Tuscany Italy: Renting a Villa

It’s a pretty popular fantasy: renting a villa in Tuscany. I am happy to report, with proper planning, that it's an attainable reality. Part of the dream for a lot of people though seems to be sans kids. Is your daughter going, I am asked? Well, yes. It is a family vacation. It’s a funny question to me, but one that I have been asked time and again when we have traveled to England, Germany, Canada and elsewhere.

Comments made to me in return include, “I am waiting for my kids to get older.” “I would never travel with my kids.” “They are too fussy. What would they eat?” “What would they do?”

Kid-Friendly Italy

I counter that one of my daughter’s fondest memories is of discovering strawberry gelato in Florence when she was four years old. The fresh treat was a brand-new experience and she asked for one every time we passed a gelateria. Another favorite story is of eating pizza in the shadow of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

In fact, a lot of her (and our) fondest memories involve food. At almost every restaurant we went to, Sadie was treated like a little princess. Staff would bring her fresh bread or pieces of cheese to nibble on. Even if we didn’t order dessert, invariably she would end up with some sort of treat. At one restaurant, the server brought her into the kitchen to say hello (with me at their heels).

 

• This burly tourist tries her hand at straightening Pisa's famous Leaning Tower.

Andy Hay

Before our trip, we had visions of drinking red wine and eating loads of pasta, all while looking out at vineyards. Of course, we also had visions of churches and Rome, the statue of David and Vespas zipping around—all the romantic pictures from films and books. We were thrilled not to be disappointed. We were also thrilled at how happy Sadie was touring around, as long as we didn’t try to pack too much in. A nice rhythm was to go out early, come back early, nap, swim and then figure out dinner.

Where to Stay

When we decided to go to Florence, we asked friends who’d been where they went. We knew we wanted more than a hotel setting; we wanted more room and somewhere we could relax with the friends who were meeting us there. We also didn’t want to spend too much time in the car. We wanted a pool. We wanted to be near Florence, but not in the city proper. Finally, a friend recommended the villa we settled on and it fit the bill perfectly. 

Villa Caffagiolo is near the town of Pontassieve, about 7.5 miles from Florence. Owned by the Pucci family, the property actually has two villas on it. One is the home of the Puccis. The other has been converted into three apartments, which they rent. Two have three bedrooms; the other one has two bedrooms. Each has its own private entrance and patio and they all share a pool. The villa, which is a restored 1700s stone farmhouse, sits on almost three acres. The property is fenced and very private. For a one-week rental, the two-bedroom goes for about $1,800. To hold the reservation, half the fee is required up front, which is standard practice.