Just in time before the summer holidays start, I am back with some more inspiration for your next trip to Tuscany. In this series of posts, I will take you to some beautiful places in the Southern part of Tuscany that we had a chance to visit during the lat summer holidays in August. It was, once again, a wonderful trip – full of fun and family-friendly. Before heading to our camping adventure at the Maremma coast, we decided to explore Siena and its surrounding. This first post is about what it felt like to stay at charming Borgo Villa Certano near Siena. And in the second part, you will also read about how our stay here unexpectedly lead us to discover the pretty little hilltop town of Monteriggioni (hint: sometimes the best travel experiences are brought to us through people we meet along the way ;).
If you’re looking for a charming holiday home with history and soul, nestled in nature and in the heart of Tuscany, keep reading – this might be a dream stay for you too. Borgo Villa Certano is situated a stone’s throw from Siena, so it is a perfect base for exploring the city but also towns such as Volterra or San Gimignano are within +/- 1 hour drive. I will write about all these places in the next post so stay tuned, but for now, come to explore this amazing villa with us!
We arrived late at night, only noticing the gorgeous cypress-lined driveway the next morning. We picked up the key to our Granaino apartment in the secure box. The apartment was on the second floor and it is said to be inhabited previously in the 15th century by famous painter Lorenzo di Pietro, known as Il Vecchietta. There was one bedroom for 2 with wooden-terracotta ceiling and typical Tuscan hand-crafted iron beds, cosy living room with a sofa as optional bed (Adeline loved it), equipped kitchen and a bathroom.
In the morning, we woke up with a sound of garden being watered. When looking from the window, we could catch a glimpse of a cat walking in the garden, then sitting on a window on the first floor and posing for my camera. While we prepared coffee and the table with Adeline, Steven kindly drove to the local bakery in the small village and brought us some artisanal bread and sweet pastry (hello again, pistachio pastry!) that we enjoyed with much needed coffee or favorite tea. When we were doing dishes, we enjoyed the view from the kitchen into the picturesque landscape with cypresses and vineyards, our heart thing.
When we were not visiting any place, we were simply unwinding. We spent the hottest parts of the days relaxing in the shadow of larch and olive trees in the garden, reading books or enjoying picnic lunches with views into green hills with olive groves and vineyards. It was very peaceful and quiet, so deeply recharging. In the evenings, we sat outside with a glass of an organic Chianti wine that was gifted to us by the host, observing the falling stars and making wishes. There was nearly zero light pollution and so the visibility was excellent.
Our stay at Borgo Villa Certano was magical and no wonder it felt like home. We needed to book three nights but as we did so quite at last moment, they only had our apartment available for the first two nights. For the third night nevertheless, they kindly offered us another room. A special one – probably cherished in the family. We were admiring the collection of various interesting books, the beautiful old furniture with history, the harmonious touch of the he bed linen in simple light blue and white, the display of objects with meaning linked to Siena, the view from the window with cypresses… We had so much respect for it and were happy we could stay all three nights at the end, and also to experience more of this beautiful villa. On the day we were changing the rooms, we also had nice chat with a sweet older lady who was preparing the room for us. She showed us the way, helped us with laundry and even ironed a few peaces of Adeline’s clothes, how kind and thoughtful! That’s when I got the kind of home feeling.
There’s clearly more to this place than simply accommodation. I already spoke about the extensive garden but guests have access to most parts of the property and so we also discovered a wine-making cellar and a small chapel. You see it also? How amazing a wedding here could be? (just dreaming 
) And then, we were showed probably the most beautiful room in the villa, with hand painted walls that evoked a feeling of a garden straight out of a fairytale! There were still balloons from a birthday celebration. We stayed some time, while Adeline was allowed to play with them, admiring the space. It was magical and we felt like Alice in wonderland. Prior to leaving, we passed by the reception, where is also a little store where guests can buy local products such as wine and olive oil produced in Certano. We bought little handmade sachets with lavender that are now hanging in our closets reminding us of this special place, reminding us also to come back one day…
Monteriggioni
I already spoke about that while staying in the Borgo Villa Certano, we met the sweet older lady who prepared our room and helped us with laundry. And so when we were speaking with her, we asked her if she had any recommendations on what to see in the surroundings. Without hesitation, she mentioned this place to us. With one word, one breath, she said with so much joy “Monteriggioni”. And then she smiled and I will never forget her smile that spoke for thousands of stories. We were not disappointed. Monteriggioni is a tiny walled town nearby Siena. Built for defensive purposes in the early 13th century, this walled town sitting on a hilltop is a jewel that kept its medieval charm. We adored walking on the walls around the town and enjoying panoramas of landscape. Inside the walls, there is an old church, a few interesting shops and restaurants where you can stop by.
So this is it for today! I hope you enjoyed reading and that I could bring a little feel of the place to you. In the next post, I will talk about the feasts we could experience in Southern Tuscany in August, so stay tuned! And bye the way, did you know you can subscribe to my newsletter to get the new posts directly in your mailbox? Newly, you can also follow me on Substack now for updates!
Příspěvek Our Stay at Borgo Villa Certano and Discovering Monteriggioni pochází z 1001 Voyages Gourmands
