Dolphin International Properties LLC Gioia Zwack 52 East 64th Street New York, NY 10021 USA US/INT Mobile: 646-644-4642 Fax: (212) 570-0138 Tuscany ◊ Maremma ◊ Monte Argentario/Porto Ercole ◊ Siena ◊ Florence ◊ Chianti ◊ Lucca ◊ San Gimignano ◊ Val d'Orcia As Gioia's stepmother, Anne Marshall Zwack, wrote in the Penguin Guide to Italy: "Tuscany is a word with unique resonance that conjures up alluring vistas. So much so that a perfume has been named after this region. Beautiful as they are no perfume could ever be made after England's Lake District or France's valley of the Loire". In Florence the spirit of the Renaissance, that age of inspired artists of indomitable spirit, is very much alive. Tuscany with its seemingly inexhaustible variations on the theme of cypresses, olive groves, vines and gingerbread farmhouses is arguably one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. Around every corner a new and breathtaking vista opens up, with rows of cypress trees halting on their march uphill, olive trees flashing the silver undersides of their leaves, a patchwork quilt of multicoloured fields tossed over gentle slopes, farmhouses defying the fierce sun on bare hilltops, all waiting for the sun to set with dramatic overstatement, casting a gauzy glow over everything from ochre walls to our cheeks, the magic moment when we all look as young and beautiful as we all wanted to be. Maremma The Maremma region extends down the coast of Tuscany from Livorno in the north to Grosseto in the south. Once the home of the ancient Etruscans, it is known as the Camargue of Italy with its nature reserves interspersed with fashionable sea resorts. Around the hamlet of Bolgheri near Livorno grow the world famous Sassicaia and Ornellaia wines. This area has become the ultra chic epicentre of the wine world and we are proud to offer the finest homes within its confines. Further south is the Monte Argentario with the twin resorts of Porto Ercole and Porto Santo Stefano facing the islands of Giglio and Giannutri. This is a jet set mecca for people who love the sea - and to be seen! price (range) / week Il Tirreno (Price on request) Sleeps 8 This is not so much a villa as a stately home, set in a Mediterranean garden and separated by sand dunes from its own extensive private beach, quite simply the most extraordinary beach residence in Tuscany. The list of personalities who have rented Il Tirreno is impressive, from famous pop stars to the owners of leading French fashion houses while British royalty are often a guest here. Montepergoli (Price on request) Sleeps 10-13 This is one of those houses that feel as though you had always lived there, comfortable and furnished like an English country house with chintz covered wing chairs and blue and white plates lining the walls from the Compagnie des Indes. French windows open onto the gardens and the views from its secluded hill-top take the breath away. Villa Tobias (Price on request) Sleeps 8 +2 The Villa is set in beautiful English style gardens. Villa Tobias has a classical ochre Tuscan glow, as does its charming annex which was beautifully restored by its owner. The residence is a much loved and lived in home with shelves full of books, warm colored furniture and a well equipped kitchen. ↑ Back to top of page ↑ Monte Argentario/Porto Ercole The Monte Argentario or Silver Coast is at the southernmost point of the coast of Tuscany, a promontory jutting into some of the bluest, most translucent seascapes in Italy, where underwater divers flock to explore the depths around its islands of Giglio and Giannutri rich in Mediterranean flora and fauna and the submerged hulls of Saracen ships. The two glorified fishing villages of Porto Ercole and Porto Santo Stefano are the haunt of jet set holiday makers from both Florence and Rome, whose yachts are moored in the marina and who come on shore at sunset to splurge at the trendy boutiques on the port and eat at one of the many seaside trattorias or party in the famous night spots. The less affluent rent little fishing boats and take a picnic of the mouth watering focaccia sandwiches to one of a host of little coves while there are long sandy beaches for holidaymakers with children. price (range) / week Le Buffe (Price on request) Sleeps 13 +2 This villa is set in an outstanding location high on a cliff overlooking the sea and beautiful scenery of the west coast of Monte Argentario. Monte Argentario is a peninsula on one of the most exclusive areas of the Tuscan coast. L'Ercolana (Price on request) Sleeps 12 L'Ercolana is in a secluded position enjoying superb views over 3 medieval spanish forts and the sea. The house is surrounded by a lovely landscaped garden, with several shady areas all furnished with tables and chairs, where it is possible to relax and eat outside. ↑ Back to top of page ↑ Siena Siena is a jewel, an oval gem you can walk around comfortably in an hour, no street wider than a Fiat cinquecento, all leading sooner or a number of confusing corners later into the sloping main square paved like herring bone tweed and circled by an number of sidewalk trattorias. It is here that three times a year the famous Palio horserace is run, which is no pageant for tourists but an event that excites the