This little, two-storey, converted farmhouse has been meticulously restored in a simple, rustic style, employing high-quality traditional materials. Set on a gentle elevation in a remote spot, it is entirely surrounded by the rounded clay hills of the so-called “Crete Senesi”, the agricultural landscape so typical of the Siena region. This secluded location, although open to the wide sky, guarantees utmost privacy and quiet.

This charming, newly-renovated cottage, was used historically to house the animals on the ground floor and the living-quarters of the seasonal farmworkers on the upper floor. Built in characteristically Tuscan pale stone and terracotta, it combines all modern comforts with its original, carefully preserved architectural features. These include terracotta-tiled/beamed ceilings; terracotta-tiled floors; an internal brick archway; and a large brick fireplace, still fully functional, which extends across one wall.

The choice of interior design remains in keeping with this structural context, featuring the traditional Tuscan wooden furniture and wrought-iron bedsteads of the past. The convenient under-floor central heating is, however, a strictly 21st century addition!

The property is perched on a gentle hilltop, from which its garden slopes down in a sequence of three grassy terraces, on the lowest of which is situated the small, fenced-in pool. 

ACCOMODATION

A pathway of stone steps leads up from the gravelled drive to the modern glass door of the ground-floor entrance. From here you step directly into the spacious, integrated kitchen/lounge, with its large central dining-table and benches. On one side-wall is the big, working fireplace, while on the opposite a brick archway opens into a little extension, housing the fitted kitchen units, fully equipped except for a dishwasher.

Adjoining this room is an elegantly tiled, downstairs half-bathroom (no bath or shower), where the washing-machine is also located. A tiled staircase proceeds to the upper floor, set directly below the pitched roof and comprising the following: one double bedroom and one twin-bedded room, both with mosquito-blinds at the windows and affording lovely, top-floor views; a small, modern, fitted bathroom with shower and attractive tilework. The villa is also equipped with TV and Hi-Fi system. 

GARDEN & SWIMMING POOL

From the main country road, a gravel track winds its way through spectacular open countryside, consisting of hilly farmland and extensive olive groves, to the property grounds. The last kilometre of this is fairly rough terrain and would not, therefore, be to the liking of your brand-new sports car, so best to leave it safely at home!

Bordered by fragrant rosemary bushes and a lone Cypress tree, a gravel drive slopes down to an informal outdoor parking area, set on a level below the house. On the upper terrace in front of the house, a lawn makes the ideal venue for al fresco dining, also shaded to one side by a solitary oak tree. Nearby is the open-air BBQ.

Beds of rosemary and rosebushes adorn the lower slopes beyond the lawn, while colourfully planted terracotta pots brighten the gravelled areas. In an ideal suntrap position on the lowest grass terrace, securely enclosed by fencing, laurel hedges and a gate, lies the pool.

The breath-taking panoramic backdrop to all this are the gently undulating grainfields and farmland of the local “Crete Senesi” hills. On the horizon, the picturesque bell-tower of Sant’Anna in Camprena can be identified, an were in was “The English Patient” were filmed.