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- About The Experience
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Sample Old-World flavor in the Chianti, including an historic 9th century castle—once home to Machiavelli—and its surrounding hamlet. Choose an apartment in one of the village farmhouses, parsonage, or in the castle itself. Spend your time strolling about the hamlet and taking in the magnificent views, or take day trips throughout Tuscany, including Lucca, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, and Volterra.
- Location Description
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The former home of one of Renaissance Italy's leading figures, this castle and its surrounding hamlet enjoy a hilltop location in the heart of the Chianti. The nearest towns are Montefiridolfi and Bargino. The nearest food market is about 2 km away. Additional shops, banks and a post office can be found in San Casciano.
Nearby Attractions: Be sure to experience the wines produced by the estate in their weekly wine tastings. Further afield, there are many other opportunities for wine tasting: La Sala Winery (San Casciano), Il Solatione Winery (Mercatale Val di Pesa), Cennatoio Winery and Villa Cafaggio Winery (Panzano). In Florence, explore Bargello and the Opera del Duomo which house two of the greatest collections of sculptures in the world. Along with the top museums like Uffizi, Galleria dell'Accademia, and Museo di Palazzo Vecchio, be sure to visit the Archeological Museum, the Museum of the History of Science and the Museo Stibbert, which has a famous collection of armor.
Pisa: 100 km/62 mi
Siena: 50 km/31 mi
Florence: 21 km/13 mi
San Casciano: 6 km/3.5 mi
Montefiridolfi: 4 km/2.5 mi
Bargino: 2 km/ 1mi
- Exterior Description
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(Entire estate 6,000 m2/64,583 ft2)
The castle dates back to the 9th century, while the hamlet is from the medieval period. The estate, which includes separate, independent apartments located in either the village farmhouses, parsonage, or the castle itself has amazing views of the Chianti hills. The castle is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. For information or assistance throughout the rental period, there is a reception office open every day. There is a shared swimming pool, open May to September, and a shared garden equipped with tables and chairs. There is a large parking area at the entrance of the hamlet. The road leading to the castle is paved.
- Interior Description
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(55 m2/592 ft2)
The apartment is equipped with all modern conveniences and furnishings are in keeping with traditional Tuscan style. This apartment is situated on the first and second floors of the castle. It is luminous and cozy and decorated with antique furniture and kilim carpets. There are 30 stone steps leading to the entrance of the apartment.
First Floor: There is a living room with fireplace, a double sofa bed, and a kitchen corner equipped with stove, oven, dishwasher, and an Italian coffeemaker. This room enjoys a splendid view of the castle courtyard.
Second Floor: A staircase of 14 steps leads up to the second floor where there is a spacious bedroom with a double bed and an ensuite bathroom equipped with a Jacuzzi. The bedroom looks out onto the Pesa valley.
- Features Description
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Extra Services: The following are listed as an aid for trip planning; the services and prices are approximate and cannot be guaranteed by Rentvillas. All extra services are payable locally in cash.
- Breakfast Service: 10 Euros per person
- Housekeeping: 25 Euros per visit
- Extra Linen Change: 15 Euros per person
- Wine & Olive Oil Tasting: Upon request
Please Note:
- WiFi is available outdoors but it is not available in the units.
- There is a fan in each bedroom.
- During the summer there are often weddings and receptions held at the castle on the weekends.
