Il Poderuccio is a converted 16th-century farmhouse in the famously beautiful setting of the Val d’Orcia. It forms part of the 830-hectare (2050-acre) estate of the Abbazia di Spineto, a Benedictine abbey of the Vallombrosan Order founded in 1085, and named after the “spinaie” (brambles), once a dominant feature of this beautiful and unspoilt southern Tuscan landscape of woodland, pasture and rolling hills. The abbey reached its zenith in the 12–14th centuries, when its activities focused on religious devotion and agriculture. It eventually closed in 1783, and since 1830 has been in private hands. Today the old abbey buildings are used as a study centre and for conferences and cultural events, but eleven of its farmhouses, scattered across the estate, have been recently converted into comfortable rental villas, each with its own private pool. The style adopted for their renovation mixes modern comfort and convenience with a simple, rustic, Tuscan style, in keeping with the history of the estate. The Abbazia di Spineto is very well placed for touring some of the most treasured towns and cities of Tuscany and Umbria, including Montepulciano, Pienza, Perugia and Orvieto. Visitors can walk, jog and fish on the estate; mountain bikes are available for rent; there are tennis courts and horse-riding facilities nearby; thermal pools and a spa lie 15 minutes away by car, and a golf course 25 minutes away.
Shaded by trees, Il Poderuccio is splendidly tranquil, set on a little private road, deep in a countryside of pasture and forest – perfect for walks and for relaxation. The pool (5 x 12m) has a particularly fine setting, with views out across acres of unspoilt countryside. The house interior covers some 495 square metres and has been decorated in refined modern style, with sympathetic Tuscan touches beneath the exposed ceiling beams. The ground floor has a large living space, combining sitting room, dining room (with fireplace), and kitchen. There are doors to the garden from the sitting area and the kitchen (wich is equipped with a cooker, oven, dishwasher and fridge-freezer). There is also a cloakroom with a WC on this floor, as well as laundry facilities. There are three bedrooms on the ground floor and four on the first floor, all with large twin beds. Some can be made up as double beds on request.
An interior spiral staircase leads up the first floor, with a second living room/TV room, which can also accessed by a stone staircase outside. Equipment in the house includes: TV, hairdryers in the bedrooms, and washing machine; mosquito netting on the windows, a mobile telephone is also available (calls are charged separately). Heating is available in winter. Wi-fi internet access is available for guests free of charge at the main office at the abbey.
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GROUND FLOOR
Living room/dining room/kitchen, cloakroom with WC;
3 bedrooms with large twin beds, and en-suite bathrooms (two with shower and WC and one with bath).
FIRST FLOOR (can also be accessed by exterior staircase)
Living room/TV room; 3 bedrooms with large twin beds, and en-suite bathrooms (one with shower and two with bath); 1 bedroom with double/twin beds and additional single bed, and en-suite bathroom with shower.
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Maid service 3 times a week. Daily swimming-pool cleaning. Also available on request: laundry services, babysitting, additional domestic help, the services of a cook, car rental, airport transfer. |
