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Castellare is an ancient building on the high hills that surround Florence (just 20km away). It is set on top of a private hill, invisible from the public street, and completely surrounded by nature. We offer 4 accomodations, and with the recent renovations we think they are even more warm and inspiring. The Stalla is our larger one, and is displayed on two floors. Upstairs two spacious bedrooms and a bathroom; downstairs a big open space with a fully equipped kitchen and a comfortable living room area. The Stalla house is perfect for a family or a small group of friends. In restructuring it we tried to maintain its medieval flavour, so you will find an original stone floor and family pieces of furniture. And lots of art pieces, from well known artists we worked with. Music, films and books are at your disposal for more inspiration. Outside the living room door there is a private garden with table and chairs for romantic outside dinner. The Loggia has an indipendent kitchen, that we decided to paint a lilac, a happy colour. There is a large window that offers views of the olive trees and woods, so breakfast can be a truly peaceful moment; The livingroom with a stone column has also a very nice window, and a sofa, that in seconds becomes a combortable queen size bed; the bathroom is also on the ground floor, and the bedroom is up on the loft, under the ancient woodden beams of the ceiling. The Loggia too has a small private garden, in a shady area, precious in summer hot months.The Stalletta has been renewed just months ago, and now has a new kitchen and a new bathroom, of soft colours. The shelves are antique, and some of them have been made from 17th century restored wood, with the original decor. The Stalletta has a bedroom, a room with the itchen, a dining area and a relaxing area, and a spacious bathroom. There is a window door that opens on the little privategarden with the table and chairs of wood, right near the stone wall always full of flowers. The Capanna is a small detatched cottage that has been renovated last year with a new kitchen and with a white coat of paint of the original stone walls and ceiling. Even the old wooden chandelier made from a tree root has been freshly painted of a lighter colour to offer a more relaxing atmosphere. There is a bedroom, a bathroom, and a room with a kitchen, a dining area and a living room. Two window doors illuminate the Capanna, the entrance one, and the one that opens on the outside dining area, with woodden table and chairs.In the main lawn there is a swimming pool with a wooden deck that runs around it. It's in a lovely spot, surrounded by plants and flowers, with open view of the sky and nature all around. WIFI connection is free and available in every accommodation.
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Found by chance in a hurry, we were looking for a place to spend the New Year's Eve together. The hostess Catina is of an exemplary friendliness and helpfulness. It fully conveys the love that for his home and the land in which he lives and the "message" comes immediately... the place is beautiful and, with us who love nature, has broken down an open door. We stayed divided into 4 apartments and found ourselves in the larger one for dinner on 31. They are one more beautiful than the other, all different and particular, simply furnished without distorting the origins of the "rustic" structure but with everything you need available. 10 min drive to get to the train... 15 min you are in Florence, 1h10 in Arezzo... We were sorry to leave... hope to return! Maximilian
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Date of stay: December 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and myself stayed at Castellare in September, and had a wonderful time. We stayed in the Stalleta house, a one bedroomed property with sitting room/kitchenette, bedroom and spacious bathroom. There was a satellite TV (limited english channels) and a DVD player (no DVDs so bring your own). The setting was beautifully quiet, high up in the Tuscan hills. Florence was a 20 min train ride away, and easy access to the motorways made Siena, Greve, San Gimignano etc within easy striking distance. The weather in September was glorious.
Catina, who lives in the large farmhouse on the property, and her husband, were absolutely charming, and nothing was too much trouble for them. Homemade cakes and biscuits on arrival were a lovely touch, as was a midweek tiramisu and farewell chocolate cookies!
We had a very relaxing holiday and would love to return one day, perhaps trying one of the other properties. We would recommend this property to anyone wanting peace and quiet away from the hurly burly of city life.
