Bed & bath: 8 bedrooms, 8 baths
Top Amenities Wine cellar, heated pool, spa
Tuscany is a place of vistas, and Villa Ardore has one of the finest in Chianti—a cascade of vines, framed by cypress trees, a patchwork of olive orchards and pine woods, and center stage, on the opposing hills, the medieval towers of San Gimignano. Villa Ardore, purchased by two California attorneys who wanted to relocate to Italy and renovate the villa, has stayed true to traditional Tuscan designs, including terra-cotta flooring, timber rafters and stone walls. Terraced gardens of lavender and rosemary are also included, as well as fireplaces that measure up to a Fiat 500. Neatly sidestepping the failing of many high-end villas where an excess of luxury styling too often creates a bland international look, Ardore feels like a real home, with the admirable personal taste of its owners informing everything from the vintage furnishings—I loved the ornate reclaimed zinc and wood bar rescued from a Parisian café—to the contemporary art, most of it for sale. There is, of course luxury.
Villa Ardore boasts a 60 foot infinity swimming pool, a breakfast cook, a hotel-standard spa, sensory showers with eucalyptus, sensory steam rooms, and a sunken heated pool. A 500 bottle wine collection of Italian vintages is also available. The service options are varied, from a five-star hotel experience, with a chef included, to privacy and a leave-us alone attitude.
Ardore’s reclaimed woods, and stone from local sources, have all been used to make it more sustainable. They are not dependent on public water because they have wells on their property. The gray water irrigation system is used for irrigation, and next year photovoltaic power panels will be installed for solar energy.
There are many options when it comes to experiences: vintage car excursions, mountain biking, cycling, and horseback riding. cooking classesThere are many activities to enjoy in Florence, including hot-air ballooning and pottery making. You can also go shopping at the designer boutiques. But the best of the villa experiences is something simpler—sitting on an outside terrace with a glass of wine, the aromas from the private chef’s kitchen on the evening air, admiring that ravishing view while dusk gathers round the towers of San Gimignano.