Features and Amenities
- Barbecue
- Outside Area - Shared
- Swimming Pool - Shared
- Bikes Available - Upon Request
- Jacuzzi Tub - Inside
- Ping Pong Table
- TV - English Channels Available
- Dishwasher
- Hair Dryer
- Oven
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- Fireplace - Indoor
- Heating - Whole House
- High Chair
- Pets Considered
- Portable Baby Crib/Play Pen - Upon Request
- Cook Service Available - Extra Cost
- Housekeeping Available - Extra Cost
- Reception Office
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Property Seasons & Rates (USD)
Date Range | | Weekly | | | | | | | | | | Min Stay |
Mar-13-2021 - Jun-26-2021
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| $1,373 $1,236 |
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1 wk
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Jun-26-2021 - Aug-28-2021
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| $1,667 $1,500 |
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1 wk
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Aug-28-2021 - Oct-23-2021
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| $1,373 $1,236 |
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1 wk
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Oct-23-2021 - Dec-11-2021
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| $1,226 $1,103 |
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1 wk
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Dec-11-2021 - Jan-06-2022
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| $1,667 $1,500 |
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1 wk
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Jan-06-2022 - Mar-12-2022
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| $1,226 $1,103 |
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1 wk
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Mar-12-2022 - Jun-25-2022
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| $1,373 $1,236 |
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1 wk
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Jun-25-2022 - Aug-27-2022
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| $1,667 $1,500 |
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1 wk
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Aug-27-2022 - Oct-22-2022
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| $1,373 $1,236 |
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1 wk
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Oct-22-2022 - Dec-10-2022
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| $1,226 $1,103 |
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1 wk
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Dec-10-2022 - Jan-06-2023
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| $1,667 $1,500 |
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1 wk
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For exact pricing and conditions, click the View Availability button and then click View Pricing and Conditions.
Arrival Times
Please note: Official Arrival Times:
Questions and Answers From Our Clients
(Click the question to view the answer)
Q: Is the kitchen in this apartment adequate to cook a nice dinner?
A: Yes you can and there is a great grocery store about a mile away. The staff is great about supplying you with information regarding small markets and a large chain grocery store. It is a small kitchen with a below counter refridgerator (so not a lot of refridgerator space) and a stove. We cooked a couple of nights in our stay there but there were so many great restaurants nearby that we wanted to sample from as many as possible!
A: Hmmm. It depends on your level of cheffing ability. It is a very small kitchen with a small stove, I believe there are two burners. The is also a tiny bar fridge. Be sure to watch your head, you have to step down to get to the stove and there is a brick wall that left a permanent dent in my head. However, depending on how many dishes or guests you had it would be totally do-able. There are many amazing restaurants nearby (my favorite is Mamma Rosa email: fcianci@libero.it soooooo delicious and you could eat outside in the garden or in the resaurant. Mama speaks perfect english and is very helpful if you're a chef)
Q: Does this apartment have a refridgerator?
A: Yes there was a small refridgerator, as well as an oven. There is a small (compaired to USA standards) grocery store about 10 min away COOP.
Q: Any advice on where to buy food/provisions for our stay in Il Castello? Any other advice such as good local restaurants and suggestions for making our week's stay at this location as productive/pleasant as possible. Thanks.
A: The town of San Casciano is a close drive. There is an excellent grocery store The Coop. You have to deposit one euro to obtain a cart and when buying produce they want you to use a plastic glove. These are provided in the store. We made our own meals, but ate at a few small places in San Casciano, unfortunately, I do not remember the names. However, every place we went in Italy the people were pleasant and accomodating. There is a wonderful medieval town Certaldo which is fun to visit. We went to Siena, San Gimigiano and Lucca from Il Castello and all were a reasonable drive.
A: About 15-20 minutes from the castle is a town with a small grocery store, 6-8 resturants/pizzerias and a gelateria. We went there maybe every other night, and found it very safe, fun and convenient. I honestly can't remember the name of the town right off the top of my head, but when you get down the steep driveway from the castle you make a right and just follow the road until you get there.. its the first major town you get to. Trust me, you can't miss it, and they will give you a small restaurant/area package when you arrive with the name of the town anyways. There is free parking right in front of the grocery store and the town is very walkable. For dinner, the only problem was that the grocery and most stores closed around 17:00, and the restaurants opened around 18:30 and the town is not nearly big enough to spend a whole day in. The resturants were fairly inexpensive and even the pizzerias were excellent. Didn't really go there during the day though. Speaking english was no problem so long as you at least tried to communicate in italian first.
