“beaqutifully calm holiday.” I came with a group of friends and it was fantastic time away. A solidly built Tuscan building with two large bedrooms and one smaller one. Plenty of space to sit around downstairs and space on verandas outside as well. The house was clean, quiet and everything worked! The villa sits in beautiful Tuscan hills which are covered with vineyards- a wine lovers dream as all can be explored and local produce sampled! Plenty of scope for walking too - through vineyards and, unspoilt woods with beautiful wild flowers and butterflies.(I am told there are wild boar there but we did not see one) There was an excellent booklet written in English, welcoming us and explaining how everything in the house worked and giving us good insider knowledge of the region. As Jane is English, Tuscany and the local region was clearly explained. It gave us the different options for getting to Florence and recommended we took the train. It was very easy! After a day in Florence, sightseeing, markets and shopping, it was so nice to escape back to the quiet of the countryside and villa! The guidebook in the villa also listed local restaurants and explained clearly how to get to them and if bookings were necessary. Their recommendations were excellent. I don't think we would have found them some of the places without this help and it was fun to explore the locality and get a real taste of Tuscany. Jane and her husband Giampiero - the proprietors were very friendly and welcoming. They live next door to the villa and were on hand if we had any problems or uncertainties. Buying provisions was easy as a huge local Co op is a short car drive away. However, I was relieved to have accepted Janes' suggestion that she sort us out with fresh and basic provisions before we arrived. One less thing to worry about and more time to holiday! It is easy to get to from London and is quality quiet and a place to really unwind. I will certainly be going back and recommend this villa to all my friends.

“It was the perfect place for us. Clean, roomy, easy to get to F” The Villa is beautiful! Lorenzo was a great host and he helped arrange transportation from the airport. We had taken a late train from Rome and got to the villa felt in the evening feeling very tired. Lorenzo was great the villa was awesome and we felt at home immediately. There were eight of us and there was plenty of room to spread out. Pros Beautiful Villa Very Clean Incredible View Wonderful Gardens Plenty of Room Full Kitchen with utensils Easy to Get to Florence (bus stop within walking distance) Cafe and small market within walking distance Lorenzo was great Cons Cannot think of any The location of the villa was perfect for our group. It is out of the hustle and bustle of the city but close enough to get into the city quickly. It only takes about 15 minutes to get to Florence by bus (which was easy to use, clean, and never too crowded.) By our bus stop there are a small market and cafe. So we could get espresso while waiting for our bus. One night we decided to eat in and the kitchen was equipped with all the utensils to make a full dinner. The Villa just added to the magic we were having on our trip and we would highly recommend it.

“Let's Go Back Soon!” The villa is beautiful, cheerful, and we felt at home. Ilaria keeps Podera very clean. Podera is fully equipped and updated. Ilaria and Rafael are the best hosts one can imagine, full of useful information about the area. They are very attentive. Ilaria showed us a 20 minute shortcut straight into a free parking lot in Florence! We did not have enough converters and Rafael went right out and bought some for us. They are both very accommodating and speak fluent English. I cannot say enough about these wonderful people. Their two boys, ages 4 and 6, are also charming and sweet. However, they are little boys and can be a bit noisy when playing, but Ilaria keeps them in line! The main town, San Casciano, is lovely and quaint and only a few minutes from the villa. There is plenty of history in the town. What we also loved, besides the terrific food, wine, the little outdoor market and the pasta shop with home made pastas, is in the evenings, families are out and about in the streets, enjoying a meal or espresso and meeting up with friends and neighbors. The children are with their parents having fun, no iPods! San Casciano felt like home. We had several dinners there and loved walking around. By the way, be sure to know the Italian for the days of the week or you may get a parking ticket ;) We planned on going back to Italy, south next time, but because Ilaria and Rafael are so great, and Podera La Villa so charming, we may decide to stay at Podere La Villa again, rather than somewhere else. It is in a perfect location to visit other towns. We went to Florence, Siena, Orvieto, Livorno, San Gimignano, Cirque Terra and Montapulciano! The only drawback was the wifi is wireless and is from the upstairs apartment, so we had to sit in the living room to get a signal. It was very hot. Wish we could have sat outside at one of several lovely seating areas.

“Stunning decor” Recently stayed here with family/friends. 5 of us in total. The palazzo was superbly located near Santo Spirito square which is right across the river, a 10 minute walk to the centre of sights. Apartment was steps away from the restaurants / cafes etc. in the square. There is also a small daily market in the square. We enjoyed the area immensely. The apartment was spotlessly clean and the frescoed walls and décor was very ornate and classically Florentine. Apartment was a little dark but we made sure we had the windows open and lights on. Cozy living room and kitchen. Large bathroom and bedrooms. Would recommend staying here.

“A very suitable place to come home to after a long day of sightseeing” The neighborhood is about 30 minutes (walking) from Il Duomo and other major sights, which was just fine for us (friends in our late 20s/early 30s). The bedroom is upstairs and the main one has air-conditioning. The second bedroom had a fan, which worked the first two nights. However, it got near 100 degrees the last three days, so the fan wasn't quite adequate for our friend staying in that room. That was our only real qualm about the place. It was quiet at night. The owners are very kind and hospitable. They gave us great recommendations of things to do and how to get to the sights. There's an amazing gelato place (carapina) about 5 minutes from the flat, and there's a wine shop around the corner that gave us cheap and delicious wine to relax to. If you want to stay in a place that is away from the tourist centers, this is definitely the place.