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The La Melosina is an ideal meeting point for soul, mind and body. A Tuscan country estate deep in an old forest, here you’ll find a comfortable (and very romantic) hotel with a swimming pool, a fitness centre and a very good restaurant.

La Melosina doesn’t just offer well-being for the guest, it’s been built in harmony with nature and with the utmost respect for it. The whole complex has been designed to have the least impact on the environment. The wiring system is shielded, water is heated via solar panels and the heating and cooling systems are underfloor, thereby saving electricity. All the wooden furniture is treated with natural waxes.

The nearest airports to La Melosina are Pisa 160km (one hour, 50 minutes), Florence 130km, (one hour, 30 minutes), Rome 210km, (two hours, 30 minutes. There are 12 rooms, all decorated with frescoes describing ancient tales and legends. Every room has broadband connections, satellite TV, a minibar, direct phone line, safe and hairdryer. There are two rooms for smokers, Ulivo and Mirtillo.

Azalea is a standard double room on the second floor with a view over the swimming pool. Quercia is a standard double room with a sofa bed and a view over the swimming pool. Limoni is a superior double room with an open fire, four-poster bed and a view over the garden. Girasole, Mirtillo, Melograno, Vite, Ulivo and Lavanda are all standard rooms with views over the garden. Glicine is a superior double room with an open fire, four-poster bed and a view over the garden. Giglio is a standard double room with a sofa bed, wheelchair access and a view over the swimming pool. La Melosina is a standard double room with wheelchair access and a view over the garden.


The mystical, enchanted atmosphere around this holiday villa in Tuscany comes from a past rich in history and art. In medieval times this estate was called San Cassiano. The parish church was dedicated to Saint Cassiano, an oriental monk from the fourth century, a famous writer of tracts on early Christian monasticism. The two majestic holm oak trees to the north of the estate, mark the location of a Benedictine monastery. Here, at the beginning of the eleventh century, a small convent was established.

And there is Pieve di San Cassiano, linked to the important Benedictine monastery of San Salvatore di Giugnano, a few miles down in the Bai valley. This historically and architecturally important building is currently being restored. The Bai basin was rich in lead, copper and silver deposits. Three tunnels dug into the slopes of Poggio Mozzeto, a few hundred metres west of La Melosina. can still be seen, as well as crude ovens at various points along the bed of the river. The five stone watermills were still active until the 1950s. Two of these – Riguerci and Giugnano – have been lovingly restored.

The Fitness Centre has just the right balance to provide harmony, tranquility and relaxation. Sauna, Turkish bath, individual hydromassages and a course of refreshing showers are all on the menu, as well as personalised programmes, beauty and therapeutic treatments.

Try the Ayurvedic massages. This ancient science originated in India over 5000 years ago to treat the well-being of body, mind and spirit. Ayurveda advocates liveing healthily, without illness, in state harmony with ourselves, nature and the universe. Learn to develop your potential to the full, attain mental calm, control of the senses and spiritual harmony.

Pindasweda is a heat therapy combined with a massage using cotton pads suffused with herbs and spices. It is particularly good for problems of circulation, arthritis, stiffness, cellulite, obesity, and breathing problems, and stimulates physical and mental energy.

Shirodhara involves running a continuous, gentle stream of warm oil onto the centre of the forehead at the point just above the arch of the eyebrows. Shirodhara acts on the central nervous system producing calm and harmony. It relaxes the mind and soothes stress by stimulating the senses.

The Hammam ritual begins with the tepidarium where guests can relax at a temperature of between 30º and 35ºC, their skin covered with a black body-peel. Then comes the calidarium and the temperature rises to 40º and 45ºC degrees (and more peeling). Last of all, you enjoy a ghassoul compress, then relax with a soothing mint tea.

In the lovely Maremma countryside, the La Melosina restaurant is cosy and welcoming. Explore the classic flavours of Tuscan cuisine prepared from high-quality, seasonal products. Thirty tables inside and another 15 on the terrace overlooking the pool offer you a menu that changes every month to incorporate the produce of the season. The La Melosina restaurant is open during for lunch and dinner, and closed on Thursdays.

Roccastrada is the classic medieval village steeped in history and surrounded by unspoiled nature. The neighbouring villages of Ribolla, Roccatederighi, Tornella, Sassofortino, Montemassi, Sticciano Alto, Sticciano Sede and Piloni are easily reached, as are pretty old castles such as Montemassi. Here, you can admire the silhouette and landscape in ‘Guidoriccio da Fogliano’, a fresco by Simone Martini. You’ll find this 1330AD masterpiece in the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena.

Buried deep in the Maremma region, Roccastrada lets you combine culture, history and nature. The area is surrounded by protected nature reserves, such as the Farma river reserve, La Pietra nature reserve, and the wildlife sanctuaries at Belagaio and Monte Leoni. Head out on foot, by mountain bike or horseback, and see the huge variety of plants, trees, animals and birds, that make a visit here so special.

Roccastrada is on a number of wine tours, and you must visit the wine museum in the Piazza dell'Orologio, carved from the solid rock and with an adjoining wine cellar. The area has marvellous local produce too, including mushrooms and olive oil, local specialities such as acquacotta (a soup of tomato, vegetables, oil, eggs and bread), wild boar and Maremma torte

Via Curtatone e Montanara 14, 50053 Empoli, Florence, Italy