Renting an apartment, Florence - this nicely furnished, air-conditioned vacation apartment for 2 lies just 3km south of Florence.
On a country hilltop, next to a Renaissance villa, this accommodation offers rural peace and quiet and proximity to Florence, Tuscany. The village is surrounded by gentle hills and cultivated fields. This area outside the town is known as 'Poggio Imperiale' or Imperial Hill. This is where Amerigo Vespucci, the famous Florentine navigator, spent his youth before he set sail to find the New World and give it his name. An avenue of lime trees leads to this elegant 15th century villa, which sits majestically atop the hill. The elevated position allows for a beautiful view of the landscape and a pleasant, soft breeze even on hot summer days.
A side entrance with electronic gates leads to the property. You then enter a large, gravel forecourt. The guesthouse is at the far end of the courtyard, on the sunny side of the property, about 40m from the main villa. The apartment, available only for weekly rentals is housed in the former wood store, which has recently been fully renovated and turned into tastefully furnished holiday accommodation.
The apartment is on one level and is accessed through a glass door. You pass through an entrance hall and into a bright and airy living room. This has a sofa bed, a dining area with wooden table to seat 4 and a kitchenette in the corner. The room has many windows with frosted glass and a long glass front with wonderful views of the countryside. There is a bedroom with double bed, cupboard and antique chest and a smart bathroom with shower. Although the large windows in the three rooms almost cover the length of the building there is still plenty of privacy. The olive grove is just below the guesthouse and the greenery grows up almost to the windows.
Clear lines, simple shapes and sturdy materials give the house its pleasant atmosphere: the interior has been furnished and fitted with skilled craftsmanship which appears simple from the outside, an understatement often seen in Italy. The rooms are decorated in warm colours: pale yellow walls, natural shades of terracotta on the floor, wooden beams on the ceiling. The furniture is solidly built and of a timeless style, the fabrics of good quality. Arches decorate many of the walls and windows.
The two doors leading outside are particularly clever. One glass door in the kitchen area opens directly onto a narrow path which leads to a small pool with lawn, just a few steps away. The oval pool, in use from 15 May to 9 October, faces south and is shared with the occupants of a further guesthouse. Another door leads up steps to the private rooftop terrace. From here you enjoy the outstanding view of the valley below, of cypresses, the villa in the background and the famous Certosa of Florence - the large, mediaeval monastery. Wooden garden furniture invites you to lie back and relax; the shady roof covers a long table with chairs and there are two sun loungers, a small marble basin and a garden hose to freshen up in between. An attractive wall offers plenty of privacy.
