Pauline
Forums Admin
TuscanHouse - villas and houses in Tuscany (most are south of Siena). Gary and Zak have been in business for 17 years, know all their properties well and offer local knowledge gained from living in Tuscany for 3 months or more every year.
http://www.tuscanhouse.com/
These reviews were collected on the Slow Europe website and have been copied here.
Reviewed by: mizlcj (1 review)
Reviewed on: October 30, 2012
Date of Stay: fall 2012
Vacation Rental Name: Torre San Domenico
My spouse, mother sister in law and I spent two wonderful weeks at Torre San Domenico in Cetona, Italy in September 2012.
TuscanHouse: Zak is a patient and helpful guide to vaction renters. Through email and written correspondence in the months leading up to our stay, he provided invaluable information about traveling to and from the house, essential services and amenities in the town, as well as great recommendations on sights in the area. Most importantly, he was able to work with the owners - to arrange several special requestes (e.g., groceries needed for an anticipated late arrival, internet access, television and a local cell phone). This was a huge help!
Torre San Domenico: hard to know where to begin. 3 good sized bedrooms. The master suite is on the top floor with a lovely sitting room, small terrace with breathtaking valley views, a full bath with combination tub/shower and twin beds that can be put together into a queen. The next level down includes a full bath with combination tub/shower, two bedrooms with queen beds, night stands, armoires and a couple of occasional chairs. The next level down holds the open plan kitchen/dining area and living room. The kitchen has state of the art stove and range, but the fridge is a small under-counter model, which guests should keep in mind if planning a lot of meals at the house. The next level down is street level and has a large foyer with powder room, laundry room (washing machine only), small sitting area (we called it "the grotto" as it is part of the semi-circular "torre" that gives the house its name). At the back of the house off the grotto is a door and steps leading down to the terrace which has beautiful roof top views, large glorious climbing roses, a number of potted plants, a mosaic topped patio table, six folding chairs, a couple of lounge chairs, as well as the ubiqitous clothes line suspended over the railing. For us, this terrace was a reading room, dining room, cigar and wine bar. One warning to older guests and/or those with limited mobility: the house is 4 storeys and the stairways are very narrow and winding with no hand railings. Cetona's streets also have an average incline of 45 degrees. This house is close to perfect, but may not be perfect for everyone.
Cetona: a medieval town that is a postcard from top to bottom, end to end. In September there were other vacationers about, but you never sensed any "tourist fatigue". The main square (Piazza Garibaldi) is really the hub of the community and not just a public space aimed at tourists as evidenced by children gathering at the Bar Cavour before school, people chatting on benches or inside shops, etc. Genuine smiles, greetings and offers of assistance all the time.
The region: being a 10 minute bus or car ride to Chiusi, which is on the main Florence - Rome railway line made Cetona a perfect home base to explore the region. Florence was just under 2 hours on the "Regionale" train service and Rome a little over 2 hours. We opted not to rent a car and use local transport and taxis instead. While this would not be to everyone's taste (there is SO much to see!), once we learned how to read the bus schedules (and ask for assistance to confirm!), we were able to get to Chiusi, Montepulciano, Sarteano, and Chianciano Terme easily. The other benefit - for busy, always-in-a-hurry Americans - was being forced to slow down, settle into the leisurely pace of things and realize that being forced to sit for an hour (or two!) and have a coffee or gelato while you waited for the next bus in a beautiful small town in Tuscany was not the worst thing that could happen to you.
Reviewed by: kathleen (1 review)
Reviewed on: September 24, 2012
Date of Stay: spring
Vacation Rental Name: Villa Monte
Zak from the Tuscan House Agency could not have been more patient and helpful in my many inquiries to find the 'perfect' vacation for our long awaited family vacation of 4 grown 'children'. The Villa Monte proved to be even better than anticipated, situated high above the Tuscan hills, with an incredible view of the surrounding country side. The property owners, Olivia and Francesco Bologna went out of their way to be helpful, guiding us to the local winery and even inviting us to share a pizza/homemade wine evening with them one memorable evening. If only time allowed, we would never hesitate to make a return visit, and highly recommend Tuscan House Agency (be sure to ask for Zak!) as well as this lovely property. Your visit to Tuscany will be long remembered.
Reviewed by: Pauline (13 reviews)
Reviewed on: March 8, 2009
Date of Stay: fall before 2004
Vacation Rental Name: La Vigna
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.
Reviewed by: Pauline (13 reviews)
Reviewed on: March 8, 2009
Date of Stay: spring before 2004
Vacation Rental Name: Bella Vista
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.