different contradas or neighbourhoods of Siena - each one entering a horse and jockey to the race - to fever pitch every time. Siena is a distillate of all things Tuscan, the understated elegance, the centuries of culture, the cynical humour, the gruff manner... it is said that the purest Italian is spoken in Siena, while the faces of the townspeople still have the rugged profiles of figures in the trecento Sienese painting which immediately preceded Florence's Renaissance. Here there is perhaps more art per square inch than anywhere else in Tuscany, the searing beauty of Duccio da Buoninsegna's paintings, the sloe-eyed Madonnas of the Lorenzetti brothers, the amazing inteiro of the Cathedral which has been compared to walking around the insides of a zebra! price (range) / week Bellavista (Price on request) Sleeps 8 (+4) Bellavista means beautiful view and the views from the windows of this old stone farmhouse are how we, back home in winter, imagine Tuscany at its most idyllic. From its enviable position dominating the landscape, hills roll into the horizon on every side. Pantanino €Price on request (euro) Sleeps 14 This villa is quintessential Siena, just outside the city with a view over the rooftops and spires and domes of this beautiful Tuscan city and the Torre del Mangia thrusting into the sky like a lance. The villa is on a lovely country road in an enclosed estate behind tall gates and there are farm buildings on the property where they make their own olive oil and where the staff is housed. ↑ Back to top of page ↑ Florence Florence is quite simply the cradle of civilisation. We owe this city not only Renaissance art, but the concept of opera was born here, Leonardo revealed the secrets of the human anatomy and invented the first aeroplane, Galileo established that the world was round, Dante wrote the first work of literature in the vernacular rather than in Latin and it was here that cartographers drew the maps with which Columbus discovered the New World. The city has changed relatively little since those days, the streets are still named after the artisans who washed the fleeces of English sheep in the River Arno and spun and wove them into the amazing tartan plaids depicted in the paintings of the Florentine cinquecento. Children are still baptized in the same Baptistery as Dante and later on they get married in the Palazzo degli Uffizi where the Medicis held court. Jewellry stores still line the Ponte Vecchio as they did in the fourteenth century, although in those days they sold meat. However,the lower floors of the Florentine facades are now taken over by designer boutiques and a plethora of leather stores, as well as an infinite variety of restaurants and trattorias. If Milan is the commercial metropolis of Italy and Rome its chaotic capital, Florence is the city with the most style, an understated chic and the intrinsic culture of a folk whose ancestors have been Florentine for generations, even centuries, some of them still living at the same address. price (range) / week La Meridiana (Price on request) Sleeps 12 La Meridiana is a splendid country house, three minutes from the village of Impruneta, the terracotta manufacturing centre of Tuscany and only fourteen kilometres from Florence. By Tuscan standards, but only by Tuscan ones, it is relatively new, built in 1830 by Giuseppe Poggi Ricavole (Price on request) Sleeps 12 This huge property, located in a very panoramic position overlooking the hills of Florence and a small lake, consists of 3 parts, the oldest of which was built in the 13th Century and was used afterwards by the pilgrims who stopped there to rest. ↑ Back to top of page ↑ Chianti The gentle slopes striped with the vines of Chianti between Florence and Siena need no introduction, and every one has at some time savoured wine from this area - in the old days on chequeured tablecloths in straw-clad fiascos, today made by master vintners and served on the tables of some of the best restaurants in the world. Wine is said to taste best in the cellars where it is made and along the narrow, winding Chiantigiana road lined with vineyards and olive groves, with pale lilac irises flowering along the roadside against the old stone walls there are many wineries who offer tastings and are happy to sell you a bottle or a case of the wine of your choice. The capital of Chianti, Greve, is particularly attractive on market day when the stalls are thronged with country people from the surrounding villages and exotic ex-pats who have made Chiantishire there own. price (range) / week Camporempoli (Price on request) Sleeps 10 This exquisitely restored farmhouse is situated in one of the most beautiful positions, right in the heart of Chianti Classico. The views from the house are absolutely stunning, with all the windows framing a picture of the lovely Tuscan countryside at its best. Montoro (Price on request) Sleeps 10 As far as the eye can see, there are gently rolling hills covered with vineyards and olive groves. Villa Montoro, mid-way between Florence and Siena, is an ideal base for sightseeing and trips to both the larger Tuscan cities and the smaller towns. Il Faggeto (Price on request) Sleeps 9 II Faggeto is without a doubt one of our loveliest Tuscan