My husband and I moved to Italy for a couple of years almost eleven years ago after I came for a four-month winemaking internship which turned into a fulltime job. It has always been our dream to own a piece of Cortona where we were married, and in 2016 we managed to realise that dream and make it through the crazy job of renovating in a foreign country. As we work a lot through the summer and autumn/fall months we stay at a house on the winery so we decided to share our space when we don't need it to fellow travelers. We have always appreciated a house that feels a little like home when we travel with more than the basics in the kitchen...we hope you enjoy our home.
Update: We have since moved back to Australia with our young family and check ins are managed by our friend Louise. We are always in contact before, during and after your stay and available to answer questions.
Our small home is in a shared building with one other family although it has a private entrance and a large private courtyard for outdoor dining. In the small outbuilding you will find a laundry and a fireplace to do some barbeque cooking.
Inside we have created an open-plan living and kitchen area for a relaxing holiday feel which opens out to the outdoor area. The kitchen has a large stand-alone Delonghi oven with 5 burner stove, dishwasher, big fridge and microwave/grill.
The two large bedrooms have incredible views over the Chiana Valley, the master bedroom with its own private bathroom with a toilet and shower (also with a view from the shower!) and the second bedroom has a smaller bathroom in the hall with a toilet and shower.
Guests will have access to a fully stocked wine fridge (prices to be found inside the house) and we are more than happy to organise a winetasting or wine dinner (as we work in the wine industry) for an extra cost.
We currently do not have air-conditioning but will be adding it in the near future although our house stays very cool being cut into the hillside.
Casa Vinalia is in the high part of Cortona called 'Il Poggio' (the hilltop) which is residential, quiet and offers some of the most photogenic spots in Cortona.
It is a short walk down the hill to the centre of town where you will find small shops, restaurants, museums and bars providing everything you may possibly need for your stay. The walk back up the hill is fairly steep but it is also possible to access of house by car and park fairly close by (50-200m depending on availability of parking spaces) if necessary.
Within a short driving distance there is plenty to discover from the historic wineries of Montepulciano (there are some around Cortona too), to breathtaking historic towns such as Pienza, Arezzo, Castiglion Fiorentino, Castiglione del Lago and Lago Trasimeno, Spello and Asisi. After Pienza you can visit the whole of the Val d'Orcia all the way to Montalcino and the thermal springs at the base of Mount Amiata. The list goes on...from the spring through until the autumn/fall you will find plently of local food festivals where you can discover all the local delicacies.
For anyone associated with the University of Georgia the house is only a 4 minute walk away from the campus.
Within a short driving distance there is plenty to discover from the historic wineries of Montepulciano (there are some around Cortona too), to breathtaking historic towns such as Pienza, Arezzo, Castiglion Fiorentino, Castiglione del Lago and Lago Trasimeno, Spello and Asisi. After Pienza you can visit the whole of the Val d'Orcia all the way to Montalcino and the thermal springs at the base of Mount Amiata. The list goes the spring through until the autumn/fall you will find plently of local food festivals where you can discover all the local delicacies.
