A Summer with Isola Rossa

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Monte Argentarioa carefuly kept secret

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Argentario is a remarkably un-spoilt coastal haven, particularly

considering its proximity to Rome. Since the 1970s there have been strict planning laws in place to pre-serve the natural beauty of the area.

Consequently, if you drive round the west side of the promontory from one town to the other you find your-self on narrow roads wiggling along the coast surrounded by Mediter-ranean scrub; thyme, myrtle, rock

roses, lavender, wild olive and fig. The land rises steeply above the road and falls away precipitously below it to the sea. It is an exhila-rating and breathtaking journey, most spec-tacular at sunset when the whole sky seems to glow red, though not one to be undertaken in the dark by faint-heart-ed drivers.

One of the best ways to enjoy Monte Ar-

gentario is to explore by boat the wealth of lit tle coves around the

coast which are inaccessible by road. There are numerous places in Porte Ecole or Santo Stefano that will hire you boats of all shapes and sizes. Alternatively you can take the ferry to the islands from Santo Stefa-no which gives you a fantastic view of the coastline of Argentario. The fer-ry’s first port of call is Giglio Porto, the pret ty fishing village on the largest is-land of Giglio. It’s a beautiful place to wander round, with a castle at the top of the village to explore and lots of good restaurants. In the nearby cove Cala del Saraceno stand the ruins of a Roman villa. Giannutri, the smaller of the two islands, has no cars and so is a place to walk and take a picnic. It is well-known for its caves , particularly the Cala Dei Grot-toni at the southern tip of the island and for the fine ruins of the Roman Domizi Enorbarbi villa with remains of mosaics, paved paths and col-umns.

Monte Argentario

Le CimeSleeps 14 Near Porto Ercole

Villa Le Cime is a splendid, stone-built property on the heights of Porto Ercole af fording a magnificent view over the famous crescent-shaped bay of La Feniglia all the way to mainland Italy.

GLI ULIVISleeps 12Near Le Canelle

Gli Ulivi is an exclusive villa with an au-thentic Mediterranean sophisticated fla-vour. The villa is immersed in an ancient olive grove, which gently slopes down to the sea.

One hundred years ago Capal-bio was a land of robbers and

bandits while today it is one of the favourite holiday spots for Italian and international VIPs. From the heights of a hill smothered in the green vegeta-

tion of the Mediterranean “macchia” and surrounded by strong walls Capalbio looks down over the plain leading our gaze over a large part of the coast on the boundary be-tween Tuscany and Lazio. It is defi-

nitely one of the most inspiring holiday resorts of the whole province.

Capalbio has main-tained all the char-

acteristics of a medie-val town. Its streets are steep and though re-modernised the houses still stand on the original plan of the medieval centre.

The town is surround-ed by double fortify-

ing walls; the ones on the inside are embat-tled and hold the most interesting monument,

the “Rocca”, an L-shaped building with tower and closed courtyard dating to the Sienese reconstruction of the 15th century.

Tuscany is the source of some of the world’s best loved and most

acclaimed wines, and September and October are particularly impor-tant months as they bring the ‘ven-demmia’ or grape harvest. Through-out the region, people turn out in a collective ef fort to pick the grapes by hand – relatively few vineyards have machines to do the work and they are mainly in Chianti. Only relatively few growers, however, still crush grapes under bare feet.

BETWEEN THE TUSCAN HILLS

CavalliniSleeps 9Near Manciano

Villa Cavallini is located in an area called the Maremma, a less well known and therefore all the more intriguing part of Tuscany, which stretches south towards Latium.

Villa FirenzeSleeps 12 Near Florence

Villa Firenze was built in the late 18th century by Poggi, one of the greatest Florentine architects of his time who is perhaps most well-known for the de-sign of Piazzale Michelangelo. This country estate not only of fers guests peace and tranquility...

Weddings & Private Parties

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VILLA CASTELFIorENTINoSleeps 12 Wedding Capacity -Near Florence, Chianti

Price from 9750 euro per weekWedding Fee -

IL VICArELLoSleeps 19 Wedding Capacity 160 (exterior)Free access to Spa facilitiesNear Sienna,

Price from 7000 euro per nightWedding Fee 450 euro

Castello di Vicarello, a magical retreat for a truly romantic, unforget table

wedding day. Whether it’s a small inti-mate wedding of 30 guests or a larger celebration of over one hundred, the Cas-tle’s unique style, service and ambiance

of fers the perfect destination villa. Man-aged by the Castle’s owner, Aurora Bac-cheschi Berti, whose refined taste shines throughout Vicarello, your wedding will not only be a perfectly run, beautiful day, it will also of fer many magical moments.

Castello di Vicarello can take care of all your wedding needs, from

the food, music, flower arrange-ments, table set tings, marquee, and any of the finer details to complement your special day. Vicarello can also accommodate a blessing on the property, or can help with choosing churches in the surrounding area.

The Castle estate’s gardens, filled with lavender, rosemary and ol-

ive groves, of fer stunning views of the Tuscan countryside. The two pools on the estate also of fer an incred-ible set ting for a ceremony or buf fet. One pool is hidden amongst an ol-ive grove, while the other, an infinity pool, shimmers amongst the view

of the Tuscan countryside. Both pools are eco-friendly and do not use chlorine.

Sensitively restored and elegantly decorated,

the guest suites feature original stone and brick walls and a tasteful mel-ange of antique and mod-ern furniture, with the oc-casional oriental touch. Four suites overlook the castle courtyard, paved with ancient flagstones, while three more occupy outbuildings in the midst of the verdant garden of white roses, lavender and ancient olive trees.

For more information email : info@dimoreitaliane.co.uk

IL VICArELLo

Properties for Sale

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Villa AnsedoniaSleeps 14 Near AnsedoniaFrom 3M euros

Villa Ansedonia is a unique and prestig-ious property located on a small rocky promontory by the sea just south of Monte Argentario. on top of the hill lie the ruins of the ancient roman city of Cosa (3rd century B.C.).

Capalbio FarmhouseSleeps -Near -From -

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For more informationemail - info@dimoreitaliane.co.uk

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