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Date of stay: September 2012
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
this is the most beautiful and perfectly located vacation home i have ever visited! we are a family of five, and we stayed at the biggest accommodation for 6 nights at the end of September. Catina was a wonderful host. she welcomed us upon arrival with a home made cake, and arranged the house exactly as we asked. She is also a great person to talk to about things you can do in the area, or just to chat about anything. the house it was spacious and very comfortable.. Castellare is located in a beautiful spot, just far enough from the noise. it is surrounded by wonderful views and it is an absolute pleasure to wake up in the morning while there. Please note you definitely need a cat to get there but its absolutely worth it.
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Date of stay: September 2015
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This place must be close to Heaven (never been there)...Italian Hospitality at his best....a place to live blending with nature....just switch off and enjoy.....ask Contessa Catina where to shop and where to eat when going out..
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Date of stay: June 2015
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in Castellare in June 2013. It was by far the most magical holiday we have had with our children. From meeting Catina we just knew the love she had for this place and how she wanted you to enjoy your stay.
The house we stayed in was the Staletta. It was tastefully decorated and just felt like home right away.
You do need a car but everything is on your doorstep really. The train station is about a 10 minute drive and the trains to Florence are very frequent. The journey takes 20 minutes at most. We had an absolute ball and ate out a lot in the local villages and in Florence. There is a wonderful pizza place 10 minute drive in Santa Brigida called Nappino. There are excellent reviews for this on Trip advisor and I can see why. It was fantastic and you have to visit. While we were there the Festival of the Boar was on. We sat in the restaurant while the wonderful local people danced the night away. Such a lovely thing to see a whole community like that and I usually hate that kind of thing. It was just wonderful.
Catina provides a great pack to tell you about the surrounding areas. We have made great friends in Catina and I'm just so glad we went.
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Date of stay: June 2013
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My fiance and I stayed for a week in Castellare this November. I was a bit worried when picking the place, that it could be too remote and we might be a bit bored, but there was no need for that at all. From the very first email from Catina (the owner and a fantastic host) I knew we will be well looked after. Unfortunately the house we have picked originally wasn’t available for our dates, however Catina was able to offer a bigger house (Stella) for the same price. She emailed me directions to the property few days later and, as we discovered later, they were absolutely spot on. Driving in Italy isn’t easy, so having directions to hand took away a lot of unnecessary stress! The place itself is fantastic. There is a great feel of peace in and around the property! The house was clean and cozy (the atmosphere not the size). The closest town, Molino del Piano, was about 10 minutes drive. There isn’t much to it, but you’ll find there all you need there: small supermarket, few shops, butcher, bakery, few restaurants. Florence and Siena are only short drive away. To sum up, I highly recommend Castellare to anyone who is looking for peaceful holiday in Tuscany. If you are a writer or an artist, it’s a fantastic place to get an inspiration for your work. If you think of the French cottage where Colin Firth was going to write in “Love Actually” - it’s a perfect example what the Castellare is like (except Castellare is much tidier :) Elina
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Date of stay: November 2011
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We (two adults and our son) stayed for two weeks in late June early July 2010 for our summer holiday and I feel I could not have chosen better. This is a quiet and genuinely 'Italian feeling' countryside location with beautiful art adorning the historic (but very nicely renovated) and welcoming accommodation (my photos do not do justice). The woods are stunning and create a feeling of safe seclusion within the wilderness. Lying next to and swimming in the fabulous pool (that my two year old adored! and which we had to ourselves nearly every time we used it) listening to bird song was relaxing beyond belief. (The pool was essential as we had a heat wave of temperatures up to 38C) Catina was so warm and welcoming (my little boy loved her and she babysat for us a few times) and really knows how to make her guests feel at home. There are three accommodations and despite this and a family home the place feels very private and I felt like there was absolutely no pressure-in fact the whole atmosphere is one of complete relaxation. As the previous review says -Catina is a wonderful person to have created this. Florence:-the art, the architecture, the ice cream (!) is literally 20 minutes away-we took the train and it was really straight forward getting there. Sienna and other Tuscan towns are within easy reach by car and definitely worth a drive to. If you're more adventurous, the mountains; Apennines are stunning and the seaside resort of Porta Venere (next to La Spezia) is within reach for a day trip on the Autostrada and a very beautiful med. setting with beaches. The best restaurant I have been to is a short 10 minute drive away from Castellare and feels like Michelin ** -with dining al fresco with mountain views- but at a fraction of the cost. Altogether if you are looking for the authentic, peaceful Italian holiday in Chianti with access to all Tuscany has to offer this place is perfect and I am already planning my return!
