Charming Italian Travel
 



 

The Grand Hotel Continental, the only luxury hotel inside the walled city of Siena, is located near Piazza del Campo, the Duomo and within the city’s most exclusive shopping district. This 17th-century palace features many magnificent treasured frescoes. The palazzo was converted early in the 20th century into an elegant hotel called The Continentale, whose guests included the most celebrated figures of the period. Fully refurbished in 2002 it offers 51 elegant rooms furnished with antiques of exquisite design and details. The hotel weds baroque architecture with modern amenities such as a hip wine bar. The rooms on the first, second and third floors and the Altana Suite are all fitted with authentic nineteenth-century furniture in different styles, antique paintings and prints purchased at international auctions, luxurious fabrics of exclusive Italian and French manufacture, floors of terracotta or soft moquette, a banquette or dormeuse at the foot of the bed, and special features such as large mirrors in frames of inlaid or embossed silver, lamps of Chinese porcelain, and four-poster beds. The bathrooms are all crafted in two tones of travertine stone with vanity tops of Carrara marble. Countless frescoes and decorations of different periods ranging from the 17th century to the 19th were brought to light and restored during the refurbishment. Particular importance attaches to the suites on the main floor or piano nobile, some with frescoes, others with a fireplace or gallery. The stupendous Altana Suite occupies 2 floors at the top of the Medieval tower of the Palace.
 
Sapordivino Restaurant and Bar
The Sapordivino Restaurant is located in the courtyard. The menu focuses on specialties of the Tuscan region with a few excursions into traditional Italian cuisine, the dishes change with the seasons and there is a vast range of artisanal salami, cheese and country patè carefully selected from producers throughout Italy. The Bar is a sophisticated wine bar surrounded by ample seating to enjoy drinks pre and after dinner and light snacks. A sumptuous buffet is served at breakfast each morning offering a vast array of fruits, cereals, cheeses and home made pastries as well as breakfast cooked to order.
 
Sapordivino Wine Cellar
The Enoteca Sapordivino occupies one of the most fascinating parts of the hotel: the base of a medieval tower, recently uncovered. Its thick walls protect more than 200 important labels stored in steel racks from floor to ceiling. Without moving from this venerable stone casket in a city that marks a focal point of the Tuscan wine roads, enjoy a guided tour of regional wine traditions.
 
Enoteca ai Banchi Wine Shop
The Wine Shop is reached from the Enoteca ai Bianchi and opens on to Via Banchi di Sopra opposite Piazza Salimbeni. Combining bold modern design themes with motifs and colors inspired by the Piazza del Campo, it presents a comprehensive selection of Tuscan delicacies, more than 200 different wine labels and a cookery corner with recipe books and cooking accessories.
 
Recreation
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply. Activities: golfing, horse riding / rental, bicycle rental, tennis, truffle hunting, wine tasting , thermal bath.
 
Villa Pitti Amerighi
 
 
Villa Pitti Amerighi is conveniently located in the heart of Tuscany, in Pieve in Nievole. The 1600’s villa was first built by the noble family Ubaldini and still has the consecrated private chapel dedicated to S. Biagio dating to the first half of the 1600’s. In 1776 the villa was passed to the Pitti family, one of the most influential noble families in Florence, until it was given to the Count’s Amerighi through an inheritance in the 1800’s.
In 2001 the villa went through a lengthy 9 year restoration to conserve its original splendour and transform its accommodations with all the more modern amenities for a discerning clientele. In 2010 the renovation was finally completed and Villa Pitti Amerighi opened its doors again as a hotel able to welcome its guests in a refined and exclusive environment that retains a familial warmth.
The villa now has 9 suites tastefully furnished with every comfort: terracotta floors, marble bathrooms, hydromassage bathtubs (in some of the rooms), wireless internet connectivity, and LCD televisions. All the bedrooms and suites are individually decorated with a mix of an antique furniture and modern technology which cleverly combined creates the perfect atmosphere of old world charm and contemporary comfort.
Guests dining in the hotel restaurant can expect to enjoy the finest Tuscan cuisine, choosing from a tempting selection of traditional regional dishes and an excellent choice of wines. The Club Bar provides an intimate after-dinner venue, in which to savor a connoisseur collection of fine wines, grappas and whiskeys.
At Villa Pitti Amerighi luxury comes in a variety of forms, and even the simplest of activities, such as a stroll through the magnificent Italian gardens, in the shade of the cypress and mulberry trees, is accompanied by the sensation of being amongst the privileged few who experienced such beauty. The marble tiled swimming pool, surrounded by the hills of Val di Nievole, provides the perfect place in which to relax on warm summer days. Those able to draw themselves away from the tranquility of the Villa, might easily be found heading towards the Tuscan coast and the beaches of Viareggio and Forte dei Marmi, a mere 60 kilometers away. Just a few kilometers lie between the residence and the Tuscan spa of Monsummano and Montecatini Terme. The art cities of Pistoia, Lucca, Pisa and Florence are no more then 30 / 40 minute drive away. Please note that for organizational reasons , no children under 14 can be accommodated.
 



