Have you ever wanted to live the Tuscan dream, where you can roam around acres of secluded, scenic countryside in serene splendour? You can when you book to stay at one of the private villas at Villa Saletta.
The magnificent estate has only ever been owned by four families throughout its illustrious history. From the Riccardi family, who were bankers, to the all-powerful house of Medici to the current owners, the Hands family, this has been a site steeped in history. Guy Hands famously discussed the purchase of EMI over a pheasant shooting trip with American financiers at Villa Saletta.
Villa
There are three historic villas available for rent: Fagnana, Valle, and Casolore. The former is the most spacious with eight bedrooms, sleeping 14 in a rustic, quaint farmhouse dating back to the 19th century. Situated on top of a rolling Tuscan hill, you can enjoy mesmerising views of the woodlands and valleys to the west of the estate. The latter is the smaller of the villas, accommodating six guests with three bedrooms. It is a former hunting lodge but has an intimate Swiss-chalet style where you’ll feel suitably secluded as it is hidden amongst the boscage.
All three have all the top amenities you would expect from a luxury villa. At Fagnana, they have a well-equipped, expansive kitchen that caters to top chefs to come and provide private catering (more on that later) and it’s stocked with the basics like coffee, tea, juices and bread along with a complimentary bottle of Villa Saletta wine.
A housekeeping service is provided for two hours a day, Monday to Friday and there’s a relaxing swimming pool which can be heated on request. The building is fully air-conditioned/heated so you remain temperate no matter the season. Wi-Fi is patchy given the magnitude of the estate, they could do with some Wi-Fi extenders, however, it is unlikely you’ll be spending much time in the virtual space given the picturesque surroundings.
Rooms
In Fagnana, the rooms do vary from single to king-sized beds and some have en suite bathrooms, and they all have a rustic, country manor style which wouldn’t look out of place on the set of films like A Room with a View. There are wonderful, untouched architectural features like the vaulted roof, terracotta floor, and wooden shutters that ensure your sleep isn’t interrupted by the early Tuscan sunlight.
Towels, bathrobes and slippers are all provided along with L’Occitane bath products. Expect the bathroom areas to be also well-heated to ensure maximum comfort. There are seven bathrooms spread throughout the villa, so it is unlikely there will be any queuing required.
Food and drink
The villa team can provide you with private catering options, depending on your needs. Happy Jack Chef will focus on local ingredients from the region of Tuscany, so expect dishes like Chianti-braised beef and duck terrine with peaches and aromatic peppers, whilst Papaveri e Papere focuses on contemporary cooking techniques. You might be sampling beef tartare flavoured with bottarga or a misticanza with locally foraged wild herbs and flowers.
Private cookery classes with the likes of Cuoche in Vacanza can also be arranged where the effervescent Erika can enthuse you with the delights of creating fresh pasta and making your own tiramisu dessert. The villa team can also arrange external restaurant bookings for you, one of the restaurants I highly recommend visiting is Osteria del Sole. The quirky décor includes stained-glass windows and their pizza oven. They cook up local classics like Inzimino of squid and spinach and pasta dishes that would make any nonna proud.
Winery
A significant part of the Villa Saletta experience is visiting their viticulture-focused winery. Guy Hands is the ultimate wine connoisseur. When their most refined, 980AD wine was created, he famously did not want to put it up for public sale. He later relented but insisted on selling it as a magnum only and there were only 980 bottles produced. The complex burst of fruit flavours was no doubt enhanced by ageing it for 24 months in a barrel and six months in the bottle.
Apart from growing the classic Tuscan Sangiovese, they also grow abundant amounts of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, because they all work superbly well with the terroir. They have significant plans to grow the winery in the coming years with further expansion including a fine-dining restaurant and an osteria.
To do
A unique experience that visitors here can do is walking up to the medieval Borgo village and ancient farmhouses owned by Villa Saletta. It is almost like a historic village frozen in time. They do have plans to redevelop Borgo in a culturally sensitive manner to help protect the heritage, but also provide the basis for future funding with potential new hotel developments.
You can also go for a short car drive to visit Lajatico, the home town of tenor Andrea Bocelli. His annual concerts at Teatro del Silenzio are some of the most desirable concert tickets in the world.
For a unique foodie experience, you can book a truffle hunting trip with the finest purveyors of this delicacy, Savini Tartufi. Their truffle lodge is only a short drive away from the villas and you get to head out into the local woods owned by the family with their adorable master truffle dogs. You’ll learn about the different types of truffles on the market and, best of all, you can sample the delights afterwards with a truffle-tasting menu cooked by their talented chef.
Factbox
Villa Saletta, Tuscany offers villas from €7,500 per week for Fagnana and €4,000 per week for Casolore.
Address: Fattoria Villa Saletta Società Agricola SRL, Via Fermi 14 Localita’ Montanelli, 56036, Palaia, Pisa
Phone: + 39 0587 628 121
Email: info@villasaletta.com
Website: villasaletta.com
