L’Uliveto

A sleepy little hamlet in the heart of Chianti is the setting for this charming villa. Just 7km from Siena’s feast of medieval art and architecture, it forms part of a private wine and oil estate which has been in the hands of the same family for centuries, and it still displays a distinctive trompe l’oeil painted by the owner’s ancestor. With the ground floor well-furnished for comfort and equipped with modern appliances, the villa’s attractively ‘rustic-chic’ bedrooms feature antique pieces, a big four-poster, and aptly naïve artworks. L’Uliveto is comprised of two buildings which can be open to each other for communal social space, or closed-off for privacy. Each with its own staircase and sitting room, the larger East wing has three bedrooms, a big kitchen and ten-guest dining table, and opens on to the spacious al fresco dining terrace; while the two-bedroom West wing has a small kitchen, table for four, and outdoor access to a little patio. Cook service could be added for effortless full-house catering. There are views of Siena from the villa and its gardens, and, naturally, two pergolas take their places beside the large swimming pool.