Dan's House 4
Spacious village home in the heart of Tuscany : Casole d'Elsa, Siena
Nice little touches
- Being part of Tuscan village life is great fun - though small, Casole d'Elsa has a lively programme of events, theatre, exhibitions and markets.
Good to know
- An Italian village is alive with children playing, people talking in the street and other noises of life - you will hear other people around in this house.
This spacious village home was built in the early 20th Century, leaning against the medieval town walls. Following traditional village practice, it forms a part of many houses, each intertwining with each other; but unlike many medieval houses, this one has tall rooms and airy windows, taking in the panoramic views from the village.
Previously owned by the director of Invitation To Tuscany, the house has been carefully restored and enjoys beautiful views of the Tuscan landscape from its windows and from the terrace. The main bathroom is striking, as the original medieval village walls are the backdrop to a deep club-footed bath-tub.
A stepped street leads into the main village street, with grocery stores, restaurants and bars within easy reach. The village also has a great museum and a fortnightly market on Monday mornings.
Accommodation
From a private parking space on the street level a stepped lane leads up to the front door and then continues on up to the main village street. The accommodation, all on one level, is based around a tall 'L' shaped vaulted corridor. Beautifully restored, the house is comfortably furnished and light. The big kitchen has modern equipment, a large dining table, an amazing trough of a yellow marble sink as well as a traditional Tuscan store cupboard and a sofa. Leading off the kitchen is a breakfast room, with a door to a large, furnished corner terrace, partially shaded by a pergola and having extensive views.
Opposite the kitchen is the spacious master double bedroom which has a curtained opening leading to a spacious living room with an L-shaped sofa, sat. TV and views towards the hills of Chianti. Across the corridor from the living room is another large double bedroom also enjoying the same views. Off the entrance hallway are a a full bathroom with a separate shower stall with a beautiful marble floor, a store room/laundry room and a separate WC and washbasin. The stone wall at the rear of the bathroom is part of the medieval village wall, exposed during restoration. It stitches an evocative juncture from the Middle Ages through to the elegant 19th century feel of the house with modern equipment completing the transition to the present day.
This hand-drawn floor plan helps explain the house.
Features
Villa Details
- Air Conditioning
- Wifi
- Free Parking
Bedrooms and Bathrooms
- 1 Double Bedroom
- 1 Double/Twin
- 1 Large Bathroom With Bath And Separate Shower Room
- 1 Separate Wc
Kitchen equipment
- Two Fridges
- Oven
- Kettle
- Nespresso Coffee Machine
- Portable Barbecue
- Dishwasher
- Toaster
Amenities
- Baby Bed Available
- Free Wifi
- Washing Machine
- Tv, Dvd And Selection Of Films
- Video Games
- Portable Fans Available On Request
- Iron And Ironing Board
- Portable Bose Bluetooth Speaker
What's included
- Pool Towels Provided (For Village Pool - 5 Minute Walk)
Extras
- Babysitting Available On Request
- Extra Bed Available On Request
- Heating Costs To Be Paid Directly To The Owner
- Final Cleaning Included
Outdoors
- Furnished Terrace
Nearby Activities
- Restaurants, Shops And Cafes In The Village
- Village Swimming Pool (Open July And August)
- Tennis Courts In Village
- Read more about the area around Dan's House
Photos
The front door opens directly onto the stepped street called Via Vannini
The vaulted entrance leads to a light-filled corridor
The central corridor has a beautiful view at the end from french windows
The french windows have a small Juliet balcony and wonderful Tuscan views.
The kitchen is perfect for testing Tuscan recipes if you can tear yourself away from the excellent local restaurants.
The kitchen has a large ancient marble sink, rescued from a demolished building
The central focus of the kitchen is this large dining table
The living room is part of the main double bedroom, giving a long space of nearly 10 metres, with high windows and beautiful views
The main double bedroom enjoys views out over the Tuscan countryside
The wall behind the bath was once the village fortified walls, so it is at least 5 or 6 hundred years old, most likely 800 years old!
The master double from the living room - curtains can be drawn across for privacy.
Another view of the double bedroom
The view from the little window. The light has burned out the view here but the human eye can see it perfectly : )
The shower is in a room of its own, with a special window to see the view down the corridor.
The second bedroom has twin beds, though these can be joined together.
The bathroom is spacious, with a shower and a full bath tub.
The house is reached via a stepped street that climbs the hill to the heart of the village. There is an excellent bar at the top of the steps for breakfast cappuccinos and evening aperitifs
This a painting of the Chianti hills from Dan's house, by Dan on his last visit to the house in September 2021
Reviews
FAQ about Dan's House
1. Where can I park?
- There is a private parking spot in front of a garage underneath the terrace. The garage itself is sometimes used by a nieghbour, so don't be alarmed if you sometimes see it open, and please don't park so close that he can't open it. If you have two cars there are plenty of parking places in the village.
2. How long is the walk into the village?
- The house is on the edge of the village - the medieval walls, designed by Francesco di Giorgio in the 14th century, are the back wall of the bathroom. To go to the heart of the village you simply walk up the stepped pedestrian street behind the house - the first restaurant and bar are about 50 metres away.
Where is Dan's House ?
Getting here
- Pisa Airport: 1hr 30 min
- Florence Airport: 1hr
- Perugia Airport: 2 hrs
- Nearest Railway Station in Poggibonsi - 30 mins
Around Dan's House
From the terrace you might just catch an aroma of tempting pastries made in the patisserie around the corner on the street below. If you climb the steps beyond the front door you reach the main village street. Here you can enjoy daily life in one of the best Tuscan hill villages, where many of the friendly residents trace their ancestry back over five hundred years.
There are bars, restaurants, a pizzeria, excellent local food shops, banks, an enoteca, a good museum and a castle for a town hall. You can walk round the village walls and admire the brand new amphitheatre on the other side of the village, relax in the main street and enjoy the many concerts and festivals put on during balmy summer evenings.
This area is a paradise for walking, and good road connections make touring by car a delight. This house would also make a great base for a cycling holiday - there are wonderful road and off-road routes in the area, bike hire is easily arranged (including top-end road bikes and electric bikes) and the village is very bicycle-friendly.
Nearby Activities
- Bars and Restaurants in the village
- Weekly market on Monday in Casole d'Elsa
- Siena 40 minutes drive
- San Gimignano 30 minutes drive
- Pienza and the Valdorcia 1hr 30 min
- Montalcino 1hr 15 mins
- Chianti 30 minutes
Local Towns and Places to Visit
Life is lived on the main street of the village
The whole village participates in the local Palio horse race, in early July
The whole village participates in the local Palio horse race, in early July
The ancient spa of Bagno Vignoni is less than an hour away
You can see the medieval towered town from the windows of Dan's House!
Siena is less than half an hour away
Colle val d'Elsa is a ten-minute drive and has a Michelin starred restaurant, as well as a Friday market
Pienza and the Valdorcia are around an hour and 30 minutes away by car
Calendar for Dan's House
How to book
Is Dan's House perfect for you?
For availability and pricing see the calendar above. To book online simply 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 choose and book 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. You can also 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, simply ask your agent.
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 up to 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
- Heating costs to be paid directly to the owner