You wil be very close to Florence, but all of the towns and cities in tuscany are easy day trips,our favorite being Siena (bring good walking shoes for all the hills). We found Rome too far to travel too, but used Florence as kind of a home base in the afternoon or evening after whatever particular area we went to that morning. If you haven't been to Tuscany before, by far the best thing we did was just get in the car and drive through all of the back roads and take in the scenerey. At the bottom of the driveway we just made a left and followed signs for whatever particular town name sounded interesting. Bring something to eat and drink with you though cause there were very few places to stop along the way, and be sure you get the whole driving stick-shift thing down cause the hills and curves are sometimes very tricky. We also tried to stay on the Firenze-Siena motorway as much as possible since it was toll free, its a stone's throw from the castle, very fast and gets you to many interesting places along the way.
As to having a productive time and getting the most from our stay, we were not crazy about italian breakfasts so had most of our morning meals in our room (self-prepared), picked a place in the guide book that sounded interesting, stopped for coffee at an autogrille on the drive there, saw everything we could at our destination and had a big lunch, went back to florence or the small town near the castle and had dinner, walked around for an hour or two and then back to the castle for some bad TV and sleep. We would also spend the morning (and one beautiful evening right at dusk with a bottle of wine and some stemware) walking around the grounds and olive groves of the castle with such breathtaking views that we ran out of film.
In short, if you have a willingness to explore and are not afraid to "just see what happens" you will love this place and your stay in tuscany.
Q: interesting i have asked a question and it has not been answered/ here it goes............. is there a shower
A: There is only a tub with a hand-held shower attachment. There is also no enclosure around the tub (shower curtain or otherwise). If you prefer showers to baths, this is definitely a bit inconvenient.
Q: how many apartments are in this castle?
how many people share the pool?
how crowded, noisy was your stay?
A: There are 9 other apartments (designed to house from 2 to 6 people) situated in farmhouses on the property plus three separate farmhouses for more people. Our apartment was the only guest apartment in the castle itself.
There are two pools on the property, one 100 meters from the main area that serves the larger farmhouse and one for the apartments in the main village area. Our stay was in late June, early July and there were never more than 6-8 people in the pool when we visited.
Despite the size of the "village", we found our stay very peaceful. We were up fairly early each morning to go off and explore the countryside and rarely ran into anyone other than the people who worked there. We never saw anyone coming in and out of the castle where our apartmenet was. There was a Sunday breakfast offered during our stay where we ran into several other gusets but that was about it.
It is a beautiful property on the top of a hill with outstanding vistas. Despite visiting during their busy season, we found it very quiet and relaxing. We would return in a heartbeat!
Q: Is the bed equipped with linens? How many towels are placed in the room and do you reccomend taking extras?
A: Dear Ralph,
My husband and I stayed in the Castello for 5 days on our honeymoon. The accomodations were wonderful. The bed is equipped with linens, and there were plenty of towels ( I believe that there were 4 bath towels, and an assortment of hand towel) that were sufficient for the week we were there. There is a caretaker on the grounds, and I'm sure that he could have housekeeping provide you with extras if necessary.
Enjoy your stay! We can't wait to go back!
Best Regards,
Ariana
A: Staying at the Machiavelli-Castello was a wonderful experience. There were linens on the bed that were more than adequate. We had enough towels and you could get fresh towels whenever you wanted them. The kitchenette area was also nicely equipped. The view from the castello is sensational. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Q: Does the property manager speak english?
A: Yes - very well.
A: Yes. The property Manager and all others members of the staff speak fluent english.
