Agriturismo
In the beautiful Tuscan countryside, just a short train ride from Florence, we offer a connection with the natural world that surrounds our farm. You are free to explore the land, either with us or in your own time.
Our house was built during the Renaissance period circa 1500, and has been restored using ancient techniques that minimise our impact on the environment. With a focus on sustainability, we used bio-architecture including natural stones, lime plasters, egg paints and casein in the restoration of the home, and continuously use biodynamic agriculture, well water and solar power, all of which help reduce our environmental footprint.
We live a simple, organic lifestyle in our ancient Tuscan house, so you won't find a television on the property. However, we enjoy the chance to be innovative in many ways, so, of course, we have Wi-Fi in common areas for you to use during your stay.
Our family members also include a Bernese mountain dog and several cats, so our guests must be animal lovers!
Casa Toscana, L'Appartamento
GROUND FLOOR
The ground floor of Casa Toscana consists of a living room and kitchen overlooking the garden, and a bathroom. It features floors of natural light stone, a typical Tuscan sofa, an upholstered armchair, a round table that sits 4-5 people, and various other pieces of furniture all at your disposal. Brush up on your Italian with our language books and get to know the region or plan a day out with our travel brochures and booklets.
The kitchen is fully equipped with an oven, electric stovetop, fridge and freezer, and dishwasher, as well as crockery, pots, tablecloths and cookbooks in both Italian and English offering a wide array of Italian dishes for you to cook. The bathroom includes a sink, toilet, bidet and shower and comes equipped with towels and soap.
FIRST FLOOR
"Cipresso" Room: This room features Cypress wood floors with two single beds and a view of the cypress wood. The furniture in the room consists of a small wardrobe, chairs, coffee table and large cushions. There is also a futon that offers the possibility of sleeping an extra person.
"Capperi" Room: The main bedroom offers immense space with a double bed and ensuite bathroom. The room is bright, and from the window you can enjoy a beautiful view of the valley and the caper flowers that line the wall just outside the room. It is furnished with wardrobes (which have extra fresh linen if required), a chest of drawers with mirror, bedside tables, chairs and suitcase rests. The floor is a typical Tuscan terracotta. Your ensuite bathroom includes a sink, toilet, bidet and shower and comes fully equipped with towels and soap.
mezzanine
This is a small sitting area between the two rooms that provides you with the perfect opportunity to relax and read. Art books, tour guides, essays on various topics, novels and magazines in various languages are all provided if you don’t travel with any of your own!
A second bathroom with shower is located in the hallway, in between the Cipresso and Capperi Rooms
OUTSIDE
Your living room opens up to a beautiful outdoor area with a large and a small table, chairs, an umbrella and barbecue available for use in the warmer months. We have board games, table tennis, foosball and various other games available for both adults and children. There is a tree platform, a small oak tree house, and swing for children.
Ammenities
We offer a fridge and pantry stocked with basic necessities, a loaf of our homemade ancient grain bread, as well as access to our garden, where herbs and fresh fruit can be hand picked during warmer months.
Fresh bath and bed linens are provided weekly.
WiFi access is available in common areas.
During your stay we also can offer breakfasts, lunches or dinners using our beautiful fresh farm products. Meals should be prearranged after booking so we can plan ahead and account for any dietary limitations or allergies. On request, we can also provide shopping and laundry services, subject to our availability.
We also offer a number of cooking classes and educational experiences to enrich your stay. Perhaps a hike to explore the Tuscan forest followed by a picnic lunch or a hands-on course on baking ancient grain breads or jams and preserves? There are options for the entire family!
Check out our Workshops & Experiences page for more information.
Getting Here
Plane
We are 14km from Florence’s International Airport "Amerigo Vespucci" (FLR), 80km from Pisa’s International Airport "Galileo Galilei" (PSA), and 90km from Bologna’s International Airport "Guglielmo Marconi" (BLQ). You can catch trains from any of these cities to our closest station – Calenzano.
Train
Our Bed & Breakfast is very close to train stations. The closest station is Calenzano, which is 4km from our farm. It is either a 3km walk to us from here or a short taxi ride.
The farm also close to the station Prato Centrale at 6.5km and Florence Santa Maria Novella at 22km. Depending on your arrival time, we can sometimes offer a shuttle service from Calenzano Station to our farm. Please contact us in advance to organise this.
Bus
Podere Montisi Bed & Breakfast is very close to the bus station as well. There are 2 options for catching a bus from/to the city center:
ATAF line from Florence (Line 2) to Calenzano
CAP line from Prato (Line 11) to Pizzidimonte.
Highway
Our farm and Bed & Breakfast is very close to the main highways and yet quiet and surrounded by fields and woods. Podere Montisi is one of the few Bed & Breakfast near Florence with free parking directly in the countryside.
We can also accommodate those who reach us by car, bicycle, motorbike or horse. Guests can put their vehicles under sheds and there is even space for horses to stay, if requested.
How to get here by car:
Take the A1 / E35 Autostrada del Sole: Calenzano-Sesto Fiorentino (exit 5 km)
Take the A11 Firenze-Mare motorway: Sesto Fiorentino (exit 10 km).
Exploring The Area
Thanks to its geographical position and proximity to Florence, Podere Montisi is the ideal starting point for visits to the major art cities of Tuscany (some of which are UNESCO sites) and for interesting excursions in the Chianti region such as the famous Mugello racetrack and the Villas of the Medici with their many historic gardens. The Bilancino Lake and the Mugello racetrack are easily reachable by car or public transport. We are in a central spot for trekking on the Calvana Mountains following the Appennine nature trails of the CAI.
Whatever you want to see, just ask us and we would be happy to advise you on how best to get there.
For those interested in spending a week or longer at our BioAgriturismo, we can provide you as locals with an itinerary of our ideal week in the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Certainly Firenze, Chianti and Siena each deserve some time during your visit, but we will be happy to share our guide to our secret corner of Toscana.