Villa Il Poggiale

Page through any text on Italian art history, politics, or culture, and the names of the same noble families — the great movers and shakers of the Renaissance — come up again and again. So when you hear the name Corsini attached to a hotel, as it is to Villa il Poggiale, you know there’s something grand in store. The famous Florentine family purchased the villa in 1408. Now, naturally, the place has changed hands several times since the 15th century — but if it’s good enough for Italian nobility, as they say, it’s more than good enough for us.

Located just outside Florence in the hills of the Chianti wine region, the villa remains a convenient getaway. Setting foot on these grounds is like stepping into the past — at least on first impression. Still in place are the stone exterior, frescoed ceilings, the original coach house and courtyard with its old water well, a series of elegant sitting rooms with molded ceilings and heavy crystal chandeliers. There are 24 guest rooms; each is spacious and gracefully appointed, the walls painted, in the traditional Tuscan fashion, with natural pigments. All rooms and suites are individually decorated, but standard features include four-poster beds, marble bathrooms, and LCD televisions. There’s romance in the details, from the wood-beamed ceilings and antique armoires to woven blankets produced by Tuscan artisans. A few of the larger suites aren’t located in the villa itself, but in the old farmhouse, a short stroll away through the olive grove.

Villa il Poggiale, as its historic pedigree suggests, is a place to enjoy the classic pleasures of Tuscany: a walk through the surrounding meadow followed by a glass of wine, or in summer, a dip in the swimming pool fringed with hydrangea and jasmine. There’s a spa offering treatments focused around the natural bounty of Chianti — grapes, citrus fruits, olives, honey, essential oils. Lunch or dinner in La Tinaia, the villa’s traditional restaurant, can easily turn into a leisurely feast, especially at a shaded outdoor table on a sunny afternoon. It won’t take long to settle into the relaxed pace — let’s just say there’s a good reason that generations of well-to-do Tuscans have spent their afternoons relaxing here.

How to get there: VIlla Il Poggiale is located approximately 29 km by car from Florence Airport, Peretola via A1, Raccordo Autostradale Firenze - Siena, SR2, and SP12.