour. Though the mills have ceased to flow, there are charming restaurants, an art museum dedicated to a native son Venturino Venturi and only 1 km out of town in Gropina the impressive Pieve di San Pietro, the oldest (774 A.D.), best preserved Romanesque parish church in Tuscany.
Yet even before hopping into the car to go exploring, the estate’s wooded panorama, reaching as high as the Pratomagno mountains, may well inspire guests to follow paths through their 800 hectares. Or perhaps join a guided hike and wine tasting tour through the nearby village of Castelfranco whose dramatic landscape and colourful eroded shapes, the ‘Balze’, featured in the background of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’. Certainly, with stables nearby and bikes easily arranged, life in the slow lane is a wonderful way to discover your surroundings, and with a beautiful house as your base and a restorative pool at hand, a Tuscan holiday will soon find its rightful rhythm.
Nearby Activities
- Bar, restaurants, supermarkets in pian di scò, 5 min. and san giovani valdarno 20 mins
- Shops and trains in san giovanni valdarno, 20 min, and figline valdarno, 17 min, with free parking and direct line to florence hourly
- Weekly markets in Figline valdarno 17 min and montevarchi 1/2 hr
- Prada outlet and the mall outlet stores in incisa, 1/2 hr.
- Loro ciuffena 16 km, chianti villages 50 min
- Florence 45 min, arezzo 50 min, rapolano spas, 1 hr & siena around 75 min
Local Towns and Places to Visit
Portico
Sleeps: 8
From € 819 to 1,055 per day
From € 5,735 to € 6,332 per week
Approximately
$ 6,194 to $ 6,839 in USD
Calendar for Portico
How to book
Is Portico perfect for you?
For availability and pricing see the calendar above. To book online click on your desired arrival date, then on the departure date. The calendar will grey out dates for stay lengths that are not accepted - most villas book Sat to Sat but many also allow shorter stays or odd dates.
If you have any questions or would like help choosing, we visit our properties regularly and can help you select the best villa for your holidays.
We can hold dates for you for 48 hours while you make sure everything lines up, then you simply pay the deposit (30% of total) to secure your booking. The balance will then be due 10 weeks before you travel.
Easy cancellation
Simply add "XCover" to your booking for a full refund if you can't travel. For more details see our Booking Conditions and XCover. You can add XCover to your booking at any time until you have paid your balance, ask your agent. If you simply need to change your dates please let us know: we can often modify your booking rather than cancelling outright.
Worth knowing
Many local administrations now charge a “Tourist Tax” for people staying in rented accommodation and these vary from town to town. The charges are generally per person per night with a maximum number of nights, usually around 5 but sometimes 7, beyond which they will not charge. The charges range between 50 cents to 5 euro. Children are sometimes included, sometimes not and these charges should be collected by the property owners.
Not sure?
It can often be faster to contact us to ask for advice - we visit all the houses so can give you first hand advice based on your wishlist. Once you find a villa you like we can hold dates for you for around 48 hours while you check flights or make sure everybody is on board.
Any more questions?
Please ring us with any queries - there are a lot of answers in our FAQ page too. If you want to keep searching, have a look at our suggestions below!
Booking Notes
- This property is subject to a cautionary deposit of €800, which should be handed over in cash or via credit card to the owner or her representative at the start of your holiday
- Air conditioning 10€ per room per day, payable on site
- Central heating is charged on consumption, 1.30€ per cubic metre of gas, payable on site
