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Modern luxury exquisitely blended with traditional design, makes this vacation rental unique. Le Nuvole, a bright, spacious, self-contained apartment, located on the top floor of an old, three-storey building, is the latest renovation of Mark Abouzeid, founder of Intuscany.net and professional travel photographer. It is situated in a quiet street in the centre of the medieval hilltop village of Castelmuzio and is therefore ideally placed for exploring the immediate vicinity at leisure on foot or for venturing further afield to discover Tuscany’s wealth of natural and cultural heritage by car.
 50 meters from the historic center of Castelmuzio just outside the town gates, the apartment occupies the entire top floor. It has three bedrooms, 2 and 1/2 baths, a living room, eat in kitchen, and 20 meter south facing terrace. Views include the town gates, Tuscany and too many cypresses to name. The apartment is traditional in design with terracotta floors, oak beams and wood cabinetry. The bathrooms, on the other hand, are luxuriously modern with separate areas for the WC and bidet, marble tiled walls and floor; and either a bathtub or walk in shower.
The open-plan lay-out of the living areas, along with the whitewashed walls and the many windows, including the three French doors opening on to the large front terrace, combine to create a welcoming, light-filled living space.It has a working fireplace, central heating, cd stereo, dishwasher, washing machine, gas stove and electric oven. Each room is fitted with a queen or king size bed and the walls are adorned with Tuscan landscapes from the owner’s photo gallery
 ACCOMMODATION: At street level, you enter via an outer proceed through a communal entrance hall and up four short flights of stairs to the glass front-door of this apartment, concealed round a corner on the top floor.
Immediately to your right as you enter is the first bedroom, with double bed and ultra-modern ensuite toilet, plus basin. From here, French doors open out to a little terrace to the rear of the property, with a backdrop of wooded Tuscan hills.
Adjoining this bedroom are the spacious, open-plan kitchen/ living areas, separated from each other by a single sweeping arch. The kitchen is equipped with double sink; gas hob and oven; large fridgefreezer; dishwasher; washing machine. The seating area includes Satellite TV, DVD and Broadband Internet access, in addition to the attractive feature of a modern, built-in wood-burning fire in one corner.
Two French doors invite you out on to the front balcony, which extends the whole length of the apartment and commands views over the village chimney-pots and old church tower.  A built-in barbeque facility at one end entices you to the pleasures of al fresco dining on this roof-of-the-world suntrap-terrace!
A second bedroom with double bed and attractive sloping ceiling leads off the living area. Directly opposite is a bright, roomy bathroom, complete with large bathtub; bidet; toilet; basin; and clad throughout in eye-catching, giant-sized, marble tiles.
The third bedroom, with double bed, is also located at this far end of the apartment and provides direct access to the front balcony again, through large French doors. Its accompanying bathroom is divided by a screen of striking turquoise glass tiles,which separates off the modern, charcoal-tiled shower cubicle from the other facilities.
All bedrooms are equipped with a fan for summertime use.As all its walls have recently been cavity-filled for insulation purposes, the apartment remains the same temperature all the year round. The services of a house cleaner are provided twice a week. Guests are supplied an abundant welcome basket of Tuscany produce, oil, wine etc on arrival. Guests have free use of a private swimming pool situated 500  metres away from the apartment.
The owner: Mark Abouzeid has been welcoming guests to Tuscany for over ten years. As the original founder of InTuscany and developer of several villas, he is an expert in the needs and comforts of vacationers. Moreover, as a professional photographer, he is a treasure trove of information on the best sights and tastes Tuscany has to offer. “I travel on my stomach and chose this location for the food… If there is one thing I know, it is every good restaurant within a 100 km radius.” Mark’s guests are typically greeted with welcome drinks in his Gallery, taking the opportunity to answer any questions about local folklore and recommending itineraries for the perfect holiday. “I love meeting new people and sharing with them some aspect of Tuscan living.”
LOCATION:Castelmuzio is a small medieval village (dates back before the romans but most recently developed in the 13th century) set in the most beautiful rolling hills of Tuscany that exist with about 200 hundred inhabitants. It is known, for the best Olive Oil in Italy (three prizes in three years), great wines from the region (Brunello and Nobile), truffles, wild boar, cypresses, etc.
Several films have been shot in this area, including:
 - The English Patient (the church they used can be seen from the town);
- Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty;
- La Vita e Bella;
- Gladiator;
- Under the Tuscan Sun.
It is centrally located amid dozens of small medieval villages including Montisi,Lucignano d’Asso, Trequanda and the larger towns of Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano and Cetona. The nearest exit from the A1 Florence-Rome motorway (Autostrada del Sole) is 18 kms away at Bettolle/Sinalunga. Mainline railway stations are located in Chiusi and Arezzo. Rome, Florence and Pisa airports can be reached within 2-3 hours by car.
OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE NEARBY:The area can offer: horseriding; bike riding; nature hikes; thermal spas; hot-air balloon flights; wine tours and tasting; fabulous dining; and a whole host of nearby locations of historic, artistic, architectural, culinary and scenic renown, such as: Montepulciano (home to the famous Vino Nobile red wine); Montalcino (home to the equally famous Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino red wines); Pienza (famed for its delicious “pecorino”, sheep’s milk cheese); Torrita di Siena; Sinalunga; Lucignano; Cortona; Arezzo (celebrated for Piero Della Francesca’s 15th century fresco-cycle of the “Legend Of The True Cross”); Lake Trasimeno; the Abbey/Monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore; the ancient Umbrian hilltop town of Perugia, as well as that of Assisi, most important of pilgrimage destinations, being the birthplace of St. Francis; and, of course, Siena (home to, among countless other things, the world-famous “Palio” horserace).
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