 

 
You can find Relais Villa Petrischio in the heart of Tuscany. The Villa was built in the 18th century on the highest hill of Farneta, which is a little village ten miles away from Cortona. Villa Petrischio is surrounded by three hectares of park with secular pines and cypresses . Enchanting landscapes of Valdichiana surround the Villa. The Villa was built on the highest hill of Farneta and maintains the original architecture and characteristics from the beginning of the 19th century including the brick arches and oak beams in the ceilings.The accommodation offers guests a pleasantly relaxing experience, after a walk in the park or a trip to visit the "pearls of the valley".

 



 

 
Relais Villa Baldelli is a real discovery for tourists: immersed in the peace and quiet of the pleasant and abundant surrounding countryside, even thought it is close to residential areas and transportation routes.
If you look up you will see the rooftops, belfries and towers softly reaching towards the west like a painting hanging in the air in limbo: it is Cortona, the oldest city in Italy, as written by the American writer Henry James enchanted by the city.
Cortona, high in prestige and mythology, tells the tourist an enchanting and suggestive story of the gods that founded it and lived there: Jupiter, Electra, Darden and of the heroes that were buried here: Ulysses, Pythagoras.
The villa Baldelli has 15 rooms now available, of which 5 are junior suites, 5 are deluxe rooms and 5 are classic rooms. The ground floor hall is particularly charming with its decoration made out of segments of seventeenth-century altars. From the hall you can enter the Relaxing Room furnished with sofas and tables. There is also a small bar and breakfast room on the ground floor, in which the antique stone fireplace makes a fine setting representing the history of the villa.
The furniture and the four-poster beds are also vintage. Only the bathroom furnishings, simply elegant and efficient, with hydro massage bathtubs; bring the guest back to the reality of the third millennium.
 

 

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Relais Borgo San Pietro is located at the foot of Cortona, one of the oldest cities in Italy, with its roofs, steeples, towers and churches, sloping gently towards the west like a painting hanging in a strip of sky.
Cortona, just 4 km is reached from the villa within minutes. The ancient Etruscan city is a little jewel of Tuscany and is a blend of history and culture, with its configuration town out of time, its Etruscan walls, streets, medieval houses and Renaissance buildings.
Our Relais, recently opened, is renowned for its tranquility and its unique scenic location, for the typical construction and the accuracy of the furniture. The Relais offers luxurious rooms and spacious apartments and has a swimming pool and 7 acres of private parkland. Our staff is always available to satisfy the needs of your customers, making your stay at Relais Borgo San Pietro always pleasant and unforgettable.
 
Rooms
Borgo San Pietro Relais & Residence, 4 stars, old farm seventeenth century, has 14 rooms of different types (standard, superior, deluxe and junior suites), all elegantly furnished and equipped with all the facilities appropriate to the category. Most of them have a splendid view of the valley and Cortona.
 
Apartments
Borgo San Pietro Relais & Residence comprises of 5 apartments fully furnished in modern and elegant style of the Tuscan tradition. The rooms are spacious and bright, with all the amenities and ideal for long stays in the name of peace and relaxation. Each apartment has air conditioning and heating, to a private outdoor area with table and chairs and bounded by hedges and shady pergolas that guarantee privacy.
 
