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Santa Maria a Poneta, a charming little hamlet immersed in a peaceful environment, is an ideal destination for your holidays. You will have the opportunity to relax in the stillness of an old farm, away from the stress of city life, while being comfortably close to all the art towns in Tuscany.
 Santa Maria a Poneta is a 20 hectares farming estate. Part of the estate is covered by a beautiful ilex and oak grove ideal to take a walk or have a picnic. The other part is where the farm is located. The activity of the farm focuses on horse breeding of "Sella Italiano". The owners will be pleased to accompany their guests to see the newborns take their first steps or follow the first, exciting stages of breaking-in and mounted training. Should you be interested in riding lessons or trekking, they will gladly recommend the neighbouring specialised centres as they do not offer this service.
ACCOMMODATION: Accommodation is elegant, surrounded by the breathtaking scenario offered by the Chianti hills, where all has been conceived and accomplished to fully satisfy our guests. The apartments offer all modern comforts, and their every detail has been the object of great care so as to reflect traditional Tuscan style: the use of classic materials, like the big exposed ceiling beams  and the handmade terracotta floors, contribute to lending a special atmosphere to each room, decorated with family furniture and paintings, Persian and Kilim carpets.
Click on the name of each apartment for more information:
- Linari (sleeps 2);
- Vico (sleeps 2+1);
- Sant'Appiano (sleeps 2+1);
- Gimignano (sleeps 4);
- Barberino (sleeps 4+1).
THE GARDEN AND SURROUNDING
ENVIRONMENT: Large gardens full of flowers, roses and essences surround the house and the swimming-pool.
The owners, who live in the mansion house, will offer you their continued assistance for all your needs and their suggestions on the numerous leisure  time activities, helping you to organise cultural and enogastronomical tours.
HISTORY: Santa Maria a Poneta is a typical country church and in the early Middle Ages it probably offered hospitality to the pilgrims as it is located on the road that connects Florence to Volterra close to the valley once crossed by the Via Francigena (the Frankish Road).
Built between the late 900's and the following century, the first certain news on the "de Pinita" church date back to the 12th century.
Property of the Commune of Linari up to 1352, in the 15th century it passed under the patronage of the Florentine Nobili family. The coat of arms of the Nobili family can be seen on the facade of the church.
 Then a persistent lack of parishioners made the whole complex undergo progressive degradation. A meritorious intervention made in 1929 eliminated all the 18th-century plastering, bringing to light the Romanesque walls in sandstone filaretto. This was the last intervention until 1986, when this church was finally annexed to the church of Sant'Andrea a Vico. The new owners, who acquired the property from the Florentine Curia in 1993, have restored the entire complex, bringing the old hamlet back to life and creating one of the most exclusive Coutry Houses in the area.
LOCATION: The hamlet of Santa Maria a Poneta is located about 4 km from Barberino val d'Elsa, where you can find banks, pharmacy, post office, public transportation services to Siena and Florence, grocery shops, Internet point, library, and a tourist office that is always updated on all events organised in the Florence and Sienna districts. The Barberino railway station is approx. 2 km away.
This privileged location will give you the possibility of reaching San Gimignano, with its medieval towers, or Monteriggioni, with its strong town walls, in little time and on good roads; we are less than half an hour away from Siena and Florence. Pisa Airport is one hour and a half and Rome 3 hours.
 Please note: This property does not have air conditioning. Air conditioning is rarely necessary in Tuscany due to the lack of humidity and the temperate climate. Almost all of our properties at InTuscany are in remodeled medieval or renaissance buildings. They generally have very thick walls and high ceilings, most are built on the tops of our gently rolling hills where they catch the breezes that spring up at mid day and in the evenings.
Generally air conditioning is only found by the sea side or in the city centers where noise and/or humidity make it necessary. We do not have air conditioning in our offices or in any of our own homes.
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