Le Torri Holiday Apartments in Tuscany - Italy Lodging Review

Le Torri is a medieval farmhouse that's been beautifully restored into vacation apartments. It's is in a fabulous setting in the Florentine Hills of Chianti, a short distance from many of Tuscany's must-see places.

Le Torri's nicely furnished apartments are done in traditional rustic Tuscan style. Each apartment has one or two modern bathrooms and a full kitchen with four-burner stove and a dishwasher so guests don't have to wash dishes while they're on holiday. The well kept grounds include a Mediterranean garden, swimming pool, picnic tables, and outdoor grills.

One of the top reasons to stay at Le Torri is Gabriele Cantini, who runs Le Torri along with his parents. Gabriele speaks English and is there to help make guests feel at home and have a wonderful vacation. He'll help with sight-seeing plans, make reservations for restaurants or museums, and arrange specialty outings such as bike tours or cooking classes.

Gabriele's parents bought the farmhouse 30 years ago and lovingly restored it. The family lives in part of the building. His mother tends the garden and also prepares a delicious welcome buffet for the guests on Saturday nights. Guests sample homemade typical Tuscan foods and wine in a convivial atmosphere at a communal table. It's a great way to start the week.

The family and the personalized service are what really make staying at Le Torri special. Many of the guests are repeat visitors or come by word of mouth. When we stayed, there was a couple who come every year for two or three weeks to paint and relax. Le Torri is a great place for relaxing.

Le Torri is in a spectacular position on the Florentine hills with wonderful views of the countryside. Within easy walking distance is the small village of San Quirico with stores, a bar, and a bank. There's a good restaurant, Da Buzzanca, where English is spoken about 1.5 km from Le Torri.

Going in the opposite direction, it's an easy walk to Poppiano Castle where wine has been made since the 1500s. It's owned by the Guicciardini family who still own most of the surrounding buildings and land. The castle was originally built to defend Florence and from the castle several other towers and castles are visible, including the towers of San Gimignano on a clear day. They produce and sell wine and high quality olive oil. See pictures of Poppiano Castle and from the castle's tower on Wanderer's Eye Travel Photography.

From Poppiano Castle, it's also possible to join a one-day bike tour with Tuscany Bike Tours. Their tour includes a visit to the castle with wine-tasting, cycling through beautiful scenery in the Florentine hills, and a stop for lunch in a local restaurant.

The wine town of Montespertoli is about a ten minute drive. It's also set on a hill with good views. Montespertoli has several restaurants, bars, stores, a supermarket, gas station, wine tasting in Castle, and a wine museum. We recommend Caffetteria Vineria Il Machiavelli in the old piazza for delicious appetizers and pastas or for a splurge, a meal at L'Artevino down the street from the old piazza.

Le Torri is 30 km from Florence, about a 25 minute bus ride. For those wanting to drive into Florence, Gabriele will give directions and advice about where to park.

San Gimignano, the Chianti Classico wine region, and the pretty red brick hill town of Certaldo are each within 30 kilometers. Siena is about 50 kilometers and Pisa is 60 kilometers. The walled city of Lucca, the Etruscan hill town of Volterra, the village of San Miniato famous for its truffles, and the museums of Leonardo da Vinci in his hometown of Vinci are also close.

Le Torri is open all year. From April through October apartments are available for weekly rentals, usually starting on Saturdays, and nightly the rest of the year.

There are five one-bedroom apartments for two people and four two-bedroom apartments with two bathrooms for four people. Three of the apartments are on the ground floor and one of them is renovated for disabled access. There's no internet access in the apartments but there are televisions. It's possible to use the guest computer during office hours and there's a communal laundry room for guest use.

Le Torri is a gated property with a private parking area. Apartments can be viewed on the web site and guests can request specific apartments.

The closest airports are Florence and Pisa (see Italy airports map). A car can be rented at the airport. Having a car is recommended for sight-seeing but it's possible to get to Le Torri by bus from Florence.

Le Torri Vacation Rentals
Via Poppiano 88-90-92, S. Quirico in Collina, Montespertoli, Florence
Phone: (+39) 0571 670952

_{As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodations for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. See our ethics policy.}