The historian Gaspero Righini describes the Villa in his book “Chianti Classico” as follows: “Il Poggiale, one of the oldest and most beautiful villas in San Casciano, rises up out of its ancient solid walls, on the top of the Argiano hills, along the Via Empolese. On the garden side of the house there is an elegant portico with Tuscan style columns, while all the doors and windows are decorated with stones of a pure Renaissance nature”.

The first evidence of the villa dates back to 1408, when the Corsini family bought it from Jacopo d’Agostini Martini. It then passed into the possession of the priorship of Florence and subsequently to the Ricasoli-Rucellai family. The external structure of the Villa dates from the 16th century with its lovely Renaissance loggia and the elegant surrounds of the windows and doors in “pietra serena”. The central courtyard with its well is probably the oldest part of the villa although various improvements and extensions have been carried out over a long period of time, adding to its attractiveness. The interior decorating, instead, dates from the 1800s with beautiful frescoes in the halls and decorated doors. The entrance areas and the carriage rooms are frescoed in a typical “grotesque” style of Renaissance origin.

ROOMS AND SUITES

The Villa has wonderfully light and spacious rooms. The large hall, the heart of the house, with its beautifully decorated doors, is full of comfortable armchairs and welcoming settees. Various other smaller lounges offer space and tranquillity for relaxing or reading. The walls of the bedrooms, all of which are large and each different from the other, are painted in colours made with earth and natural pigments. The materials used for the curtains and the canopies over the beds come from small Tuscan artisanal workshops. Oriental silks have, instead, been used in the salons and the rooms on the main floor. Great care has been taken in the decorating of the bathrooms where specially made tiles in pale tones have been used.

Breakfast is served in the dining room on the ground floor with the fire lit on winter days.
Seated in the Renaissance loggia, you can have a wonderful view of the classic garden which envelops you with the perfume of old roses and of other flowering plants. The beautiful central courtyard with its well and the gardens surrounding the swimming pool have always been planted with flowers which give off glorious perfumes according to the season.


Villa Il Poggiale has a total of 24 suites, small suites, bedrooms and apartments. All the rooms have: Private bathroom, Air conditioning, Mini-bar, Satellite colour television, Direct dial phone and modem, Wall safe



SURROUNDINGS

The centre of Florence is easily reached from Villa Il Poggiale in about 20 minutes.

For Art lovers:
It is possible to reach the most beautiful cities of art in Tuscany, Siena, Arezzo, Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano, Certaldo, Volterra, Pienza, Montepulciano and many others in less than an hour.

For lovers of the countryside:
Trips to the various towns in the Chianti Classico area: Greve, Gaiole, Radda, Castellina, Panzano, and many other enchanting villages and towns in the surrounding areas. To reach these places we would suggest taking the less well-known roads in order to delight in the wonderful landscapes far from the Madding Crowd!

For Food and Wine Lovers:
We will suggest a selection of “trattorie”, and restaurants of all types in the range of about 20 minutes as well as vineyards and cellars where it is possible to buy wines and oil and other local produce

For golf enthusiasts:
The Ugolino Golf Course, one of the best in Italy, is not more than 25 minutes from Villa Il Poggiale.