San Pancrazio Holiday Rental Sole nel Prato located Tuscany, Italy.

Sleeps	10
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	7
Floor Area	380 m²

Villa Spotlight: Villa Olimpia

Today we will look at Villa Olimpia in our Villa Spotlight. Villa Olimpia is a perfect place for a large group or family reunion that wants to have space to themselves, but still have large common areas to enjoy each others company in as well.

This massive villa sleeps up to 17 people in 9 bedrooms. Set in picturesque olive groves near the border of the Chianti Classico region, you may not want to leave the villa once you arrive!

Travel to Tuscany through the enchanting pages of ‘The Piero Affair’, a memoir written by Pat Musick detailing her experiences of living in Tuscany and her fascination with the Renaissance master of art, Piero della Francesca.

Be inspired from this thrilling read to book a charming villa in Arezzo area of Tuscany, the birthplace of this Renaissance man and the home to many interesting tourist attractions!

Here is an intriguing extract from her book describing one of her experiences in the Tuscan town of Civitella:

“At the end of the street running off of the piazza, stand the ruins of the old castle. I am not sure if this was destroyed in 1944 or earlier, but it is a powerful site to visit. Architecturally stunning, even in its damaged condition, it is made of the creamy honey colored stone of so many Tuscan buildings. It looks as though a giant artist had taken the bombs (or stone throwers and battering rams in another time) and crafted a sculpture to honor all fallen dwellings”..

Head for the hills, to the walled village of Citivella in Val di Chiana situated on the western border of Tuscany for an enriching tourist experience! This ancient town, dating as far back as Etruscan times, was heavily guarded by a massive castle fortress dating from the late 6th century. During the Middle Ages it was the headquarters of the medieval military region of the Ambra Valley.

Tourists would be sure to enjoy a relaxing stay at one of many top rated farmhouse rentals in the Val di Chiana region surrounding Civitella listed on our Tuscany-villas website.

Detail of the Mona Lisa with the bridge in the backdrop

Upon seeing the beyond famous artwork with their own eyes for the first time, many are so focused on the famous Mona Lisa’s mysterious smile that they do not really take the time to pay attention to the rest of the painting. In particular, few actually get the chance to properly admire the beautiful backdrop of the Tuscan landscape behind her, especially as jostling to get a view in the Louvre can be tricky. However, if you want to go admire that landscape in person yourself without the crowds all around, then you just need to book a villa in Tuscany and head to Val Di Chiana.

Once you get to this part of the region, not far from Arezzo, you will find the Romanesque Ponte Buriano bridge in the Penna Nature Reserve in Civitella in Val di Chiana. While not immediately striking to some, this is the very bridge that can be seen over the shoulder of the iconic figure.

Mona Lisa detail with Ponte Buriano in the background

If you are a true art lover then you might be interested in art experiences in Tuscany beyond visits to the famous galleries and museums and churches; you may be interested in something more unique and something more behind the scenes. There are, for example, several childhood homes of great artists (like Michelangelo and Da Vinci) that are now preserved as museums and open to the public that you can visit. However, going even beyond the artist into the works themselves, there are sites and locations that have become famous as the backdrops of great works of art, which makes sense as the landscape of Tuscany is painterly in its beauty.

With a lot of our holiday rentals in Tuscany, there are special add-ons that the owners of our villas can offer to further enhance and to enrich your trip such as tours of vineyards, having private chefs sent to prepare dinner in the villa for you, and cookery lessons exploring the best of local Tuscan cuisine. For many, these cookery lessons, in particular, are a very special highlight of their whole holiday in Tuscany that helps them learn more about, and learn to better appreciate, Tuscan cuisine and learn how to prepare delicious and authentic local dishes that they can then go and reproduce at home.

But just because so many of us are stuck at home at the moment, and this is not an option in person for the time being, it does not mean that we have to miss out! We have found a way to bring the experience of learning to prepare excellent local dishes from Tuscany with an experienced Tuscan cook to you at home! Have an authentic Tuscan cookery class virtually by checking out this series of videos from Irene, a villa-owner based in Valdarno in Tuscany. Irene has carefully designed a series of virtual cooking classes that she streams live, allowing us all to have our very own Tuscan cuisine experience from the comfort and safety of our own homes!

Guest Reviews for Sole nel Prato

Katie C.
Edinburgh (United Kingdom)

Excellent 5^/5 Villa Review Rating Details

This a little slice of heaven in rural Tuscany. Our hosts could not have made us feel more welcome! The villa is even bigger than the photos make it look.

Would you recommend this property to a friend? Yes

Submitted: 01 Nov 2024

Rental Week: 18 Oct 2024

Jane G.
Park City (United States)

Excellent 5^/5 Villa Review Rating Details

This is a very unique property with plenty of kitchens and is very tranquil nestled among the vineyards. The owner and her family are lovely and very responsive.

Would you recommend this property to a friend? Yes

Submitted: 15 Oct 2024

Rental Week: 01 Oct 2024