Casa Il Focolare is situated in the heart of Tuscany, just 20 minutes from the A1 motorway, with easy access to Florence (40 minutes) and Rome (2½ hours). The completely restored farmhouse is at approximately 400 metres above sea level, just outside the village of Pian di Scò, with spectacular views over the Valdarno Valley [Local map | Map of Tuscany].
Shopping is easy in nearby Pian di Scò, or alternatively you may use the larger towns of Figline Valdarno and Incisa. The surrounding countryside is rich in spectacular lakes, forests and interesting walks, and the Mediterranean coast is just two hours away.
The historic cities of Florence, Siena and Arezzo are close at hand and countless other typical market towns such as Cortona, San Gimignano and Greve, famous for their architecture, art and gastronomy, are within easy reach. Florence and the surrounding countryside can play host to a multitude of sporting and cultural activities. For sporty types there is golf, horseriding, fishing, cycling, canoeing and more — even hot-air ballooning.
Casa Il Focolare is contained within the larger Villa La Capitata — it consists of the entire wing as seen on the left of the photograph on the front page. The villa was originally the building from which the lord of the adjacent farm collected his 'dues' in the form of olives, grapes, hay, eggs and other agricultural produce. The word capitata means ended-up, and that is exactly what happened to the hardworking farm peasants’ output — a good percentage ended up at Villa La Capitata for ‘his lordship.’
The enormous building therefore comprises vast rooms with high ceilings that were originally store rooms, many of them carved out of the hillside so that oil and wine could be stored at lower temperatures below ground level.
Please read on for more information about the holiday accommodation.
