Il Falconiere Relais e Ristorante

Italy has its fair share of dazzling palace hotels, but there’s much joy to be had in the simpler pleasures of this rustic country villa. Once home to the 18th-century poet Antonio Guadagnoli, this tiny estate and its 400-year-old buildings were painstakingly restored by owners Silvia and Riccardo Barrachi, and the result feels like an invitation to a private home.

The rooms and suites are spread amongst the main villa, the barns, the country house, and the old chapel—all are decorated with antique furnishings, some with terra cotta floors, others four-poster beds, and all assembled with a decorator’s eye, never straying into curio-shop antique overload. Some have Jacuzzis, the humblest just showers, but all are comfortable and modern in function, with satellite TV, air conditioning, and delightful views of the countryside.

As charming as the relais may be, the newly Michelin-starred ristorante is easily half the appeal. Guests dine within the two-story restaurant with its glass and wrought-iron conservatory, or, in the summer, outdoors on the terrace, taking in the Tuscan sun and the postcard-perfect vistas. Writing about food is a bit like whistling about rain—suffice to say that the menu is inventive and elaborate, and draws gourmands from miles around, as does the week-long cooking course.

In the morning, if you can be roused, you’ll find many of central Italy’s sights within a half-day’s drive, as Florence, Siena and Assisi are all easily accessible. You’ll be forgiven, however, for spending your entire stay at Il Falconiere—the Last Supper will still be there next year.

How to get there:
Il Falconiere Relais e Ristorante is approximately a 1¼-hour drive from Florence Airport or two hours from both Pisa–Galileo Galilei Airport and Rome Fiumicino Airport.