Architect-restored villa with a pool, walking distance to a Medieval village

OVERVIEW La Tartaruga

Nestled within an olive grove and the rolling fields of Southern Tuscany, this airy villa with a pool offers exceptional country living coupled with the convenience of being walking distance (30 mins of which part is uphill) to the hilltop town of Cetona, considered one of Italy’s prettiest villages.

Comprised of a main building and a guest house, the villa was entirely restored in the 1990s, a project overseen by one of the owner’s architect daughter and with the help of gifted local craftsmen. Filled with wonderful natural light, the interiors feature wooden beamed ceilings and have been tastefully decorated with a mix of antiques and contemporary design items, including works from the owner’s private contemporary art collection. The villa also boasts an under-floor cooling system.

Entering the villa through arched French doors is an inviting entrance, the center of the vast open plan living area. On one side is the living area, with seating in tones of beige and orange, a working fireplace and direct access onto the terrace. One the other side is the refined dining room, with a large wooden table, stylish leather seats and further doors leading outside. Beyond this is the kitchen, well equipped with modern appliances and a central island with a six-burner gas stove. On the ground floor you will also find a TV room and a guest bathroom.

Upstairs is a landing with armchairs and three spacious double bedrooms. Each has its own chic decor, enticing views over the landscape and en-suite bathroom, two of which have bathtubs. The fourth en-suite double bedroom is found in the guest house. Two additional guests can be hosted on folding beds which can be set up in the main villa.

Located next to the pool, the guest house is also home to an additional bathroom and a charming open portico with a bench sofa and chairs, the perfect place to relax in the shade after a swim. Guests can also soak up the sun on the sunbeds surrounding the pool. If you haven’t taken a stroll into Cetona for aperitivo or dinner, you can enjoy these, in addition to sweeping views of the countryside and the rooftops of the village, from the alluring al fresco dining terrace, covered by an iron pergola with climbing roses.

Amenities and services

Floorplan of the villa

Ground Floor

Entrance
Living room
Dining room
Fully equipped kitchen
TV room/Study
Guest bathroom

First Floor

Landing with seating
3 double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms (2 tubs, 1 shower)

Annex

Double bedroom with en-suite bathroom (shower)
Additional bathroom
Portico with seating
Laundry facilities

Garden :

Designed by an architect, the garden features well maintained lawns, flower beds, a pergola with climbing roses, a dining table and a pool. There are sunbeds around the pool.

ESTATE: Le Gore

Set within the bucolic countryside of Southern Tuscany and at the foot of the medieval village of Cetona, Le Gore is a six-hectare estate of fields, vineyards and cypress trees and is home to two separate villas.

The estate was bought by a lovely family in the 1990s. They restored it in grand style under the supervision of one of their daughters, a talented architect who gave the traditional buildings a completely new lease on life. She was also in charge of redesigning the garden, which provides guests with perfect privacy while showcasing splendid views over the surrounding landscape of rolling fields. The vineyards one can see in the near distance are used to produce the estate’s own wine. A caretaker couple, and their dog and two cats, live in a home on the estate.

The villa is a mere 2.5 kilometers from the charming hilltop village of Cetona. Found between the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, the town lies roughly equidistant between Rome and Florence. Human presence in the area goes as far back as the neo-Paleolithic period. Evidence of the Prehistoric, the Bronze Age and the Etruscan era can be viewed in the Belvedere Park, the Museo Civico per la Preistoria del Monte Cetona and the nearby Parco Archeologico Naturalistico del Monte Cetona.

Cetona is ideally situated for exploring the cultural points of interest of Southern Tuscany and further afield. Nearby is the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage considered one of the top natural wonders of Tuscany. The beautiful valley is home to exceptional towns such as Pienza, Montalcino and Montepulciamo where world-famous wines like Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino are produced. This makes for lovely excursions. Even closer by are the towns of Città della Pieve and Chiusi —  which are within a 15 to 20 min drive of Cetona. Active pursuits in the area include hiking. biking, golf at Lamborghini-Panicarola and various watersports on nearby Lake Trasimeno. Lastly, in only an hour or two you can reach Siena, Florence, Perugia and Rome.

ACTIVITIES

• Cetona – Shopping, restaurants and cafés within a short walk in the medieval town of Cetona. It is also home to the Civic Museum of the Prehistory of Monte Cetona and guests can delve further into the area’s ancient history at the Parco Archeologico Naturalistico del Monte Cetona.
• Chiusi – A lovely town with mysterious roots date back to the 6th century B.C., to when Chiusi was one of the 12 most important cities in the Etruscan Federation. The town rises above a warren of underground subways, tombs and passages.
• Città della Pieve – Città della Pieve crowns a hill overlooking the River Tiber. It is around eight km from Chiusi. The attractive town has many brick churches and palaces from the late Middle Ages through the Renaissance.
• San Casciano dei Bagni – The Etruscan settlement known today as San Casciano dei Bagni owes its existence to its 40+ thermal springs which can be experienced at Italy’s foremost award-winning spa Fonteverde (http://www.fonteverdespa.com/). The town also has an array of traditional Tuscan restaurants and shops.
• Orvieto – One of the most beautiful cities of Umbria and has one of the most dramatic settings in Europe.
• Montepulciano – A graceful Tuscan hill town, it’s best known for its Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which has been renowned for 200 years ago and is still considered one of Italy’s best wines  The many churches and beautiful main palazzo, the steep cobbled alleys and vine-trailing stone bastions are highlights for anyone visiting south of Siena. On a clear day, from the top of the town you have fabulous panoramic views across the countryside, stretching towards Assisi’s Monte Subasio, Monte Amiata, the Val d’Orcia, Pienza, and even the towers of Siena.
• Pienza – the unfinished “utopian” city, was commissioned by Pope Pius II in 1459.  In just three years the cathedral, the papal and bishop’s palaces and the central part of the town were completed, but the extensive project ended abruptly when Pius died only two years after the consecration of the cathedral.
• Montalcino – A lovely town beautifully situated on a hill inhabited since Etruscan times and surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.  It is a quiet, affluent, attractive town with handsome buildings and flower-filled squares, and many shops selling its famous Brunello di Montalcino wines.
• Florence and Rome – can be reached by train in one to two hours from the nearby station at Chiusi.
• Fashion fans may want to stop in at the Prada, Gucci, Armani, Yves Saint Laurent and Miu Miu outlets on the road towards Florence.
• The Val d’Orcia – a wide valley south of Siena through which the ancient Via Francigena (the chief route linking Rome with the north) used to lead, passing castles and fortified towns, some of them dating back as far as the eighth century. In San Quirico don’t miss the Horti Leonini, an early Renaissance garden, as well as the western door in the city wall and the Collegiata (main church).
• Golf Lamborghini – located 25 kilometers away in Panicarola, is a 9-hole golf course built by the creator of Lamborghini cars, Ferruccio Lamborghini.
• Lake Trasimeno – This stunning lake can be reached in less than a half an hour. You can swim and do a variety of watersports on the lake.

RATES

GUEST REVIEWS, La Tartaruga, Le Gore

LOCATION

Le Gore estate is 2.5 kilometers, walking distance, from the lovely medieval hilltop town of Cetona where guests can find shops, cafés and restaurants. It is situated in a beautiful part of Tuscany midway between Florence and Rome.