We had booked two weeks in this cottage in southern Tuscany in the fall of 2000, but only spent two nights because our trip got cut short.

This is a cute independent house on a farm in southern Tuscany outside the small village of Palazzone (no cafes or restaurants in the village back then - do not know what the village is like now). There are other vacation rentals on the property, but they are not close to La Vigna. You can walk up the road to the shared swimming pool. The house is up one flight of stairs and is on one level. Nice sized living room, well equipped kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. It is small, but fine for 2 - 3 people.

You are a bit "out there" but are within driving distance of some nice towns - Piazze, San Casciano dei Bagni, Cetona. About an hour to drive to Pienza.

We spent two weeks in Bella Vista in June 2000. This is a lovely independent house on the edge of a small village, Celle sul Rigo, in southern Tuscany.

The house is simply furnished, but very comfortable. Living room, dining room and a small kitchen downstairs. Two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. Large yard with a swimming pool and incredible views, from Monte Cetona to Monte Amiata (looking north to central Tuscany). There is a nice terrace with a roof, so you can site outside on sunny days.

Celle sul Rigo is perched on the top of a hill. The town is small with two restaurants, a good deli and two bar/cafes. San Casciano dei Bagni is a 5 minute drive away. You are off the beaten Tuscany tourist track here, but can be in Pienza in under an hour, or head south to Pitigliano and Saturnia. There are lots of nearby hill towns to explore.

This was our first rental with TuscanHouse. They are a great agency, small and personalized, with hand-picked properties. We rented from them several times after this.

We spent a week in Torre San Domenico in September 2002. This is the best vacation rental I have had in Italy, and I have stayed in many. It sleeps six but there were just four of us (two couples).

Location: Cetona is a beautiful town , somewhat off the beaten track, in southern Tuscany. Many Romans have second homes here. There are great shops, restaurants and cafes in the town. It is a 45 minute drive to Pienza. It is great to stay in a town so you can walk out for morning coffee or to the shops.

House: The house is fantastic. It is a historic tower, just a few blocks up from the main square. It is a bit of a steep walk up but you get used to it quickly. The house is on four levels. The kitchen is very good. The furnishings are beautiful. Each bedroom/bathroom is on its own level, so for two couples you had a lot of privacy. The views from the house, or from the terrace which is at the ground floor level, are lovely.

The owners of the house met us when we arrived and helped us drive the car right up to the house to unload. There is no parking there but we parked in the main lot in the center of town. The price per week is very good considering the house sleeps 6.

TuscanHouse is a great agency and very good to deal with. They hand pick beautiful properties, many in southern Tuscany. We have rented from them several times.