Podere Miravalle is a small olive farm
situated at the top of a knoll with panoramic views of the surrounding
countryside. From the loggia, there is a stunning vista of
Gargonza Castle to the west. One approaches the property through
olive groves and dry stone walls on the unpaved country lane.
This seven acre property includes woods, fruit orchard, olive groves
and a terraced garden with spacious lawns. Although secluded, it
is only a twenty minute walk, an eight minute bike ride or a few
minutes drive to the characteristically Tuscan hill town of Monte San
Savino.
Podere Miravalle has recently undergone a two year restoration, yet the
original charm of this four hundred year old farm house has not been
sacrificed in the process. The house could be described as
"peasant chic" in style, with subtle earthen colors used on
walls and terra cotta floors throughout. Attractive cotton and
linen fabrics from the Busatti weaving mills of Anghiari complement
the painted antique furnishings and interesting wrought iron
pieces. The kitchen and bathrooms, although maintaining the
"rustic" feeling, include modern touches such as stainless
steel and Cararra marble counter tops. The house appeared
in Architectural Digest magazine Italian edition in January 1998, and
again in an interior design book called Tuscany Interiors by
Paolo Rinaldi.
The ground floor includes an entrance hall, study/single bedroom, bathroom with
shower, single bedroom, main living room, dining room with fireplace, modern built-in
galley kitchen, and an outdoor dining area under the
loggia/portico. On the upper level, there is a central living
room with a library/reading area and two master bedrooms. One
bedroom has a large queen size bed and en suite bathroom with shower.
The other bedroom has a king size bed or two single beds as required,
and en suite bathroom with tub. There is a separate entrance from the upstairs living room
leading to a little portico and stone staircase to the south garden.
There is excellent central heating, telephone, CD player
with classical music CDs, and a satellite TV with access to CNN and
BBC.
Podere Miravalle has a spectacular pool (6.5m x 14.5m) amidst the
olive groves, with cascading water on two sides.
Guests are required to use Piera's maid service a minimum of three hours per day at
the local hourly rate. Gino, the gardener, looks after the lawns, olive groves and
grounds. His service is included with the rental.
In Monte San Savino, guests will be delighted to discover the works of
art by Sansovino, architecture by San Gallo and its many churches and
towers. Also, art and ceramics exhibits are held throughout the
year at the castle known as "il Cassero". The area around Monte San Savino is synonymous with
gastronomy, with many quaint, family-run trattorias and excellent
restaurants catering to all tastes and pocketbooks.
Location:
Monte San Savino 2 kilometers - supermarkets, specialty shops,
gelateria and bakery, post office, banks, ceramics, antique
dealers and artisans.
Arezzo 20 minutes
Siena 30 minutes
Perugia and Florence 1 hour
Pisa and Rome 2 hours
Sports:
Horseback riding 500 meters
Tennis 1 kilometer
Excellent biking, hiking, horseback riding and tennis in the area
Train station:
Arezzo - frequent intercity (rapid) trains on the Florence/Rome
line
Security
deposit: 500 Euros paid in cash upon arrival and settled
in cash upon departure.
Inclusions: All taxes, bed/bath/kitchen
linens, final cleaning, heating, electricity (max 100 kw/stay is included; additional
usage may incur an additional fee), gas and water, once weekly change of bed
linens, twice weekly change of towels, gardener's service, pool
maintenance.
Supplemental costs: Piera, the maid, comes for three hours per day at
9
Euros/hour (minimum three hours).
Telephone calls are charged according to usage. A unit
reading will be taken upon arrival and departure. The difference is
payable upon departure.Upon
request: Ivana the cook, plus the cost of food and drink. Please
give cook at least 2 days notice, should you wish a meal prepared at
the villa. Personal laundry and ironing available at
additional fee.
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