Reviewed by: Pauline (13 reviews)
Reviewed on: March 4, 2009
Date of Stay: fall before 2004
Vacation Rental Name: Torre San Domenico
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.
http://www.tuscanhouse.com/
These reviews were collected on the Slow Europe website and have been copied here.
Reviewed by: mizlcj (1 review)
Reviewed on: October 30, 2012
Date of Stay: fall 2012
Vacation Rental Name: Torre San Domenico
My spouse, mother sister in law and I spent two wonderful weeks at Torre San Domenico in Cetona, Italy in September 2012.
TuscanHouse: Zak is a patient and helpful guide to vaction renters. Through email and written correspondence in the months leading up to our stay, he provided invaluable information about traveling to and from the house, essential services and amenities in the town, as well as great recommendations on sights in the area. Most importantly, he was able to work with the owners - to arrange several special requestes (e.g., groceries needed for an anticipated late arrival, internet access, television and a local cell phone). This was a huge help!
Torre San Domenico: hard to know where to begin. 3 good sized bedrooms. The master suite is on the top floor with a lovely sitting room, small terrace with breathtaking valley views, a full bath with combination tub/shower and twin beds that can be put together into a queen. The next level down includes a full bath with combination tub/shower, two bedrooms with queen beds, night stands, armoires and a couple of occasional chairs. The next level down holds the open plan kitchen/dining area and living room. The kitchen has state of the art stove and range, but the fridge is a small under-counter model, which guests should keep in mind if planning a lot of meals at the house. The next level down is street level and has a large foyer with powder room, laundry room (washing machine only), small sitting area (we called it "the grotto" as it is part of the semi-circular "torre" that gives the house its name). At the back of the house off the grotto is a door and steps leading down to the terrace which has beautiful roof top views, large glorious climbing roses, a number of potted plants, a mosaic topped patio table, six folding chairs, a couple of lounge chairs, as well as the ubiqitous clothes line suspended over the railing. For us, this terrace was a reading room, dining room, cigar and wine bar. One warning to older guests and/or those with limited mobility: the house is 4 storeys and the stairways are very narrow and winding with no hand railings. Cetona's streets also have an average incline of 45 degrees. This house is close to perfect, but may not be perfect for everyone.
Cetona: a medieval town that is a postcard from top to bottom, end to end. In September there were other vacationers about, but you never sensed any "tourist fatigue". The main square (Piazza Garibaldi) is really the hub of the community and not just a public space aimed at tourists as evidenced by children gathering at the Bar Cavour before school, people chatting on benches or inside shops, etc. Genuine smiles, greetings and offers of assistance all the time.
The region: being a 10 minute bus or car ride to Chiusi, which is on the main Florence - Rome railway line made Cetona a perfect home base to explore the region. Florence was just under 2 hours on the "Regionale" train service and Rome a little over 2 hours. We opted not to rent a car and use local transport and taxis instead. While this would not be to everyone's taste (there is SO much to see!), once we learned how to read the bus schedules (and ask for assistance to confirm!), we were able to get to Chiusi, Montepulciano, Sarteano, and Chianciano Terme easily. The other benefit - for busy, always-in-a-hurry Americans - was being forced to slow down, settle into the leisurely pace of things and realize that being forced to sit for an hour (or two!) and have a coffee or gelato while you waited for the next bus in a beautiful small town in Tuscany was not the worst thing that could happen to you.
Reviewed by: kathleen (1 review)
Reviewed on: September 24, 2012
Date of Stay: spring
Vacation Rental Name: Villa Monte
Zak from the Tuscan House Agency could not have been more patient and helpful in my many inquiries to find the 'perfect' vacation for our long awaited family vacation of 4 grown 'children'. The Villa Monte proved to be even better than anticipated, situated high above the Tuscan hills, with an incredible view of the surrounding country side. The property owners, Olivia and Francesco Bologna went out of their way to be helpful, guiding us to the local winery and even inviting us to share a pizza/homemade wine evening with them one memorable evening. If only time allowed, we would never hesitate to make a return visit, and highly recommend Tuscan House Agency (be sure to ask for Zak!) as well as this lovely property. Your visit to Tuscany will be long remembered.
Reviewed by: Pauline (13 reviews)
Reviewed on: March 8, 2009
Date of Stay: fall before 2004
Vacation Rental Name: La Vigna
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.
Reviewed by: Pauline (13 reviews)
Reviewed on: March 8, 2009
Date of Stay: spring before 2004
Vacation Rental Name: Bella Vista
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.
Reviewed by: Pauline (13 reviews)
Reviewed on: March 4, 2009
Date of Stay: fall before 2004
Vacation Rental Name: Torre San Domenico
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.