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Set among extensive lawns and shady trees, this luxurious 4-star hotel offers its guests a choice of three different accommodation environments, all most comfortably and stylishly appointed. Its historic, light-stone buildings include a former 11th century monastery and cloisters, with its Renaissance extension, the adjoining Cardinal’s palace, as well as a traditional farmhouse outbuilding. Each has recently been meticulously restored and converted into sumptuous rooms, while still retaining the simple beauty and imposing atmosphere of the original architectural surroundings.
 From the reception area in the old monastic quarters, where the sloping ceiling is beamed and terracotta-tiled in typical Tuscan style, you step through into the downstairs communal spaces, whose low vaulted ceilings and ancient supporting pillars recall mystical times long past. Here are located an Internet access point and the bar, with its inviting seating area.
A spacious carpeted lounge adjoins, where sofas, a large stone fireplace and a grand-piano entice you to relax at leisure. From there you proceed to the two elegantly furnished breakfast rooms, where a hot and cold buffet is served every morning. Continuing along the lovely, high-vaulted corridors, with their wide darkwood beams and exposed stonework walls, access is gained to the beautiful manicured lawns of the intimate cloisters, where dinner is served al fresco in summer. The hotel restaurant specialises in typically Tuscan cuisine, accompanied by a fine selection of prestigious Italian wines from the hotel’s wine cellars.
Thanks to its spacious communal rooms and extensive grounds, the hotel makes an  excellent venue for larger-scale residential business meetings and conferences. Broad stone stairways – or the 21st century lift! – take you to the upper-floor guestrooms, some of which are located in the former monks’ cells. A modern style of furnishing and décor has been chosen for the bedrooms in this part of the hotel.
In contrast, the interior design of the guestrooms in the Cardinal’s palace extension, which interconnects with the monastery, is very much more classical, in keeping with its setting. Formerly the residence of Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, whose 15th century papal coat-of-arms can still be seen above the main entrance doorway, this wing of the hotel-complex still bears his name.
Alongside the main building stands the ‘Casa Colonica’ annexe, a traditional Tuscan farmhouse dating from the 1800’s, on whose ground-floor the animals used to be kept. Here an external flight of stone steps leads up to the three first-floor bedrooms, while internal stairs or the lift bring you to the further four  second-floor rooms. All are furnished in a sophisticated antique style.
Drinks, snacks and light lunches may be enjoyed under the shade of the delightful covered ‘loggia’-patio that extends to one side of this house, only a convenient stone’s throw from the pool.
ACCOMMODATION: The hotel accommodates a total of 30 double bedrooms and suites, in a range of categories, to suit a variety of tastes.
The Monastery Wing offers Standard Double Bedrooms and Junior Suites.
The Cardinal’s Palace offers Luxury Double Bedrooms.
The Casa Colonica Farmhouse offers Superior Double Bedrooms.
All bedrooms are ensuite, with jacuzzi bath or shower, and are equipped with air-conditioning; Sat.TV; modem socket; phone; safe; mini-bar; and tea/coffee-making facilities.
 THE GARDEN AND SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT: The hotel is set well back from the main thoroughfare, on an area of flat land in the heart of the Sienese countryside, en route to the medieval hilltop towns of Colle Val d’Elsa and San Gimignano. It is surrounded by extensive peaceful gardens, partitioned into smaller secluded areas by its many hedges, shrubs and mature, shade-giving trees, which include rows of Tuscany’s trademark Cypress and olive trees. Sweet-scented climbing jasmine graces the stone walls, while colourful floribunda roses, perfumed lavender and fragrant rosemary bushes brighten the flowerbeds. Dotted around the grounds, lemon trees thrive in huge terracotta pots.
In a suntrap position, encircling the large, travertine-marble pool, the immaculately-tended lawns make the perfect spot to unwind on a sunlounger, maybe while sipping a deliciously cooling aperitif!
These spacious, park-like grounds are ideally suited to host cultural events and celebrations for special occasions.
 Ample parking spaces are located just inside the hotel entrance gates, well out-of-sight of the property itself.
LOCATION: Relais della Rovere is near to Siena as well as with easy reach
of most important Tuscan places of interest. The nearest
airport is Florence airport (less than an hour). Pisa
is about an hour and a half and Rome airports are about
three hours distant.
The
famous sights of Tuscany, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano,
Volterra and the coast are all easily accessible.
OTHER FACILITIES AVAILABLE
NEAR BY: Relais della Rovere Restaurant inside
the Relais offers guests the finest dishes and wines
of Tuscany. During their holidays, guests at Relais della Rovere can choose from a wide variety of tourist
itineraries.
They can go on many excursions on
foot, by bike or by car, such as the footpath in the
midst of enchanting scenery which takes them to the
mediaeval town of Colle Val d'Elsa, just 2 km away, set
on a hilltop dominating the Elsa Valley, a land of boundless
suggestion. Using the quiet and peaceful Relais della Rovere as their base, guests can easily visit the most
important historical centres of Tuscany: Florence, Siena,
San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Volterra, Pisa, Arezzo
and the coast.
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