This is the fourth visit to Il Borghetto, a Villa in TUSCANY just 4 kilometres from the famous hill town of San Gimingnano. Why so many stays and why do so many others make repeat visits? 

First of all Il Borghetto is a delightful place to stay. It is a Tuscan home at least 600 years old. The Bimbi family bought it over 20 years ago. It was abandoned and they saw potential. It was gutted and rebuilt to include 11 apartments all done in the Tuscan style. Beamed ceilings, tile floors, Tuscan rustic furniture. 

It’s not the Four Seasons but is a truly Tuscan experience. All the apartments are different, some one bedroom, some two. The building is situated in the midst of vineyards and olive groves with stunning views of the countryside. 

Each apartment is equipped with a full sized fridge ( you do need to chill the wine), a gas stovetop and a microwave. Lots of glasses, dishes, etc. are included. If you plan to cook you will need your own condiments. By the way,  Cooking Classes  are available. We missed one by one day. 

There is a lovely piazza on which to enjoy the afternoon sun and a glass of local wine. There is a pool amongst the olive trees and there is a dining room serving Tuscan dinners 3 nights a week. Some of the apartments have their  own patios too. 

The owners are wonderful. Sandra & Nicola, Simona & Ricardo.  The girls are sisters and they manage the property. The boys do all the maintenance. Their mother overseas the kitchen and staff. They are most helpful in arranging wine tours, Museum Visits, dinner reservations etc.

Interestingly, most of the guests are Canadian and American. 

This week we met folks from Nova Scotia, Denver, Kansas, Austria, and the Chech Republic. 

Since my last visit in 2014 they have added a light breakfast service offering coffee and croissants every morning. Perfect way to start the day in my opinion. 

Il Borghetto is only 40 k from Florence, 25 from Siena and there are many charming towns to visit in the area. A great location. One caveat! You must have a car. It’s in the country and Taxis are expensive here. Driving is easy here, in fact, quite wonderful. So many twisty two lane roads through the countryside. If you enjoy driving, as I do, you will love driving in TUSCANY. 

The dinners here are epic. Served outside or inside depending on the weather. The dining room is charming and the service offered is top drawer. More on the food in a later blog. 

If you are planning a trip to TUSCANY you must consider Il Borghetto. I have stayed here 4 times for a total of 8 weeks. 

Here is the website. Browse it and learn this history of this villa. 

https://www.ilborghettotuscanholidays.com

Just saying…