The original farmhouse was built by the monks of Vallambrosa monastery as one of their farms. It is named after the perennial spring that is considered to have beneficial qualities.

The original farm would have been built during the medieval ages when Vallambrosa exercised considerable religious and secular power throughout northern Tuscany. It is likely that both Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) and John Milton passed La Doccia on the old pilgrims route and, for sure, Milton was much influenced by the mystical woods and meadows that surround Vallombrosa

Every room at La Doccia is an eclectic mixture of local handcrafted furniture made in the small mountain village of Tosi and our family antiques and furnishings brought here from England. Ours is a family home, a country house Inn, in to which we invite you to enjoy yourselves whilst staying in this timeless landscape.

La Doccia is dated 1632, but it is built on much older foundations and the thick walls make the place cool in the hot summers and warm in the winters. We have a superb main terrace with breathtaking views of deep valleys and distant hills, perfect for escaping the concerns of everyday.

The accent at La Doccia is on the simple traditional pleasures of quiet country living.

Accommodation (minimum of two nights stay) is offered on a bed and breakfast basis (dinner is available on request) or on a self-catering basis in a range of delightfully decorated bedrooms and self-catering apartments. All rooms have private bathrooms and we are able to offer special weekly rates on application.

La Doccia is also able to both host and organise you Italian wedding - please ask us for further details.

Please click here to send us a message, here to view a map of our location, here for prices and here for two further pages of photographs. Thank you.

Your hosts, Edward and Sonia Mayhew decided to sell their London house at the beginning of 1999 and moved to La Doccia at Easter. They both have long experience in providing Bed and Breakfast accommodation and are well used to making people warm and welcomed. Edward is anglo-american and was brought up in New York. Sonia is English with Australian family connections and has travelled all over the world. They have now created the elegant and hospitable surroundings that you can enjoy today.