The pool and park
The large swimming pool and a large park surrounding the village offer guests a unique and unforgettable experience of the Tuscan countryside. Cortona dominates the landscape and gives the tourist an enchanted history, rich in tradition and folklore. The swimming pool (8 meters x 16 meters) reserved for guests is open from May to September and has comfortable lounges, umbrellas and towel service.
Near the swimming pool there is a gym available to guests with the most innovative equipment (Technogym) and also a relaxation room and massage.
Inside the park and at a safe distance from the structure of the Relais there is a soccer field.
For a relaxing walk outdoors with views of Cortona, enjoy our huge park-garden that surrounds the property. From Borgo San Pietro Relais & Residence also leave many paths to walk to get to Cortona along the roads that lead up to the hermitage of the Celle Monte Sant'Egidio. The paths are also mountain biking.
 
Bike Rental, Hiking and other sports
Borgo San Pietro Relais & Residence is the ideal place for lovers of sports and active holiday dedicated to wellness. Cortona, with its strategic position on the border between Tuscany and Umbria and neighboring cities such as Lake Trasimeno, Montepulciano, Montalcino and Pienza, they offer many itineraries on foot, by bicycle (also accompanied by our expert guide) or because no, a horse ...
In the immediate vicinity of our Relais & Residence you will also find tennis courts (even indoor) and bowling, for golf lovers fields are available with 9 or 18 holes about 30 minutes away.
 
Spa and Wellness
Borgo San Pietro Relais & Residence, located in an oasis of peace and tranquility is the place to be for those looking for a relaxing holiday rebalancing away from the hustle and stress of everyday life. If you want to pamper yourself with a relaxing massage or an energizing will be happy to arrange for you this treatment on-site health spa or one of the neighboring spas offer.
 
Cooking classes
A holiday in Cortona at our Borgo San Pietro Relais & Residence also offers a valuable opportunity to get in touch with the ancient culinary traditions of Tuscany appreciated and renowned throughout the world ... but refined and balanced dishes made with fresh ingredients and first- this is ... Tuscan cuisine!
Attend a cooking class is to discover and understand the real Tuscany with its flavors, colors and fragrances, how to match the right wine with each dish ... a memorable experience to take home 'a bit' of Tuscany "and because no, to surprise their guests with dishes of Italian regional cuisine.
Borgo San Pietro Relais & Residence You can book individual lessons or group or participatory observation, from preparation to tasting, from theory to practice, cooking schools the approach friendly and practical, and in any case the most appropriate to your expectations.
 
 
 

 
This charming late XVIII century structure is built on the plan of an ancient estate in the heart of the area of the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Poggio alla Sala Resort & Spa, elegant relais situated in the Val di Chiana, south of the province of Siena, surrounds the patriarchal villa, characterised by the eclecticism of the architectural composition, by the two octagonal turrets and the magnificent vaults of the two restaurants Agape and Le Grottesque. The cuisine, reflects the elegance and essential character of the resort and it is based on a few essential points: fresh and simple ingredients and rapid cooking times. All vegetables and fish are freshly prepared, in order to preserve their natural flavour. Each dish is a small work of art to be enjoyed, first of all, with the eyes.
Close to the villa and immersed in the perfumes and colours of the garden, are the ancient stables, the Lemon House, the Fattoria and Podernovo, carefully restored in full respect of the architectural canons of the place and turned into comfortable and exclusive lodgings.
Exclusive service and maximum comfort. This is the philosophy which distinguishes the offer of Poggio alla Sala Resort & Spa. The love for their work and professionalism of the members of the staff are reflected in the great care for details and the maximum attention dedicated to each guest.
Facilities include two restaurants, wellness centre, swimming-pools, large park, jogging path, meeting rooms; but also assistance and information services to guests and the organization of tours dedicated to food, culture and nature: our customers can count on a series of high class services for an unforgettable stay in Poggio alla Sala Resort & Spa.
 
Please for more information contact: info@charmingit.com 
Or call this number + 39.011.9710547
 
"Italian Multivision" - paint in oil colours by Massimo Zanchi - 2007
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