Ask a Question
Conditions *
Security Deposit
- Upon arrival at the property you are required to pay to the property representative a security deposit payable in cash. The security deposit will be returned to you prior to your departure minus accidental damages to the property. The listed security deposit is: 200 EUR
Additional Expenses
- Telephone (If Available): According to consumption
- Tourist Tax (Daily - Per Person): 1.5 EUR
Other Notes
- Housekeeping available upon request at an extra charge
- Heating (in Italy): Allowed by law from November 1 - April 1; some exceptions for extreme weather
- Departure Time: 10:00 am
- UPON ARRIVAL, RENTERS MUST PROVIDE A PHOTOCOPY OF EACH TRAVELER’S PASSPORT AND SIGN A FORM FOR THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES. IF ARRIVING AT DIFFERENT TIMES GUESTS HAVE 24 HOURS TO COMPLETE THIS PROCEDURE OR OWNERS WILL BE FINED BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
- Tourist Tax (Payable upon Arrival): 1-5 Euros per person per day
* These prices and conditions may change based on your arrival date and length of stay. For exact conditions, please click on the View Availability button, enter your dates, and then click on View Pricing and Conditions.
View General Rental Agreement
Questions? Please ask us!
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Call us: 1-800-726-6702
Outside the US: +1-805-880-1228
Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00
Sat 8:00-11:00 Pacific Time
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Customer Ratings
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Overall
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Peace and Quiet
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View
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Outside Area
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Living Room
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Kitchen
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Bedrooms
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Bathrooms
Based on 47 Reviews
Customer Reviews
Overall:
It was a beautiful property and the staff was exceptional especially helping us through a difficult situation we encountered. We would return!
Enjoyed Most:
The view and location!
Surrounding Area:
The beauty of the area and how well they take care of all the properties that are so old. We loved how close we were to so many things to see and do
Nearby Events or Locales:
Bargino was within walking distance but we didn't go because everything was closed for summer holiday
Kim, August
Show All 47 Reviews
Overall:
Very nice.
Enjoyed Most:
The quietness and being in the country.
Enjoyed Least:
Too many steps up to apartment and in our apartment we had to go upstairs to the use restroom, which wasn't terrible except the steps were so steep. Not good for anyone with mobility issues. The kitchen was a little small.
Surrounding Area:
The views and quietness.
Nearby Events or Locales:
3 miles, but was not walking distance.
Tips or Restaurants:
Not really, we went to other hilltop towns everyday.
Directions:
We used a GPS. Some of the road washed out for one day while we were there, so we had to go a different direction.
Check In Out:
It was great and the staff people there were always very helpful.
Marty, October
Show All 47 Reviews
Overall:
We had a wonderfully, relaxing time while at the villa. We slept well and ate well. We were very sad to leave at the end of the week.
Enjoyed Most:
The living areas were spacious and were well lit by the sun shining through the windows.
Enjoyed Least:
The steep steps would be difficult for some people to manage.
Surrounding Area:
The private courtyard in the castle; there was no wedding reception during our stay. Walking amongst the olive trees and the rosemary-covered walls throughout the property.
Nearby Events or Locales:
We walked up the road between the olive groves and grape vines to a small town, but I don't recall the name. Other than that, we drove to all other towns in the area.
Tips or Restaurants:
We followed the recommended list provided by RentVillas and had most things we needed for our apartment. There was a hairdryer supplied everywhere we stayed in Italy, so don't bother packing one. The Internet service was adequate for our needs.
If you do not have a washer/dryer in your unit, there is a laundry facility in San Casciano that has coin operated machines that provide soap and fabric softener. BYO laundry soap, just in case. The COOP at Viale Europa 20, in San Casciano is easy to get to by car for any grocery needs.
Our favorite restaurants were Ristorante la Mangiatoia in San Gimignano, Da Giulio in Lucca, Ristorante il Santo Graal in Firenze - Altarno.
Directions:
Rent a car prior to arriving at the property. We didn't realize how difficult it would be to take a bus back into Firenze. We purchased maps for our GPS in the US prior to leaving. The GPS provided easy access to the Chianti back roads without fear of getting lost.
Check In Out:
The staff was amazing and very helpful. We had difficulty arranging transportation from Firenze to the property (arrived on Saturday and our car rental did start until Monday) and they went out of their way to assist us.
Lorraine, October
Show All 47 Reviews