Our Farm
In the heart of the Tuscan countryside, we are an eco-friendly and fully self-sustainable farm and agriturismo. Our farm has 6 hectares of arable land planted with ancient grains and olives and it sits alongside 6 hectares of lush forest.
Here we produce nutritious ancient grains, flour for breads and pasta, jams from ancient fruits, Tuscan herbs and salts, as well as the delicious extra virgin olive oil that our town is well known for. We also grow medicinal and officinal plants, vegetables, fruits and receive fresh eggs from our chickens daily.
In our newly renovated farmhouse, originally built in the 1500s, we offer refreshing and relaxing agriturismo stays just outside of the hustle and bustle of Florentine city life. We also teach cooking classes and artisan workshops, and from time to time have the pleasure of hosting yoga retreats, artist seminars, business meeting and group excursions.
Here we offer a taste of Tuscan life and "il dolce far niente." Vi aspettiamo!
Click these links to learn a bit more about Our Family and Our Story.
Our Family
We are the Frosini family, Barbara, Saverio and our four children ages 12-20. Barbara is from Prato, a nearby town with famous biscotti, and Saverio is from Florence, just a 15 minute train ride away. Outside of running our agriturismo and caring for the land, Barbara works as a part-time teacher in highschool and Saverio is an eye doctor. We speak Italian, English, German, Spanish and French and enjoy practicing our language skills with our guests. We like art, music, cooking, and love to spend time outside in the natural beauty of our home. We have a Bernese mountain dog, four cats, and a coop full of hens and their chicks.
Our Story
The story of Podere Montisi begins long before our family moved here in 2008. This land has in fact been protected since 1200 by the Pieve di Santa Maria in Travalle. In ancient times the farm produced wine, oil and grains. In 1500, part of the farmhouse complex was likely a convent, housing activities such as spinning silk and linen. Witnesses of that period are two beautiful old mulberry trees and flax plants, of which there are still traces in the fields.
Moving ahead to modern times, in 2008 we conducted a restoration of part of the farm and reintroduced local indigenous crops: grains, fruits, aromatics and legumes, with a focus on respecting this ancient land and maintaining sustainable cultivation methods.
Podere Montisi is now a family-run farm, fully converted to Organic. No chemical product of sort is used here. We follow the methods of biodynamic cultivation and fertilization. Work on the farm is done by Barbara, Saverio and their children – once school commitments have been met, of course – as well as a rotating group of Wwoofers from around the world. On a daily basis we work hard to improve our sustainability practices and care for the land so we can make it a better place for the future generations to come.