properties, set in an isolated hillside position just a few kilometres from Castellina in Chianti. It is a large and beautifully restored farmhouse surrounded by lawns, landscaped gardens and swimming pool. Campassole (Price on request) Sleeps 9 Campassole is situated at the centre of a small vineyard producing Chianti wine. The village of Radda in Chianti is only I kilometre away, yet it is in a quiet position with beautiful views over the surrounding countryside and vineyards. Sicelle (Price on request) Sleeps 10 This beautiful stone-built farmhouse is located in the centre of the Chianti style. A particular feature of the house is a very large swimming pool (18m x 8) situated 100 meters away from the house. ↑ Back to top of page ↑ Lucca The prolonged prosperity of the patrician class of Lucca is indicated in the hundreds of villas surrounding it. A 16th century traveler to Lucca remarked : "All around I saw quantities of delightful villas for the distance of three or four miles with porticoes and loggias, which add greatly to their beauty". The most famous of these are the Villa Torrigiani, the Villa Mansi, the Villa Reale di Marlia which once belonged to Napoleons's sister and the Villa Garzoni, birthplace of the author of Pinocchio. Lucca's surrounding landscape is verdant and more northern than Tuscan, a beautiful backdrop for its villas and farmhouses. price (range) / week Damiano (Price on request) Sleeps 12 Damiano is a lovely farmhouse situated high in the hills between Lucca and the Versilian coast. The location of the property, surrounded by olive groves, is both tranquil and beautiful with magnificent views. Chiodo (Price on request) Sleeps 12 Chiodo is a beautiful farmhouse high in the hills between Lucca and Pisa, with magnificent views of the valley below. It is located very close to the pretty small village of Vorno, with its 17th. century villas belonging to the oldest Lucchese families, who used them as summer residences. La Calandrina (Price on request) Sleeps 11 La Calandrina is situated in the hills of Lucca, close to the village of Mutigliano and only 5 kms from the town of Lucca. Located in a panoramic position on the hills north-west of Lucca, this villa is one of the residences built by local aristocratic families between the 16th and 18th Century. Al Palazzaccio (Price on request) Sleeps 10+2 Villa Al Palazzacio is located high in the hills north-west of Lucca, only 6 Km from the city centre. From every vantage point, its guests enjoy privacy and commanding views of the plains of Lucca. ↑ Back to top of page ↑ San Gimignano price (range) / week Molino Santa Lucia Price on request Sleeps 8 This lovely property is located in the countryside, only 5 Kms from the centre of San Gimignano famous for its beautiful towers. The area is very well known for its unspoiled beauty and is a perfect base for exploring Tuscany. Molino Santa Lucia is located in a quiet rural setting. Le Ferrine Price on request Sleeps 8 A beautiful villa set in the rolling hills between San Miniato and Volterra and surrounded by woods, vineyards and olive groves. There are wonderful views down the valley of unspoilt countryside. Collorsi Price on request Sleeps 14 This beautiful country house is situated close to the castle of Montegemoli, in one of the most attractive areas of Tuscany. From the property there are wonderful views of the rolling hills of the Val di Cecina. ↑ Back to top of page ↑ Val d'Orcia The Val d'Orcia is a wilder less populated part of Tuscany than the Chianti region, south of Siena, its hillsides covered in undulating grass and wheat dotted with poppies and crumbling Renaissance townships suddenly appearing at the end of a winding road, their beauty still able after centuries to make you "gasp and stretch your eyes". This is also a prestigious wine growing area with the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which can be tasted in the enotecas behind the Renaissance facades of Montepulciano and the Brunellos of Montalcino, a choice of which can be sampled at a trendy bar in the main square or at the wineries themselves. Some of the best cuisine in Tuscany is to be found at the Ristorante La Chiusa or at the restored monastery of Cetona, both of which are also exclusive small hotels. price (range) / week Podernuovo Price on request Sleeps 12 +1 This very special property offers a tranquil hilltop location in southern Tuscany, 2 kilometres from San Casciano dei Bagni, known since Etruscan times for its natural hot water springs and baths. From the house, as far as the eye can see, there are breathtaking views over the beautiful surrounding countryside of both Tuscany and Umbria. Fontanelle Price on request Sleeps 10 Fontanelle is without doubt one of our loveliest Tuscan properties. It is located to the west of Montalcino, an area reknowned for its beauty and its wines, especially the famous Brunello di Montalcino. The property is in a spectacular position, surrounded by vineyards, olive trees, cypresses and with views of the surrounding hills. ↑ Back to top of page ↑   Home About the Company Rental Properties Sales Properties Booking Info Contact Us   All rights reserved ©2004 Dolphin International Properties LLC Site design and hosting by KPFdigital.com