A Decade at Tenuta di Spannocchia in Tuscany

First Trip to Tenuta Di Spannocchia (Nov 2008)

We arrived in Rome after flying all night from NYC. We rented a car there (with carseats) and drove the almost 3 hours directly to the farm to get settled. It’s not an easy drive when you have just flown all night, but there are no direct trains. You can take a train from Rome- Florence – Siena and take a cab from Siena but that is a bit of a hassle. It’s a fairly easy drive and we were so excited to arrive. The 2 mile long dusty driveway to the villas only increased the anticipation.

We checked in and met the wonderful American couple that runs the farm and lives on the property – Francesca Cinelli and Randall Stratton. The rustic property consists of 7 villas as well as a 16th century bed and breakfast. The villas all have 2 or more bedrooms and the bed and breakfast has 7 rooms all with private bath. Make no mistake, this is not a luxury resort. We were treated with one of the most beautiful and tranquil spots I have ever known complete with an education center and a wildlife preserve. You will forgo maid service, room service and laundry service.

Staying in the villas

During our first visit we stayed in Casa Dami – one of 7 villas on the property.  It was everything you dreamt a Tuscan farmhouse would be. Terra cotta roof, red brick floors, exposed beams and an open hearth fireplace. We were arriving in October so the leaves were changing and there was a chill in the air. Fall is my favorite time in Italy and we had a constant fire glowing in the fireplace.  Every room enjoyed views of the nearby vineyards and olive groves.

We spent our days on the farm exploring the 1,100 acres of property with the kids.  Spannocchia was restored to a working farm in the 90’s. The highlights included a daily visit to the pens of the Cinta Senese pigs. The Cinta Senese pig is raised organically and semi-brado (semi-wild) and produces 15 types of salumi. That fall must have been a very active one, because we saw so many newborn and baby pigs! 

We also enjoyed scrambling through the woods in the secret garden and going on a search for the elusive Monte Amiata donkeys, In addition, we had the option of taking any number of food related classes or tours offered on site at the farm. The kids loved the hands on cooking class where they started in the garden harvesting vegetables. The owner gave us a very informative tour of the castle and the grounds.

Second Trip to Tenuta Di Spannocchia (July 2012)

Our second visit to Spannocchia happened 4 years later in 2012 when we were finally able to realized our longtime dream of a summer in Italy.  While we were by this time slightly more experienced travelers, we certainly made our share of travel mistakes during this adventure!  

The girls were 9 & 10 yrs old and we decided to once again rent Casa Dami, but this time for one month.  Our entire trip in Italy was 6 weeks long, and with the first 4 weeks at Spannocchia we were situated nicely to explore much of Tuscany.  Our days on the farm were slow, simple and relaxing.  Sometimes the girls would take a cooking class in the morning. Other days they would while away the morning among the acres of woods playing hide and seek and Hunger Games. They would play with each other, friends they made while there or friends who had come to visit.  It’s surprising h0w many people want to come visit when you are staying in a villa in Tuscany for a month!

Lazy days at the farm

We spent our afternoons at the pool with many of the young interns who worked on the farm and had finished their hard days work. Evenings began with a cocktail hour at 6pm and a family style dinner at 7pm in the farmhouse (if you wanted). Wednesday pizza night, cooked in the brick oven just outside the farmhouse, was a family favorite.  We also, of course, had the option of cooking dinner at home in our Tuscan kitchen. I loved the concept of going to the market every day to buy whatever was fresh for dinner. We occasionally picked some veggies from the garden to put in our salad.

The staff was wonderful and enormously helpful. One day my 10 year old was cooking home made pasta (which she learned to make on the farm) and the heat of the day caused her to faint. The manager sent us a doctor right to our villa within the hour to check on her! Since we were there for so long, we became very friendly with the interns. They would come to our villa to let us know when then newest baby pigs had arrived so the girls could go up the hill to see them.

Travel days

On travel days we started early and drove to nearby Tuscan towns. We mostly spent the day exploring the town, and returned to the farm at night.  We spent lots of time in Siena, only 20 minutes drive, and even got to see the famous Palio horse race.  Other favorite nearby towns included Colle Val d’Elsa (35min), San Gimignano (1 hour), Torri (20min), Chiusdino (20 min) , the Abbey of San Galgano (25 min), Monterrigioni (40 min), Buonconvento (55 min) and exploring the Alta Merse river (20 min).  Slightly further afield are Florence (90 minutes), Pisa (2 hrs), Lucca (2 hrs 20 min), Pienza (1 hr 20 min), and Montepulciano (1hr 15 min). For some of these towns, we would get a last minute hotel room and spend the night.

Whether we were on the farm, or on the road, that month in Tuscany created the most amazing memories for us and has become the standard by which we compare all trips.

Third Trip to Tenuta Di Spannocchia (July 2018)

There have been so many new adventures since that trip in 2012, and at the end of each one, we always ask, “was it as good as Italy?” It was for this reason, we returned to Italy in 2018 to hit some of our most cherished spots. Spannocchia was, of course, at the top of that list! The girls are now 14 and 16 and it had been 6 years since our last visit.  We wanted to return to see if it was as good as we remembered, and we were not disappointed!

Staying in the main house

Since this visit was going to be short, we decided to stay in the main house which is run as a Bed and Breakfast. Each room is simply decorated with exposed wood beams and views of the orchards and vineyards in the distance. Most rooms have a private bath. The main house has countless central rooms to explore and relax in. Some with giant fireplaces and walls of books to peruse, and others filled with board games. Sometimes the girls would wander into the kitchen to see what the chef was preparing for dinner. It was a teenagers dream to have all those rooms to explore.

The girls are now teenagers, so of course the idea of playing hide n seek or Hunger Games in the woods all day was not as appealing. However, they were still equally excited to see the pigs in their habitat and visited them nearly every day. We also enjoyed searching the valley for the donkey and playing with the countless cats and 3 dogs on the property. I loved exploring the vast vegetable gardens.

The 1,100 acres of property perched high on a hill between two valleys makes for a terrific day of hiking with teens. We enjoyed the beautiful panoramic views of the nearby marble quarry and surrounding towns. Picnic lunch in hand, we spent the entire exploring the carriage trails of the surrounding area. We ended our hike at the Ponte della Pia bridge in Rosia.

The family meals in the evening felt like a homecoming and a walk down memory lane.  Because we were staying in the main house, we didn’t have a kitchen so all of our meals were with the other guests. Each evening began with cocktails on the terrace overlooking the hills. Then, we would gather around the giant tables and pass the delicious trays of food lovingly prepared by the chef. The wine always flowed, and the organically grown food was fresh from the gardens.

Footnote:

We have experienced three entirely different stays at Tenuta di Spannocchia over the course of 10 years. The first with young children, the second with middle grade kids, and the third with teens. Each one was memorable in its own way. My teens look forward to returning on their own someday. Also, I look forward to returning with my husband or with friends – perhaps as part of a retreat. At any age, I highly recommend a stay at Tenuta di Spannocchia on  your next adventure in Tuscany!

Spannocchia makes its living primarily through farming and and agriturismo.  Agriturismi are independent farms in Tuscany used partially for accommodation purposes but primarily for the purpose of farming.  Spannocchia specializes in promoting sustainable living by producing olive oil and wine. In addition, they grow a huge vegetable garden that provides produce for seasonal dishes made in the kitchen.  Most importantly, they  raise native breeds of livestock according to strict organic principles, like the Cinta Senese pig. This allows them to produce up to 15 types of Salumi.

Torly Travels was not paid for this post and it was generated out of our love for a special place on this planet.