One hour from Florence, Siena, Pisa, Volterra and half an hour from San Gimignano and Vinci.
The Canonica delle rondini, originally a convent, dates back to around the year 1000. It is located at Poggio al Cielo in Castelfiorentino, immersed in the beautiful hills of the Tuscan countryside not far from the ancient route of the Via Francigena, a place of transit for pilgrims and wayfarers heading to Rome from northern Europe during the Middle Ages. Castelfiorentino is a small town located in an area rich in natural and historical itineraries. It is an excellent starting point for visiting the most important cities of art by train or by car in about an hour. The centre of the village is also easily accessible on foot (about 3 km), where you can find supermarkets, shops and restaurants and a large open-air market every Saturday morning. Also nearby are the beautiful golf courses of Castelfalfi. Famous spas and the Tuscan coast are a couple of hours' drive away.
The owners live in a part of the house on the ground floor, with an independent entrance and garden, so that guests can enjoy complete privacy. They are however always available for any information or advice.
THE POOL AREA
The swimming pool is private and reserved exclusively for guests of the house.
It is located a few metres from the main garden of the house. You can reach the pool by going down a short flight of tufa steps or alternatively by a pathway among the olive trees. There are two areas shaded by wisteria and roses, an outdoor shower, tables with chairs and relaxing armchairs from which one can admire a beautiful panorama and enjoy splendid sunsets.
THE HOUSE
All the windows are fitted with mosquito nets, there is no air conditioning but the house has very thick walls and manages to stay quite cool even in the hottest periods. Anyway we have fans in every room.
It is equipped with crockery, linen and free Wi-Fi.
On the ground floor there is a large dining room/kitchen, equipped with all appliances, induction hob, electric oven, microwave, a large fridge with freezer, dishwasher and washing machine outside. It is divided by a large central fireplace that overlooks the inner garden, furnished with a table for outdoor dining and a barbecue area. At the far end of the garden is a terrace that is covered with white roses in May and from which one can enjoy the incredible landscape and in the morning have breakfast as the sun rises.
We recently added a ground-floor bathroom with a shower, sink, and toilet.
THE CELLAR
Recently we also opened to guests the cellar, the ancient core of the house, dug into the tuff. Here you can still see part of the tunnel that led to the first Pieve in the nucleus of Castelfiorentino (the word "Pieve" means a rural church with a baptistery). Today a chapel remains, built on its thousand-year-old foundations in the 17th century.
In the cellar we store the oil produced from our olive trees, we have wines from the area and other products that we select for our guests.
If you wish, we can put you in touch with trusted people, whom we know personally, who organize the following services:
VAN EXCURSIONS, WINE TASTING
It is possible to go on excursions in a 9-seater van with a private driver. He will take you on small one-day tours to visit wineries and castles where you can have wine and oil tastings. It is also possible to do airport transfers or other tours according to your preferences.
ITALIAN, OR TYPICAL TUSCAN, COOKING CLASS
Classes will be held at home, you will learn the basics and secrets of Italian and Tuscan cooking. At the end of the course you will sit down at the table and taste the dishes you have prepared.
PIZZA PARTY
On request we can make dinners based mainly on pizza or if you want to learn how to make the base to make pizzas and focaccias we will start in the early afternoon to knead and when it has risen you will stuff it to your taste and we will cook it.
DINNER WITH THE CHEF
The chef will prepare dinner for you at home that will be served in the garden. At your choice he can cook typical Tuscan dishes or other Italian dishes at your request.
It is also possible to have VEGETARIAN and VEGAN dinners.
WATERCOLOR COURSE
With Master Andrea Meini You will learn how to paint with watercolors.
What our guests say!
Tuscany at its best... We stayed for the month of May. The flowers were in full bloom. The house is centrally located to the main attractions in Tuscany. It is an easy train ride into Florence. Marilia was very helpful in organizing our wine tours and cooking classes (which were held at the villa). The house is well stocked with everything you would need to cook fantastic meals or sit on the deck drinking a glass of wine. The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular and will not be forgotten. The house is equipped with screens on all the windows making opens windows possible. We enjoyed the pool with covered deck as the temperatures heated up. Overall, we had a fantastic month!!!
Wonderful! We had two great weeks in La Canonica. The house is a typical Tuscany building furnished with much care and breathing local colour. Marilia was a really friendly and helpful host. She lives on the premises but you hardly see her, but whenever we had questions or needed help she was there right away.
Relax in a peaceful serene setting! We really enjoyed our stay at Marilia’s home. This is the quintessential Tuscany house built centuries ago on a monastery. It is a large home with everything that you need to relax in a peaceful serene setting with family or friends. The two highlights of our stay were the spectacular views from the terrace and the warm welcome from Marilia!
Countryside authentic and cozy home. This house in the countryside outside Castelfiorentino is the perfect location from which to explore Tuscany! The house itself is old-style but very authentic, clean and well kept! It is spacious and the kitchen has plenty of amenities! Marilia is also a super-great host! Communication was smooth and she was passionate in recommending activities to do in the surroundings!
I would highly recommend an aperitivo/dinner at Chiosco ai Renai - you don’t even need a car, it takes 15 mins walking between beautiful fields of olives tree.
My husband and I, along with our daughter and husband, spent a special week at La Canonica in Castelfiorentino. The villa was perfect for us. Each couple had a lovely bedroom and en suite bathroom providing privacy. In addition to these there are two other bedrooms, and one having three single beds.
The kitchen was a charm personifying Italy. It was well-stocked with all the necessities. We were able to accommodate a chef from Florence who gave the four of us a hands-on cooking experience. We prepared a delicious Italian meal including homemade pasta.
The city of Castelfiorentino is minutes away and has a rail station which we took to Florence for the day. There are also several restaurants in town for when you choose to stay local.
The views from the terrace of the villa are incomparable. When you think of Tuscany, this is the quintessential view --- mountains, valleys, farms. The flowers that grace La Canonica and cover the terrace trellis are magnificent.
Our host, Marilia Taddei, is the most endearing. Prior to our visit she stayed in contact with us and during our visit she assisted us in every way. Since we were arriving late on a Saturday after a long trip, we asked if she could provide us with dinner. She prepared a superb meal complete with wine and tiramisu for our first evening.
Marilia lives on the property and was available when we needed her, but we always had absolute privacy.
Long after you leave, Marilia and La Canonica will remain in your heart.
