Self catering accommodation in Tuscany: private villa with pool for rent by owner in medieval castle, for your holiday in Italy.

wurtis (San Francisco)

Castello di Montalto is a Tuscan dream. What an incredible, tranquil place. I satyed there for the first time way back in 1988, and then again in 1999. But both times it was easy to imagine that it was 1499 (with hot running water and electricity, of course!) I just loved the history behind the place - as the main forward defense for Siena against the repeated attacks of the treacherous Florentines. :-) The hills, the light, the surroundings were just sublime. And the owners were such gracious hosts! They helped us find the most amazing restaurants run by families scattered throughout the hills, and really cared about us getting the most out of our Italian countryside vacation. If you want a really authentic "Under the Tuscan Sun" experience, Castello di Montalto is where to stay.

Liked — The history, the countryside, the food, the location, the authenticity
Disliked — It's all good. Some might find the accommodations too "rustic" - but those folks should stay at a chain hotel anyway.

Aug 27, 2007 - review from tripadvisor.com

Dana Leavitt (Sonoma)

In 1999 I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a friend's wedding at Castello di Montalto. I was staying elsewhere but immediately fell under the spell of this beautiful and enchanting Castello. At the end of the festivities I swore I would some day return and share this magical spot with friends. It took six years but in 2005 I retuned with a group of friends for a week long Tuscan holiday. The accomodations were excellent! The hosts were charming and helpful, going out of their way to make our stay a memorable one. One night they set up a traditional Tuscan cooking class/dinner for us with a local chef. To say the least it was a wonderful evening full of amazing food, wine laughter and friends! I could go on forever raving about Castelo di Montalto as it is still the most memorable vacation I have ever had. But I won't. This is a magical spot everyone at some point in their travels should make their way to! I know I will be retuning (hopefully) next year.
Sincerely,
Dana Leavitt

Liked — Stepping back in time yet accomodations very modern.
Disliked — Nothing!

Aug 18, 2007 - review from tripadvisor.com

Ed Cohn (Calif,USA)

I just spent a week in this place and found it to be absolutely wonderful. Words cannot describe the facility and its peaceful atmosphere. I will return! Not for one week but for two.

Jul 23, 2007 - review from tripadvisor.com

Flip & Ida Wingrove (Port Townsend, WA)

Thanks to Diana and Giovanni for sharing your unique corner of Italy with us. We’re especially impressed with the way you have melded the solid grace of the medieval architecture with enough modern touches to keep us comfortable while experiencing a bit of nostalgic Tuscan glory.

While Ida played with the Felici Trio chamber music workshop, I fiddled around on the endless trails surrounding the castle, spotting red deer, boar, hare, pheasant, and the endless variety of song birds. Memorable meals from the castle kitchens, with their fresh ingredients, lives on in the tales we pass on about Montalto. During the fourteen days we also visited twenty-two villages, abbeys, and monasteries - twenty of them within 30 kilometers.

2006-09-02 22:50:41

Jared and Dawn Warford (Clearwater, Florida USA)

We spent three weeks in Italy for our Honeymoon. Without doubt, our favorite time was spent within the castle walls of Montalto. Giovanni and Diana was the most gracious host we encountered in the country. They greeted us warmly with a bottle of wine, and were more than willing to give any help and advise to make our time as inviting as possible (We highly recommend a local wine tour). Leaving the loving family atmosphere was difficult; hopefully, we can make it back in the future to celebrate an anniversary.

2006-08-21 00:59:35

SARA e MARCO (milano)

Abbiamo trovato il sito di montalto quasi per caso. E ce ne siamo innamorati subito!
Ci siamo sposati a Siena il 14 luglio 2006 eabbiamo dato il ricevimento di nozze qui a montalto, dopo aver passato una indimenticabile settimana con i nostri bimbi nella Casa di Giocche. Il silenzio e ilmeraviglioso paesaggio di cui abbiamo goduto rimarrà il più bel regalo ricevuto per il nostro matrimonio.
Portiamo con noi anche la gentilezza e la cordialità di Diana e Giovanni, la disponibilità di Chiara e Serena, la dolcezza di Leo.
Ci torneremo di sicuro.

2006-08-01 16:38:02

Victor

... A few seconds later we heard barking and grunting behind us and not long after that Dylan passed us at great speed, fortunately without the boar in tow.

We returned to Montalto a year later, with our own offspring, but thankfully didn't repeat the adventure :-)

2006-07-19 17:30:22

Victor (Zurich, Switzerland)

My wife and I had a wonderful few days at Montalto before our wedding in Siena in May 1995.

We still tell a story about the evening before the wedding when we took Dylan (Leo's predecessor) for a walk in the woods. It was starting to get dark and at one point he disappeared into the trees, perhaps following some scent. We then heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. It certainly wasn't Dylan and while we stood waiting for him the noise gradually moved off into the distance.

After a few minutes Dylan returned. At the same moment, just visible in the fading light, we saw a mother wild boar and her 2-3 piglets crossing the road about 100 metres away. They'd obviously been trying to avoid us. Dylan spotted the boar family and ran towards them barking wildly and we took off as fast as we could in the opposite direction. We weren't helped by the fact that my wife-to-be was 5 months pregnant! A few seconds later we heard barking and grunting behind us not long after that Dylan pass

2006-07-19 17:22:31

Poul (Poland)

Wow.. I'm impressed :) Great site!

2006-07-16 12:43:41

Jean-Jacques CYNA (PARIS, FRANCE)

Nous sommes allés plusieurs fois à Montalto et à chaque fois nous en avons avons gardé un magnifique souvenir. L'accueil est d'une grande gentillesse. L'endroit est idéal pour allier repos et visite de la Toscane.

2006-03-22 15:11:41

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