Podere La Specola will make you breath the authentic tuscan tradition!

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This post is also available in: Italian

Podere La Specola is part of a little borgo composed of three residential units of very old origin.

During its thousand-year old history it has been the home of illustrious local personalities; It was indeed the house of Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499), the philosopher, humanist, astrologer, and personal educator of De Medici family.

Today, thanks to a very accurate and fine restoration that has preserved the original body of the building, it is now a welcoming and luxurious holiday residence in the heart of the Tuscan countryside.

The house, with a beautiful view of green hills and olive groves that is cloaked at the bottom by extensive woodland, for the most part accessible, is embellished by a collection of antique furniture and precious accessories, giving the rooms a particular personal touch.

Outside, the house is surrounded by a quiet, well-tended park with an extensive lawn, a large swimming pool and various equipped areas. Located just outside Figline Valdarno, with shops, services and restaurants, and just a few kilometres from the famous outlet, The Mall, and from small towns dotted around the neighbourhood, the property is located amongst the most beautiful and varied scenery of Tuscany, in the area of the Florentine Valdarno, between the ridge of the Pratomagno and the nearby region of Chianti, a short distance from Florence and Arezzo and just a few kilometres from the Autostrada del Sole (A1 motorway) and the main tourist areas of Tuscany (the Chianti towns, San Gimignano, Siena and all the well-known valleys that cross it).

Here you can sample the delicious and authentic food and wine products of Tuscany, you can visit the beautiful nature reserves of Sant’Antonio and Vallombrosa and the picturesque area of the balze (rocky erosions) on foot or by bike. N.B.

In a wing of the property, with independent access, live the cordial owners who take care of the maintenance of the park and pool without interfering in the privacy of the guests.

Interior

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The property consists of a main building and two residential units, each with independent entrance.

MAIN VILLA. The main villa has two floors. On the ground floor a large entrance hall, with stairs to the upper floor, leads into the living area with sitting room, dining room and built-in kitchen with large fireplace. Each room has French windows leading directly out to the set-up outdoor areas.

This floor is completed by a guest bathroom and laundry room. Upstairs is a TV room and four bedrooms with private bathroom: two double with bathroom with tub, one double with bathroom with tub and shower and, finally, a twin with bathroom with shower.

ANNEX 1. Located about 15 m from the main villa, it has two floors. The entrance on the ground floor leads into the living area, with sitting room and dining table, and then on to a spacious kitchen with direct access out to the veranda, the laundry room and a guest bathroom.

An internal staircase up to the first floor leads to the sleeping area with three double bedrooms served by two bathrooms with shower and one with tub.

ANNEX 2. Located about 40 m from the villa with, on the ground floor, an open-plan area with sitting and dining areas and kitchenette, a double bedroom with ensuite bathroom with shower and, finally, the laundry room.

The upper floor consists of a double bedroom with a terrace overlooking the park and served by a bathroom with shower.

Park

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The park surrounding the villa, within a property of about 27 hectares, is enhanced by large areas of lawn, bordered at the sides by rows of olive trees and, at the end, by extensive wooded vegetation, in large part flat and viable.

 The private driveway lined with rows of cypress trees leads to the covered parking area and, from here, to the main house, the annexes and the swimming pool.

Around each residential unit, in the vast, well-maintained park enlivened by multiple blooms, are areas for relaxing in the open air, set up with seating, tables and armchairs: in the large stone-paved courtyard adorned with fragrant lemon trees and on the patio at the back with a brick-built barbecue and wood oven.

In front of the annexes, as well, outdoor seating and dining areas have been set up, protected by verandas and porticos, ideal for convivial moments but also, in the case of large groups of people, to ensure privacy or quiet relaxation.

Swimming Pool

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The large pool of Podere La Specola lies in an area of the garden surrounded by thick vegetation with views of the green hills.

It is quickly reached from both the annexes and the main house (which is about 50 m away) by a few steps across the surrounding lawn.

 The rectangular pool measures 8 x 16 m with the depth varying from 1.20 to 2.40 m. Lined with white ceramic tiles with a terracotta-brick border, it has chlorine purification, two metal ladders for access to the water and both internal and external lighting. 

The surrounding solarium is equipped with sunbeds, umbrellas, a cold-water shower, a circular hydromassage tub (not heated) and a gazebo. The pool is available from the last Saturday of April until the first Saturday of October.

Location

Podere La Specola is located in a perfect geographical position, thanks to which connections to the numerous places of historical, artistic and gastronomic interest are assured by an excellent road network as well as by the motorway.

The villa is easily reached from the airports of the region, Florence (about 54 km) and Pisa (115 km), and is also well connected to the Figline Valdarno railway station on the Rome-Florence line.

The Incisa-Reggello exit of the A1 motorway is 8 km away. The largest town, about 3.5 km away, is Figline Valdarno, located in the eastern part of the province of Florence, about 30 km away. The town lies in an area bordering on the Arno valley and then ascending the slopes of the Pratomagno ridge; beyond the valley crossed by the river Arno are the Chianti hills that separate the Valdarno area from the province of Siena.

Below, the famous balze (rocky erosions formed after the drying up of a large lake that covered the Arno valley) flank cultivated areas, towns and villages and industrial and commercial areas.

The hilly belt, cultivated with terraces, is crossed by the Setteponti road, an ancient road linking Arezzo and Vallombrosa, along which are numerous CAI (Club Alpino Italiano) trails which allow you to explore on foot or by mountain bike the entire area of the balze, dotted with many rural buildings and Romanesque churches.

The area is particularly rich in nature reserves, including the Natural Protected Area of local interest, the Forest of Sant’Antonio, a green lung of particular importance for the variety of botanical species and for native fauna, and the famous Forest of Vallombrosa (with relative Abbey), a biogenetic nature reserve, rich in coniferous woods, including an experimental arboretum composed of 3200 specimens of 1200 different species from all over the world.

The park is rich in streams and springs, with numerous hiking trails and marked naturalistic itineraries that can be travelled by mountain bike or on foot. 

Finally, don’t forget that about 10 km from the property are the famous designer label outlets, The Mall and Fashion Valley, while in less than half an hour you will be able to reach even Prada’s outlet.

Discover Podere La Specola nella versione 18 e 14 posti letto sul nostro sito web.