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New Private Estates
Villa Il Santo 2025
8 days from $70,000 per week
8 Bedrooms | Sleeps 16
Tranquil Villa Il Santo is like a Tuscan hilltop village in miniature. The owners have sensitively restored the traditional honey-hued sandstone buildings, retaining original features while giving the interiors a contemporary shake-up. Set high in a secluded spot between Florence and Siena, the location makes for utter privacy, peace and spirit-lifting views across Tuscany’s vine-threaded hills from verandas, garden terraces and a sensational infinity pool.
A&K Advantages
- Sensational hilltop setting, with sunny, rose-scented terraces looking out over the valley towards San Gimignano
- Eleventh-century stone tower and barn lovingly converted and updated with top-quality interior design and finishes
- Dining room that comfortably seats 16 — perfect for an extended family gathering
- Outdoor kitchen and dining area complete with Fontana pizza oven
- Dreamy hand-tiled infinity pool with day beds and parasols
The Villa
Originally built in the 11th century, Villa Il Santo has aged beautifully, like a fine Chianti wine. It’s a light-filled hilltop hideaway conjured out of a medieval tower and an old barn, and blanketed in Boston ivy, which was sensitively restored in 2023 in a top-to-toe makeover by owners Jane and Steven Collins (she is an antiques dealer, he a hotelier), who also run Henry’s Townhouse in Marylebone and Cotswold estate Temple Guiting. Their taste is exquisite. Clean, elegant interiors embody Italian quiet luxury, the earthy palette injected with fun points of focus thanks to abstract art by Peter Haigh, vintage Giotto Stopino furniture and statement seating by Pierre Paulin. Light, open living spaces foster connections, designed for eating, drinking and hanging out, from laid-back breakfasts and espressos in the well-equipped kitchen that opens up onto the garden, to chef-prepared feasts beneath the vaulted ceiling of the dining room, with its great wooden table for 16 – the perfect place to fill with your favourite people. There are eight fresh-faced, elegant bedrooms. Some have living spaces with fireplaces, some open onto gardens, two have free-standing bathtubs, and all but one have en suite bathrooms kitted out with Dyson hairdryers, Frette bathrobes and bathroom products from Florentine institution Santa Maria Novella, the world’s oldest pharmacy. A separate studio by the pool is perfect for extra guests or round-the-clock staff. At every turn – from bedroom windows, verandas, various terraces, gardens – are sensational views of the green patchwork hills stretching out below. Outside there’s an outdoor kitchen (complete with Fontana pizza oven), dining areas, seating nooks for beating a retreat from the crew, and the most beautiful hand-tiled infinity pool, lined with parasols, that feels suspended mid-air, high above the Tuscan landscape.
The Location
The surrounding Val d’Elsa hills offer up pretty villages to explore, and medieval towns such as San Gimignano, whose historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; nearby Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (a 10-minute drive away), where churches are filled with elaborate frescoes; and Badia a Passignano, where tables laid with Tuscan produce are set among the vines. Strike out a little further south to Siena or north to Florence: both are brimming with Renaissance art, impressive cathedrals and osteria-lined piazzas made for an evening passeggiata.
Features
Section 1 – Ground Floor
- Fully equipped kitchen with access to the garden and outdoor covered dining area.
- 355-square-foot dining room with two-story ceiling and table that seats 16.
- Laundry room with washing machine and dryer.
- Guest bathroom.
Section 1 – First Floor
- Bedroom with king bed, views over two windows to the internal courtyard and garden, en-suite bathroom (shower). Bed 6 x 6.5 ft, room 260 sq. ft.
- Double bedroom with garden view and en-suite bathroom (shower). Bed 6 x 6.5 ft, room 260 sq. ft.
Section 2 – Ground Floor
- 4 steps down lead to an 860-square-foot living room divided into various areas (TV, sitting area with sofas and armchairs) and arched windows providing spectacular views over the valley, the pool and San Gimignano in the distance; access to the outdoor sitting area.
- Guest bathroom.
- Four steps up lead to a twin/double bedroom with garden view and en suite bathroom (shower). Bed 6 x 6.5 ft or split to twins room 225 sq. ft.. The room can also be accessed from the garden and barbecue area with no steps.
Section 2 – First Floor
- Large open living room split with console table to create two seating areas. One with smart TV and feature fire and sofa seating, the other with sofas and desk around a coffee table.
- Double bedroom with ethanol fuel fireplace, smart TV and en-suite bathroom with roll top bath and separate shower; views over the outdoor dining area, walk-in wardrobe. Bed 6 x 6.5 ft, room 320 sq. ft.
- Kitchenette with sink and fridge
- Double bedroom with en suite bathroom (shower)
- Double bedroom with sitting area, garden view and en-suite bathroom (tub and separate shower). Bed 6 x 6.5 ft, room 250 sq. ft.
- Double bedroom with en suite bathroom (shower) and garden view
The two sections of the house are connected by a glass corridor
Pool Annex
- 280-square-foot studio with double/ twin bed, kitchenette, bathroom with shower.
Inclusions
- A case of Tuscan wine and a welcome hamper of specialty cheeses, breads and other local treats.
- Welcome and farewell dinners at the villa, prepared by an esteemed local chef.
- Wine tasting at the villa or in the winery on your estate, with an expert from a leading vineyard.
- A cooking lesson with a local Italian chef, who tailors the class to your party’s tastes and skills.
- A session at the villa with a professional photographer, who captures the best holiday photos you’ve ever had.
- Exclusive goodie bags of gifts for children and adults.
- A dedicated local host and concierge with round-the-clock availability.
- Pre-arrival grocery shopping service.
- A meet-and-greet at the airport.
- Private arrival and departure airport transfers.
- A lavishly presented continental breakfast every day at a time of your choosing.
- Daily housekeeping.
Facilities
- Air Conditioning
- Barbecue Facilities
- Central Heating
- Coffee Machine
- Dining Area (Outdoor)
- Fireplace (Private)
- Wireless Internet access
- Library
- Music/sound system
- Pizza oven
- Swimming pool (heated)
- Table tennis
- Terrace
- TV (cable/satellite)
- Washing machine
- Wine fridge
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