good for you

Nestled in the hilly landscape of Tuscany, between Chianti and Valdarno, Podere La Casellina is a family-owned organic farm and B&B, which produces its own wine, honey and olive oil, along with seasonal fruit and vegetables.

Bordered by the chestnut wood of the Chianti Mountains on one side, and rows of oaks, cypresses and olive trees on the other, the Podere opens up on to the little valley below -from the rooms guests can admire a beautiful view of the San Pietro al Terreno church.

By day you can picnic beneath the olives, gather chestnuts and wild mushrooms in the woods, or hike through the hills. In the evening you can dine in one of the local villages, or return to the 200-year-old farmhouse to enjoy a home-cooked meal in the company of your fellow guests and warm hosts. Close to Florence as well as the Chianti vineyards and other Tuscan cities and towns, the farm makes an excellent base for exploring the region.

good for tuscany

This is genuine Tuscan rusticity at its best. The farmhouse has been in the family since 1936 and your hosts are committed to preserving the rich tradition of the region, with organic farming, traditional cooking and warm hospitality.

Rooms

Food

The Bensi family lives in the 200-year-old farmhouse, where they serve their guests a full breakfast with fresh eggs, their own fruit and vegetables and homemade jams and cakes. For those who are game, Michelangelo recommends his favourite breakfast - raw egg yolks and Vin Santo - which he says will keep up your strength.

The evening meal is also served in the family home, at 24 Euro per person. It's typical Tuscan fare based on the family's own recipes, using ingredients grown and produced on the farm (especially the excellent olive oil) and accompanied by wine from the farm's own vineyards. The old fireplace is still used for making bruschetta and grilling meats.

The dinner menu is decided on the spot day by day, depending on what is fresh and available, and fitting in with the family's own rhythm.

Features & Facilities

This is not a hotel, but a bead and breakfast in a working farm - you won't find a swimming pool or a gym, but there's plenty to do and your hosts are always ready to advise you on activities on and around the farm.

See 'Local Info' for more information on things to do.

Local Info & Activities

You can join the Bensi family as it works in the fields, picking and pressing olives and grapes, or you can relax with a walk through the farm, enjoy an old-style picnic in the vineyard or in the olive grove, or simply wander through forest paths, picking chestnuts and wild mushrooms.

The olive harvest takes place in November and lasts for two or three weeks. The grape harvest lasts only about two days, so it's not possible to arrange your visit around it, but you could be lucky if you show up in the first week of October. After the harvest the grapes ferment in a special room below the guest bedrooms.

Besides farm work, the area around La Casellina is ideal for hiking in the Appenines, biking and horse riding.

The Podera is also a great base for exploring local towns while retreating to the peace of the farm in the evening.

Florence is only 18kms away, and Arezzo, San Gimignano and Siena are all beautiful historic towns within an hours drive.

Sustainability

The old stone farmhouse has been carefully preserved, while the guest rooms are in the sensitively converted hayloft and barn.

All farming at La Casellina is organic, and heating is provided by wood fires. Care is taken to recycle.

This is genuine Tuscan rusticity at its best. The farm house has been in the family since 1936 and your hosts are committed to preserving the rich tradition of the region, with organic farming, traditional cooking and warm hospitality.

Getting There

Train: The Podera is happy to collect guests from the Figline Valdarno station (5kms)

Coach: daily bus service stopping at Podere La Casellina

Car: from the A1 motorway, take the INCISA exit and drive left to Figline Valdarno for about 6kms. Then take the right turn to Brollo and keep going for 4kms. The Podera is on the right handside of the road, 600mt. after Brollo.

Visit our Transport section for flights, hybrid car rentals and train bookings.

Rates & Bookings

EURO38 p/person p/night

• There is a minimum 2 night stay.
• All rates include breakfast.
• The Podere is closed from 10 January to 1 March each year.

booking & cancellation

• A 15% deposit is required in order to confirm a booking. 10% is non-refundable in the case of a cancellation at any time.
• The remaining 85% is payable on departure from the hotel.
• If cancellations are made 2 weeks or less prior to arrival the 10% deposit is charged as a cancellation fee.
• If cancellations are made within 3 days of arrival date, guests will be charged the 10% deposit + the cost of 1 nights stay.

Want to avoid cancellation fees? Visit our Insurance section for information on travel insurance.