Villa Seneca -

Villa Tuscany, Region Siena near Pievescola

Villa Seneca, Italy, Tuscany, Province of Siena - 6-10 Persons

Villa Seneca was a typical 17th century working farm complex until 1959 when
it was abandoned. It included a farm house where share-cropping peasants
lived on the upper floors; cattle was kept on the ground floor. The hay barn
housed pig sties and farming equipment on the ground floor; the upper floor
was for storing hay.

In 2004 the current owners, a retired academic and an architectural
photographer, undertook a complete, eco-friendly renovation of the property
converting it into a unique facility which accommodates guests in modern
comfort while respecting and maintaining the integrity of the original
architecture.

Villa Seneca is ideally situated in a splendid, panoramic position in the
Selva Natural Park, between Siena and Florence. It consists of the main
villa, a beautifully positioned pool and surrounding gardens
of local flora such as rosemary, lavender, yellow broom, red and white
roses, cisto and much more. The area offers opportunities for walking,
hiking, jogging/running, biking and general exploring. It is a wonderful
vacation spot for people who enjoy nature, combined with the possibility for
numerous day trips to the nearby cultural centers of Siena, Florence, San
Gimignano, Volterra and many other places within an hour driving distance.

Villa Seneca is equally attractive for it¹s ability to provide a relaxing
vacation at the villa, taking in the sun, exploring nature, swimming,
cooking, and reading, never leaving the grounds.

The owners live in the annex-building next to the Villa and
are often available to provide assistance.

Their concern for the environment led to a renovation of the complex, from a semi-ruin to an
eco-friendly habitation, with an aim toward conserving water and
electricity. There is a recycling and rain water collection system in place
for irrigation of the garden¹s local plant species, all toilets have double
flushing systems and low consumption lighting is used throughout the Villa; installation of solar panels is pending.

The architecture of the complex is typical of the traditional, rural Tuscan
stone construction style. It is furnished with a combination of local
antiques and modern furniture, offering the best of both worlds in comfort
and aesthetics. The main building has a double-height living room with two
grand arches which separate it from the spacious kitchen. In the living
room there is a beautiful fireplace with a hand-carved, walnut-colored
travertine frame and mantle piece.

The kitchen was designed by one of the owners, who is also an excellent
cook. It has a large central island-counter with built-in semi-professional
stove, and is surrounded by stools, providing a unique
opportunity for guests to gather for breakfast, lunch or a cooking
demonstration/lesson. The owners are happy to provide cooking services.
There are two large stainless steel sinks, built-in, anthracite grey
cabinets, black marble counters, a 90-centimeter professional oven,
dishwasher, microwave, espresso coffee machine, American-style coffee maker,
two 4-slice toasters, electric blender, double-door refrigerator/freezer and
various electrical appliances such as cake mixer, blender, citrus
juice squeezer, etc. Outside the kitchen is a covered outdoor eating terrace
tiled in terracotta, with BBQ and a large stone dining table which seats
16. The dining room is located near the kitchen, down a few stairs, and has
windows looking out to the east and south, a large, formal wooden dining
table and two antique credenzas. It is decorated with a series of still
life paintings. Through the living room, to the west, is a guest bathroom
with washing machine, and, at the opposite end of a little hallway, a double
bedroom with en suite bath, separate shower, tub & hand shower, bidet, sink
and toilet. The bedroom is equipped with closets and an antique chest of
drawers, a window looking north, and a French door which leads out to the
garden. Upon re-entering the living room, there is a grand stone stairway
which leads to the upper floor on this side of the house (west). Another
double bedroom with a window looking out to the north, antique chest of
drawers, a built-in closet, private bathroom with large built-in shower are
here. On the south side of this bathroom there is a study with satellite tv,
dvd player, telephone/fax machine, a beautiful wooden desk & chair designed
by Frank Lloyd Wright, two armchairs and a couch. Each bedroom on the west
side of the house is made up with a double bed.
The bedrooms on the east side of the house are reached by the stairway that
leads from the kitchen. The first flight up takes you to the first bedroom
This room has a built-in closet, antique chest of drawers, armchair and an
en suite bathroom with shower. The next flight up takes you to the largest
bedroom with a small round antique table with two chairs, and antique desk,
antique chest of drawers with large mirror, built-in closet, and an en-suite
bathroom with tub, hand shower and bidet. Up one more flight of stairs is
another bedroom with chest of drawers, upholstered arm chair, built-in
closet, and an en suite bathroom with shower. All the bedrooms have two
windows, ceiling fans, mosquito screens and shutters to ensure comfort
throughout the seasons and can be made up with two single beds or one double
bed. All windows and doors throughout the house are double glazed. Electric
hair dryers are provided in all bathrooms.


The pool is set on the hillside overlooking the valley. It is 14.5 by 5
meters and has a terracotta colored solarium area with lounge chairs and
small tables where one can relax or take in the sun after a swim. For those
who prefer the shade there are four large beach umbrellas. Pool
towels are provided by the owners. The grounds have been professionally
landscaped using local flora including rosemary, lavender, viburnum, white
roses (rugosa) and red roses (europeana), yellow broom, cisto and much more.
There are several lawn areas which are equipped with automatic sprinklers.

Guests can make use of free, unlimited time on the internet if they come
with their own computer via a specific dial-up connection. Owners
can provide specific details. Modem is required.
In addition, landline calls from either of the two houses solely to landline
numbers in Western Europe and the United States and Canada are free.

The owners are pleased to provide complete concierge services at the
additional cost of 200 Euro/day (meeting with staff from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

In order to determine the needs and desires of their guests and schedule
museum entrances, vehicles and drivers, guided tours, cooking lessons,
winery visits, hot air ballooning and more.

basic information

Villa, Europa, Italy, Tuscany, Siena, [other], the nearest town is Pievescola (5 km), one division (complete house or apartment) , 6 - 10 persons, complete living space of holiday accommodation 500 m², size of the gardens (if applicable) 400 m², pool 5 x 14 metres

general information

restored 2007, renovated 2007, living area 500 m², largeness of the garden 400 m²

general location

country side, height 400 metres

terms of costs

stay from saturday to saturday, at least 1 weeks, deposit requested, towels and bed-linen are to pay separately, heating is calculated and billed according to use

segmentation

6 persons: normal allocation, 10 persons: maximum allocation, 3 double bedroom with double bed, 2 double bedroom with single bed, 1 bathroom with shower, tub and toilette, 3 bathroom with shower and toilette, 1 bathroom with tub and toilette, 1 terraces, 1 loggia, 2 separate kitchen, 1 dining room, 2 living room

furnishing

sat tv, american coffee machine, heating, fireplace, oven, hairdryer, toaster, microwave, phone, washing machine, iron, ironing board, dishwasher, hearth

furnishing outside

open parking place, barbecue, garden, private pool, deckchairs, seating, umbrella

location

infrastructure

next smaller highway without charge is Colle val d'Elsa (20 km) , nearest beach 100 km distant , nearest supermarket is 20 km distant , nearest restaurant is 5 km distant

possibilities in the area

jogging, swimming

institutions in the area

thermal baths, vinyards, historical buildings

predestined for

culture and relaxing, relaxing holiday, summer holiday, gourmet and wine holiday, family holiday

special hints

private or hired car necessary

Maps

Villa Seneca
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Restaurants around
Sights around
First aid around
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additional costs and optional services

A security deposit of 1,000 Euro in cash is required upon arrival.
Heating is charged separately based on consumption.
Concierge service available at additional cost.
House keeping service available at 15 Euro/hour.