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Glorious gardens, an abundance of space, a secluded hilltop position and truly magnificent views in all directions are the chief attributes that make Ville dell'Opera the ultimate choice for larger families and group of friends in search of a private country retreat. Reached along a country lane lined with cypresses, in the very heart of Tuscany, just 15 km from San Gimignano, between the two charming mediaeval hill towns of Montaione and Certaldo, is this very private gated complex of three elegant villas.

Each villa has is own private garden with table, chairs and umbrella - overlooking the vast natural park which totally surrounds the property. The huge pool area has a stunning panorama of the valley below, filled with active vineyards and rolling fields of grain.

Each apartment has its own special personality: Vivaldi, maximum 7 people, has colourful stained glass windows and a lovely garden with fruit trees. Verdi, sleeping 8 people, has high arched brick vaulted ceilings and dominates the landscape from the top of the hill. Puccini, which has 4 bedrooms for 8 people, has a beautiful stone fireplace and a covered terrace.

( Here you can read comments from past renters of this property )


Check availability for Verdi (red=booked, orange=optioned).


Check availability for Puccini (red=booked, orange=optioned).


Check availability for Vivaldi (red=booked, orange=optioned).


Check availability for Rossini (red=booked, orange=optioned).


The villas have been meticulously restored in order to offer every possible comfort. The beautiful terra cotta floors and open face fireplaces are reminiscent of the traditional Tuscan style. The ceilings have open wood-beamed ceilings and several artistic accents such as brick archways and stone door frames. Terra cotta floors, arched doorways and wood-beamed ceilings, as well as such modern amenities as satellite-TV, direct-dial telephone, piped radio in every room and an intrusion alarm system, combine respect for the building's historic fabric with the provision of every modern comfort. They share the swimming pool and a wash room with washing machine (on a lower level is a wash room with washing machine and a small room that could be used as a bedroom for a babysitter), and each house has a discretely located outdoor clothesline. There is a safe covered car park and secure front gate.

Puccini (sleeps 8) is the largest of the three villas with over 2300 square feet. Right outside the main entrance of this spacious villa is a covered patio with tables and chairs, a great place to have breakfast overlooking the pool area and the valley below!

The living room area is tiled in terra cotta floors with open-beamed ceilings and a special fireplace from the 18th century. The villa is complete with a SAT TV and sound system. To the right of the living room is a large dining room with direct access through a brick archway to the kitchen and a stunning view of the valley below. To the right of the dining room there is a bedroom with two single beds.

Proceeding down the hallway to the right of the living room one comes upon a lovely bathroom with a hydro-massage bathtub. There are two bedrooms with single beds, both with great views over the surrounding garden and pool area. The master bedroom has a beautiful view of the front garden and its own en suite bathroom. This lovely bathroom is completely tiled in decorative Italian ceramics and has a shower.

Next door is Vivaldi (sleeps 7), which measures 2100 square feet. This house has a very distinct flavour, thanks to its frescoed and wood-paneled walls, Murano glass partitions and 18th-century fireplace. You enter by climbing fifteen steps up to the covered portico, which opens onto the living room. Next door is the large dining room for eight, and the kitchen, which features a full stove, range-top, open grill, full refrigerator/freezer, and dishwasher. Next to the dining room is a room with a single bed.

As at Puccini, a door separates the sleeping quarters. Here you'll find a very large bathroom with double sinks, stall shower and whirlpool bathtub. Next door is a room with queen-sized bed and en suite bathroom with shower. This bedroom is large enough to add a single sofa bed for a child. At the end of the hall are two double bedrooms with single or double beds. Closets abound, and, outside, the house has a private garden area with table, chairs and sun chairs.

The third house, Verdi (sleeps 8), is about 150 yards from the other two. It measures 2200 square feet on two levels, and boasts beautiful vaulted ceilings. The living room is centred around a cosy fireplace and opens onto the dining room and eat-in kitchen, which features a full stove, range-top, open grill, full refrigerator/freezer, and dishwasher, plus a door opening onto the patio. This level is completed by a twin bedroom and a powder room that opens onto a bathroom with shower.

Since Verdi occupies the highest ground on the estate, it is only logical that its upstairs bedrooms would enjoy the best views, facing the vineyards and hillsides stretching toward Certaldo and San Gimignano. The second floor has two double (or twin) rooms and one room with queen bed, plus a huge bathroom with double sinks, shower and whirlpool bathtub. The house is completed by two outdoor patios furnished with tables, chairs and sun chairs.

From the end of May 2004 there will also be Apartment Rossini, an apartment of roughly 60 square metres, sleeping 2+2. It comprises a double bedroom, bathroom, a spacious living area (where you'll find the double sofa-bed) with open fireplace, and a well-equipped kitchen with dishwasher.

This apartment also has an outside area, with table, chairs, shade and sun-lounger. This may be the smallest apartment on the property, but it has the same high level of finishing as the others, and may be rented independently or taken along with the larger apartments, perhaps for a couple in a group who'd like a touch more privacy (newlyweds?), or for a group that may have staff or helpers with them. It may also be used as a communal dining area, as the living/kitchen area is generously sized.

Included in the price: taxes, services, electricity, gas, water, heating, use of the swimming pool, weekly and/or final cleaning, two sets of bath linens per week, one set of bed linens per week, firewood, tennis at the owners' courts 3 km away, and fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden.

A person who speaks Italian, English and German is on duty every morning. The nearest shops are in Montaione (1 km); the supermarket is at Castelfiorentino (5 km) There is ample parking inside the complex gates, for which each house has a remote control.
Florence, Siena and Pisa are all 50 km away, reached by car or by train from Castelfiorentino.

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