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Date of stay: July 2010
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at the Castellare for 4 nights last year and were traveling with our 2 yr old toddler. I stumbled upon this listing on a website and unfortunately could not get too many reviews about it, like it is for a lot of places in Europe! So I emailed the owner Catina and got her to send me some pictures taken by her. In that way I made sure that I was not getting into something unpleasant. The place by itself is located on a secluded property and is a distance away from any houses. The silence was deafening on the first night for us city dwellers, but it sure did grow on us. Catina, the owner is a wonderful person and proved to be a lovely host. She lives on the property with her family. She recommended a friend cook us the first nights dinner, which was a lovely Italian dinner ready to eat when we landed there somewhere in the evening. Unfortunately we did not get to use the pool as the water was still not warm enough to open. This place is ideal for someone who wants to stay away from the main city, but at the same time be close enough to get to places within 30 minutes. We did a couple of day trips to Pisa, San Gimignano and some other rustic Tuscan towns. We took the train to Florence from the station which is about 1-2 miles from the property. But note that you must have a vehicle of your own if you want to stay here. There is no real transport around at least that I was aware of. I would surely think of going and staying there again.
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Date of stay: May 2009
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
or at least it was until we arrived with our 1 year old. Apologies to the other guests staying if they could hear us, luckily we were staying in Capanna, which is set apart from the main farmhouse.
Dont let the photos of Capanna fool you. She is small, but perfectly formed & the high ceilings make it feel much bigger. It has everything you need, including a washing machine. I love the decoration detail, especially the ceiling branch light!
Catina had set up a travel cot for our daughter in the bedroom, which had plenty of space. Anyone staying with a toddler should note that there is a step down from living room to bedroom/bathroom which is fairly big but once we'd taught the little one to sit down to get down it she was fine but if your toddler has only just learnt to walk or still crawling then you might want to take a travel gate (we had one but didnt feel the need to use it in the end). I think the property description says the shower is over a bath but it is just a shower cubicle, this didnt matter to us as the sink in the bathroom is huge & we used that to bath our daughter.
We arrived pretty late at night but Catina had waited up to make sure we got there safely & had very kindly got a few essentials from the shop for us (milk & bread, etc.). Plus she had made a delicious lemon & ricotta cake which didnt last long haha (Catina, yes please can I have the recipe?)
You do absolutely need a car (I would recommend people read a little about driving in Italy before going). If you are hiring one then try to get one that is more than 1.2 engine, ours really struggled up the Tuscan hills. We got the train from Sieci into Florence a couple of times which was very quick & easy. We managed to park in the main station car park both times, which is free.
I can definitely recommend the wine shop in Molino del piano (Chianti on tap for €3.50 a bottle!), we took a few bottles home with us. We also visited Castello del Trebbio which was very nice.
Overall I would recommend Castellare for anyone wanting a quiet, secluded holiday that has easy access to all the beauty & culture of Florence plus yummy cheap wine!
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Date of stay: September 2016
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Words cannot explain how magical this place is. For the past four years we've enjoyed all that Castellare has to offer and are looking forward to another visit this summer. You couldn't wish for a better location and accommodation. The pool is a hit with the kids, the surrounds are beautiful and it is very easy to get into the heart of Florence by train from the local railway station. Catina (the lovely owner) is the perfect host, leaving you to enjoy your stay, but also happy to chat and catch up. The kids love her and the place — always asking to come back.
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Date of stay: August 2014
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Molino del Piano area.
LOCATION
ItalyTuscanyProvince of FlorencePontassieveMolino del Piano
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
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