What an incredible find! A fully eco-sustainable luxury villa immersed in the heart of the Chianti countryside. The owners of our Villa Elsa, passionate about the environment and obsessively committed to detail, spent seven full years transforming old foundations into a luxury villa in complete architectural harmony with its gorgeous surroundings.
Location? Just a few kilometers from Casole d’Elsa and Monteriggioni, two of Tuscany’s most delightful hilltowns, convenient to Florence, Siena, and the 4-lane highway connecting the two. You’re also within easy reach of such world-renowned sites as San Gimignano, Lucca, Pisa, Montalcino, the Chianti wine-producing villages, and the trio of gorgeous abbeys south of Siena: San Galgano, Monte Oliveto Maggiore, and, best of all, Sant’Antimo.
The initial impact upon arriving at Villa Elsa is the extensiveness of the grounds and, above all, the silence. These same two qualities pervade the interior of the house itself, the silence broken by the owners themselves as they guide you proudly through the villa, explaining the details of their philosophy of and commitment to eco-sustainability. Materials, fittings, and fabrics throughout are first-rate and reflect the owners’ extreme good taste. They are really experts at mixing family heirlooms, antique carpets, and contemporary art and achieving a fully harmonious aesthetic. Downstairs, floors are terracotta and ceilings vaulted, while bedrooms have wood floors and beamed ceilings. The kitchen is the very best we have seen in any rental property in Italy. The whole property is heated and cooled by a geothermal system that, combined with a radiant system under the floors, provides a “cellar effect” temperature in summer with less humidity in the air (thanks to dehumidifiers) and regular heating in winter. Thermostats in each room can customize the temperature, with a few hours’ response time depending on the temperature outside.
Villa Elsa’s gardens have been as closely studied as the house, with various charming lounging and dining spaces dotted among the varieties of native plantings. This is truly one of the great rental propeties in Italy.
