2 BR Cottage in Southern Tuscany, village in walking distance - UNESCO World Heritage

The cottage was very tastefully decorated. The blankets/plaids provided to make yourself comfortable in the living room in the evening were very pleasant. The kitchen was well-equipped, enabling us more elaborate meals to be prepared. However, the kitchen interior could be freshened up a bit. Beds were good, bathroom adequate. As we found out when we left, renovation work on and in the house is expected to be done soon.
We were met by a member of the staff on arrival and given a short introduction. We were also able to meet members of the Cervini family, especially when out walking their dogs and we with our dog - all very friendly and informal. On departure day , an employee also came to the house to have a quick look around and check the gas consumption. The property has a wonderful location with lovely views of the surrounding area. The location is absolutely quiet and far away from any traffic or work noise. Though, it is only a short distance to the next village for shopping, where you can get everything you need. And if you want, there are many interesting, beautiful and impressive things to discover in the near and far surroundings. We enjoyed our stay very much.

Casa dell'Ambasciatore was better than expected. Everything was beautiful. The only thing I would say is it would be great to have better cutting knives and a bigger fridge. Daria, the owner, was wonderful. We would love to come back as it was one of the most relaxing comfortable places to stay.?

In response to your kind letter I am writing to let you know how much we enjoyed our stay in Casa dell'Ambasciatore and Casa de Lilli. From our arrival, with the warm welcome of Simona and the beautiful garden flowers throughout the house, to our departure 4 weeks later, we enjoyed everything about our accommodations, location, and the wonderful people we met. Simona is a lovely young woman. She was very helpful and responsive whenever we had questions, or needed information. Her English is very good, and our Italian is non-existent, so it was comforting to know she was nearby if we needed help. The delicious cakes, hand made by Alba, were an unexpected and delightful welcome gift. Please pass our thanks on to the Cervinis. We loved the cakes so much that we ordered three more over the course of our stay, and Alba presented each one, wrapped more beautiful than the last. The dinner that Andrea, of I Lecci, delivered our first night was outstanding. The food, presentation and charming Andrea were very memorable. We enjoyed it all so much that we made 5 visits to I Lecci to savor Anna's delicious cooking and the warm ambiance they created each time we dined there. They are sweet and generous hosts. We appreciated all of the restaurant recommendations, and tried quite a few. We especially enjoyed our evening at Ristorante Silene. The food was superb and chef Roberto was so kind and attentive. I think one Michelin Star is just the beginning for Silene. We visited the Pinzi Pinzuti wine shop a few times. Marcellina is a delight, and the shop is unique and a lovely place to spend an afternoon of tasting a variety of beverages, cheeses and other treats. We enjoyed visiting many of the hill towns, large and small, as well as a quick trip to Rome, Via Reggio and a practice race for the Palio, the morning before the real Palio. The information you provided was very helpful. We did discover, however, that Vivo no longer has a Post Office or a petrol station, and Pizzeria Le Cannelle is no longer open.
We did try the pizza at Restaurant Flora in Vivo, where they bake the pizzas in a wood fired oven, and it was very good. We left 2 fly swatters for the next guests. We loved keeping with the windows open, but found the flies to be annoying, so the fly swatters were a good solution. We also pointed out to Simona a wooden step in the yard that needs to be secured. All in all, very minor, trivial things that did not detract from our enjoyment.
The setting is very beautiful and decor is inviting and comfortable. At night, with the fireflies about, my husband declared it "magical." We had a wonderful holiday, and thank you for helping to make it so special. There is still so much to see and do in beautiful Italy, that I know we will return again. I look forward to the day when I contact you to book our next holiday.

While relaxing under the pergola, which was laden with ripening grapes we enjoyed the ever changing view up to Monte Amiata, watching the hawks gliding on the thermos. We could sit there for the whole week but we did drag ourselves away to visit the recommendations that were in the book provided. Off we went to the beautiful St. Antimo's Abbey, Montalcino, Monepulciano, Pienza, San Quirico d'Orcia, Sienna, and a jewel of a find one afternoon when we took the wrong road, Radicofani. Stepping out of car the view was breathtaking with the clouds racing by and all at once the bells started ringing for mass. Beautiful.
It was always lovely to return to our comfy Casa, relax, swim and walk to see the sunset over the valley. We found the first shopping option and the first dinner fabulous and ate at I Lecci 3 times that week.
Thank you again

It was a revelation to discover a Tuscany so different from the E.M. Forster "Room with a view" images of domes and paintings. These were all of course only twenty minutes drive away in Montepulciano; but here half way up the magnetic fields of Monte Amiata we were in another world of more primitive forces. Here we could under the moon see porcupines and wild boar searching for truffles; experience during the day the seemingly forgotten restorative 40 degree hot waters of Bagno San Filippo and breath in the cool air of the evening recovering from the baking heat of the hill towns. The nearby water-falls and towering orange lichen encrusted palazzo of San Gallo brooding over the valley recalled a Claude landscape. The view from the terrace up towards the summit of the extinct volcano was truly of a beauty and tranquillity hard to describe. With a bottle of Mr Biondi-Santi's wine from nearby Montalcino the evenings spent here were truly unforgettable.

Unser 1-wöchiger Aufenthalt im Casa dell'Ambasciatore hat unsere Vorstellungen bei weitem übertroffen. Es war paradisisch - ein wahrer Genuß für Augen und Seele! Ein absoluter Traum, den wir alsbald möglich wiederholen möchten. Ein perfekter Urlaub!!

Nous sommes partis avec la société Trust and Travel en Aout 2008 et gardons un excellent souvenir de ces vacances, tant point de vue organisation avant notre départ qu'une fois sur place, la maison louée correspondait exactement aux photos présentées sur le site, même mieux! Nous sommes partis à 4 dont deux enfants de 8 et 10 ans, tout s'est très bien passé, nous avons étés très bien entourés, il s'agissait pour nous d'une première expérience de réservation via internet et nous pensons certainement refaire un voyage avec Trust and Travel prochainement, nous conseillons leur société sans hésitation.

Nous avons énormément joui de ce séjour. La „Casa dell’Ambasciatore“ et son entourage ont de loin excédé nos attentes. Nous y avons trouvé le calme, la beauté de lieux, une maison aménagée avec goût et soin. Un grand merci pour l’acceuil chaleureux.

We had the most wonderful time at Vivo d'Orcia. It was all peace and beauty, and I would urge anyone who wants to see the 'real' Tuscany to go there.
It is very isolated, and so not suitable to everyone's taste. You need to have some adventure in your soul to go there!
The Casa dell'Ambasciatore is beautifully restored to a very high level. It has everything one needs for comfort, and the meal we had ordered was one of the best we have ever tasted. Jonathon Radford, the head gardener at Vivo was there to help with any questions or issues and is a wonderful asset to the visitor.
Thank you so much for helping us with this holiday. We look forward to our next adventure with you!