La Novellina, Chianti
La Novellina
Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 6 Sleeps: 10
Price From: from €9,040/week
La Novellina is a wonderfully renovated farmhouse built around a central 11th-century tower and located halfway between Florence and Siena, overlooking the Chianti hills.
This typical Tuscan house has been respectfully restored. Original materials have been reused wherever possible, resulting in a delightful combination of tradition and authenticity — with an unbelievable view that stretches as far as the towers of San Gimignano. Surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and cypress trees, La Novellina is part of a sixty-nine-acre estate producing extra virgin olive oil. It is an excellent choice for guests that want to experience authentic Tuscan farmhouse living.
Overview
Ecologically mindful. Socially responsible. La Novellina employs sustainable practices that preserve the environment and Italy’s cultural roots. The villa grows a range of organic products including extra virgin olive oil, preserves, honey, saffron, and a line of well-being products.
The certified-organic farm covers an area of about 30 hectares and counts olive groves, fruit trees, horticultural and medicinal herbs, reserves, woods, shrubs, and pastures in search of a balance between biodiversity and productivity.
Details
GROUND FLOOR (SLEEPS 2)
Small entrance hall
Dining room
Large eat-in kitchen built on two levels, with a huge wood-burning pizza oven, stone sink, modern sink, dishwasher, clothes washer & dryer, and fridge.
Double (king) air-conditioned bedroom (cannot be separated) (three steps down from the dining room level) with sliders to the garden, en-suite bathroom with shower.
Both the kitchen and the ground floor bedroom can be accessed from the exterior of the villa (avoiding the steps for guests with walking problems), but please be aware that there are a few steps here and there throughout the ground floor.
Small bathroom near the kitchen, accessed from outdoor loggia
SECOND FLOOR (SLEEPS 6)
Central hallway
Large living with wide-screen TV
Double (king) bedroom (can be separated to twins), en-suite bathroom with shower (A/C)
Double (queen) bedroom (can be separated to twins) with en-suite bathroom with shower (A/C) (smaller than the others)
Double bedroom (queen) with en-suite bathroom with shower and separate bathtub (A/C)
THIRD FLOOR (SLEEPS 2)
Double queen bedroom (can be twins), en-suite bathroom with shower. Access to this bedroom has a lower-than-usual door (168 cm), so it is not ideal for taller guests. (A/C)
GROUNDS
Outside is the loggia with a long table for dining al fresco, a swimming pool (11 meters x 5 meters), and the bathroom with shower (mentioned above) entranced from outside the kitchen — especially useful during summer when the pool is open.
What People Are Saying
“La Novellina was perfection. I can't say enough good about the experience. Thank you for making it happen. The trip of a lifetime!”
— S.G. Guest of La Novellina
“All we can say is — fantastic! What a beautiful, magical place. Everyone was wonderful and the owner took very good care of us.”
— H.G. Guest of La Novellina
2024 Weekly Rates
Low Season €9,040
Jan 6 - Mar 30
Oct 26 - Dec 21
Mid Season €9,670
Mar 30 - Apr 27
Sep 28 - Oct 26
High Season €10,090
Apr 27 - Sep 28
Dec 21 - 27, 2024
Availability
Included
Bed Linen and Towels (initial set)
Mid-week towels change on Wednesday
For rentals exceeding 1 week, 4 hour cleaning on Saturday
Bed linen and towels change on Sat for rentals exceeding 1 week
Internet Wi-Fi
Air conditioning (on request)
Parking
Pool towels
Washing machine & dryer
Supplementary
Service fee of €300 per week (2 hr daily cleaning, garden maintenance, pool cleaning, electricity, and water)
Final cleaning €300 per stay
Tourist tax approx. €1.00 per person per day
Optional
Extra Bed €500 per person per week
Breakfast to be arranged with the owner
Welcome Dinner to be arranged with the owner
Cooking lessons to be arranged with the owner
Cook to be arranged with the owner
Wine Tasting to be arranged with the owner
Heating according to consumption
Wood according to consumption
Early Departure or late arrival €70
Airport Pickup (on request): to be arranged with the owner
Security Deposit & Notes
$1,000 payable by check to Doorways, €500 due on arrival and returned at the end of your stay less any damages or unpaid fees. Final cleaning and service fee also due on arrival.
