This luxury villa is the perfect place for a Tuscan holiday with all the family. With a beautiful pool, a tennis court, table-tennis, boules and a gym is has plenty of activities for everybody. The fast wifi, barbecue, views and swimming pool make it perfect for relaxing too - and when you want to explore, the famous cities of Siena, Arezzo and Florence are all within easy reach.
This very special house was originally built around 1820 to celebrate the safe return of a soldier from Russia, whose family had feared him lost in the Napoleonic wars. The stone-built villa, on a hilltop 450 m above sea level, has wonderful views across the surrounding hills of the Casentino and is surrounded by its own parkland with carefully tended rare roses, shrubs and trees, as well as irrigated lawns and fruit trees.
A shrubbery-lined drive leads links the property gate to the two-story stone house whose sheltering portico, furnished with arm chairs and divans, runs the width of the facade. Entry is into a bright hallway with a pietra serena stairway leading up to the first floor and doorways to living quarters on either side. To the left is a large sitting room with sofas and armchairs, a corner fireplace, a door to a small furnished patio, and a large archway with sliding doors leading into a double bedroom and shower room suite. The stylish shower room with large rainfall shower and twin carved stone sinks also has a doorway to the back garden, with easy access to the pool and large travertine table for 12. To the right of the entrance hall is a small sitting room with four large armchairs in front of a pietra serena fireplace, next to a dining room with large wooden table that can seat all guests. The adjacent kitchen, outfitted with pale clean cabinetry and stone countertops, cleverly hides all the appliances and equipment a good cook will need and has two large refrigerator/freezers and a traditional kitchen fireplace.
The top floor has two shower rooms with carved stone sinks and stylish fixtures, each serving two bedrooms. To the right of one shower room is a twin/ double bedroom and a double bedroom, while to the left of the other shower room are two double bedrooms, one with a door to a large furnished balcony that enjoys the view of the Casentino hills. All bedrooms have wrought-iron bedsteads and charming hand-painted wardrobes and look out at the spacious grounds, whose lawns and shady areas with high trees are ideal for children at play.
The oval pool is 3 metres deep with a diving board.
You can see the village of Rapale on the ridge behind the Villa.
On the ground floor this dining room is close to the kitchen and to the living room
This smaller sitting area near the dining room has a pietra serena fireplace for autumn evenings
The modern kitchen in Villa Rapale has everything for the enthusiastic cook
In addition to sculpted twin sinks and an open shower, the ensuite shower room has direct access to the back garden
The attractive master bedroom has its own furnished panoramic balcony.
Not a bad view with which to begin the day or bring it to a close.
Both upper floor shower rooms are fitted with sculpted sinks, stylish stone wall treatment and roomy showers.
The double bedroom near the master bedroom has, like all the bedrooms, a charming hand-painted wardrobe.
On request, the twin bedroom can be made up as a double.
In this stylish shower room you will be 'rained upon' with delight.
Built in 1820, the stone house with shady portico fits beautifully in its grounds.
The house is well equipped for outdoor dining
If you are serious players, be sure to bring your rackets along to use on the tennis court - but if you do forget them, there are a few available for your use.
Boules is a relaxing activity for the late afternoon.
The perfect summer past-time
The villa has its own gym
The large pool (6x15m) near the house is perfect for serious swimmers and the diving board adds a bit of fun.
The expansive views of the Casentino from Villa Rapale.
Heading north there is nearby Ambra with excellent shops and restaurants or Montevarchi from which one can catch the fast train into the heart of Florence.
To the northeast is the medieval walled city of Arezzo, whose Basilica preserves the masterpiece of Piero della Francesco and whose Piazza Grande central square fills with monthly antiquarian fairs and Saracen Jousts.
Heading southeast leads to healing spa treatments at Rapolano Terme or, therapy of another sort, the designer shops of the Valdichiana Outlet Village. But the Chianti region is practically on Villa Rapale’s doorstep with Castelnuovo Berardenga, Villa a Sesta and San Gusmé all offering stellar restaurants, excellent wineries and stately villas. Not surprisingly, the rural castle of Baron Ricasoli, the creator of the ‘recipe’ of Chianti wine, is also located is this area.
It is a region which deserves to be discovered at leisure, with excursions interwoven into sunny days of relaxation and the comfort of one’s own Tuscan villa.
From € 561 to 856 per day
From € 3,927 to € 5,135 per week
Approximately
$ 4,241 to $ 5,546 in USD
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!