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Podere Torricella is
a large old rambling Tuscan farm house located on a
hill among olive groves and vineyards only 18 km from
the centre of Florence. It represents an ideal base
to easily reach the most important artistic cities of
Tuscany; Pisa, Siena, Lucca, S. Gimignano, Volterra,
Vinci and of course Florence.
 The
handsome old house stands on a hill among vines and
olive trees with a sixteenth century villa nearby. The
pool (7m x 14m) has an extensive sun terrace with a
magnificent view of the Chianti vineyards. The central
tower dates back to 1200 whilst the main body, all
ochre walls and higgledy, piggledy roofs, has had more
than three centuries to acquire the grace of old age.
Three years of labour went into the
conversion of the rambling old farmhouse into 10 beautiful
and spacious one and two-bedroom apartments. The apartments
renovated throughout according to Tuscan tradition,
have a clean, fresh country look but are immaculate
rather than "rustic" as the attention to detail, both
the aesthetic and the practical, is scrupulous. Handsome
ornamental "Montelupo" plates, beamed ceilings and hand-wrought
bedsteads complete the simple but exquisite picture
and modern luxury is added in the form of satellite
television and phones (outgoing calls only).
ACCOMMODATION: The farmhouse is composed of:
- 2
room apartments: for 2+2 people, of 50 (square meters)
with one bedroom, WC/shower, living room with kitchen
unit and double sofa bed, with independent heating.
 Kitchen unit (very well equipped) with 4 burners and
refrigerator. By request we can provide a kettle, toaster,
American coffee machine.
- 3 room apartments: for 4+2 people, of 65 sq.m with two
bedrooms, WC/shower (two apartments with 2nd WC/shower),
living room with kitchen units and double sofa bed,
with independent heating. Kitchen units (very well equipped)
with 4 burners and refrigerator. By request we can provide
a kettle, toaster, American coffee machine.
Studio apartments of 25 sq.m. wit
double sofa bed, WC/shower, independent heating, cooking
corner (by request we can provide a kettle, toaster,
American coffee machine).
Other facilities with in the property:
- Laundry: there
is a washing machine in the utility room for communal
use and the price is Euro 3 each wash. Iron and Ironing
board are available in the utility for communal use
(Euro 3).
 - There is a communal barbecue and traditional old wood oven for the baking of bread
and pizzas.
- Swimming pool: the pool at Podere Torricella (7m x 14m) is 1.5 m deep
at the shallow end and 1.8 m at the deep end. It is
unsupervised.
- Mountain biking: there are bikes available for hire at Podere Torricella.
- Tennis Table: there is a tennis
table available for a communal use, free of any charge.
- Baby sitting is available.
Our baby sitter is a young American lady who lives in
Montespertoli. The cot for children is available, free
of charge.
- Podere Torricella is a working farm
estate. We are very proud of the food items that we
produce here such as Chianti wine, Vin Santo, Grappa,
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It
is possible for guests to book guided tasting of the
farm's products and to buy them to take home.
 Other facilities with in easy reach:
Horse riding: It is possible
to go horse riding at the riding centre Horse World,
which is situated on the same road as Podere Torricella,
about 200 m. away.
Tennis Club: the nearest tennis club is in Cerbaia, is not necessary
to be a member for reserve a tennis court.
Banks: The nearest bank (Banca
Toscana)is in Cerbaia (2 km) and is open Mon-Fri 8.15-13.20
and 14.45-15.45. The bancomat (cash dispensers) accepts
Visa/MasterCard and Cirrus.
Post Office: The nearest post
office is in Cerbaia and is open Mon-Fri 8.15-13.30
and Saturday 8.15-12.30.
Food Shops: In Cerbaia there
is a small supermarket, the Margherita - Conad, which
is open from Monday to Saturday  from 08.00 to 13.00
and from 17.00 to 20.00. It is closed on Wednesday afternoon
and on Sunday. In Montagnana(2 km) there is a small
general store which is open on Sunday morning during
the summer period.
Chemist: The nearest chemist
is in Cerbaia and is open 09.00-13.00 and 16.30-20.00.
Restaurant: the following list
includes a selection of restaurant and pizzeria in the
neighbourhood:
Trattoria Il Focolare (Montagnana
2 km) closed Monday evening & Tuesday and August - medium
price (Euro 26/person);
Ristorante L' Artevino (Montespertoli 8 km) closed
Thursday - medium price (Euro 26/person);
Pizzeria I'Chiodo (Montagnana 2 km) closed Monday
and Tuesday - Cheap (Euro 16);
Ristorante Tenda
Rossa (Cerbaia 2 km) closed Sunday & Monday and August - expensive;
Ristorante La Fonte Vegetarian restaurant
(Montespertoli) open evenings only. Closed Monday and
Tuesday - Medium price;
Petrol: The nearest petrol
station is in Montagnana, where is the TAMOIL petrol
garage (24 hour service).
Buses: There is a SITA bus
service from Cerbaia with buses going to Florence .
Please remember to buy your ticket beforehand and validate
the ticket on the bus. Ticket may be bought from the
bar in the piazza in Cerbaia.
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 in the city centers or at sea level 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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