NOTES
For more than 3 children, please inquire
Not suitable for guests with walking difficulties
Pool is open from May 1 to September 30
English-speaking key holder will greet guests on arrival and be available for questions and requests or problems.
The Italian-speaking housekeeper is a great cook. She can be asked to stay and cook dinners for her guests.
The garden, pergola and pool are completely private for the guests of the villa.
Arrival between 16:30 and 19:00
Departure between 08:00 and 10:00
Distances
30 minutes from Florence, 40 from Siena, and 1 hour from the sea, La Novellina is easily accessible from any part of the world thanks to the two nearby airports (Florence and Pisa). The train station in Certaldo is directly connected to Florence.
Village of Fiano 1 km (.5 mi)
Florence 28 km (16 mi)
Siena 38 km (27 mi)
San Gimignano 25 km (14 mi)
Pisa 82 km (51 mi)
Lucca 105 km (67 mi)
Nearest airports: Florence and Pisa
Nearest train station Certaldo 10 km (6 mi)
Services (grocery store, gas station etc) 6km (3 mi)
Activities & Experiences
Wine Tour
From the famous Antinori wineries to the many small producers of Chianti and Brunello up to the marinescents of Bolgheri wines, a wine tour is not to be missed.
Beaches and Spas
Whether it’s a refreshing bath or the warmth of thermal waters, La Novellina represents an ideal starting point to reach the coast and the many streams that furrow its valleys. There are countless natural spas scattered throughout the surrounding area. It’s just less than one hour to reach Castiglioncello and its beaches, and a little more for the Versilia coast and Le Cinque Terre. The natural hot thermal springs of Petriolo are 40 minutes away, Rapolano Terme one hour, and Bagno Vignoni is one and a half hours. In less than 20 minutes, you can reach the Val d’elsa River Park, with its freshwater streams and rock pools or the cycling routes along the river Pesa.
Truffle Hunting
A typically Tuscan experience and as precious as a widespread resource. For those who know how to look! The truffle season runs from March to December and the best time to hunt for it is between October and November. The truffle, prince of the kitchen, on request and according to availability is used in La Novellina’s recipes.
Olive Oil Tasting
You can taste different oils of local producers, under the guidance of an expert miller and taster, to appreciate the characteristics that make the Tuscan oil a unique product. The tasting will be accompanied by a selection of La Novellina artisanal preserves.
Art Towns
From here you can easily reach the art cities of Tuscany: Florence, Siena, Pisa, Lucca Arezzo but also the ancient villages of Volterra, San Gimignano, and Monteriggioni.
Cooking Classes
Cooking classes can be organized with the villa, concluding with a dinner based on what has been prepared together. Guests actively participate in the creation of the menu, choosing from traditional Tuscan recipes. Through dedicated workshops, you can also learn the secrets of traditions that have been lost in time such as the recognition and the wise use of wild herbs, true delights, and precious allies for ancient flavors. Depending on the season you could also join a plant processing workshop on preserves, natural fermentation, and small cosmetics.
Hot Air Balloon Ride
Tuscany from above: a flight to discover breathtaking landscapes carried by the wind. At the finish, guests will find a table waiting for them, set right in the countryside with products from our farm and region.
Hiking
The region offers endless ideas for outdoor activities: from walks in nearby fields and woods (maybe looking for mushrooms or wild herbs! ) to more challenging trails, immersed in nature, national parks, river parks (like the nearby Val D’elsa park) which has a total of over 200 thousand hectares of protected areas. The Via Francigena, the ancient road that in the Middle Ages linked Canterbury to Rome was rediscovered by the modern wayfarers.
Cycling
Tuscany has made and continues to make the history of this sport thanks to its great champions and the “Eroica”, one of the most evocative competitions in the world. In October the white roads that wind through the vineyards of our immediate surroundings become a famous race internationally acclaimed enough to be exported in Japan and the United States. Spaces that hold simplicity and beauty are linked to nature and a territory rich in traditions and passion.
Vespa Tours
A few km from La Novellina, you can rent bicycles, e-bikes or the legendary Vespas to discover the
panoramic roads that wind through the surrounding countryside.
Ceramics Workshop
In the land of “Terracotta” and famous Montelupo ceramics, there are many courses being offered, depending on the level required. La Novellina rests on land with a high prevalence of clay and right in the nearby village of Fiano, a pleasant 15 minutes walk through the fields, there is a small Artisan workshop offering basic courses in cooking and decoration available upon reservation.