Meet Francesca
Energetic, Friendly, Responsible
We love our guests and they can be part of the family. We respect your privacy but at the same time you are invited to share our life-style in the countryside if you love to !
On a typical day...
I’m mostly at home/work from home.
When I host guests...
I’m helpful and hands on. I can show them where to go and help them get there.
Family Hobbies
Mountain climbing, Cooking, Diet and nutrition, Gardening, Hill walking
Hosting guests since
2012
Response Rate
100%
Response Time
Within a few hours
About the Homestay
- Welcomes
- Males
- Females
- Couples
- Families
- Students
Hello! I live in a 18th century eco-friendly rural house , completely renovated in 2012 nestled in the hills between Chianti and Valdarno, just 27 km from Florence. The house use renewable energy only and our farm produce are all certified organic.
Arezzo, Pisa, Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra are close and all reachable in a day trip. If you are tired of the big crowded cities I can give you tips and itineraries to see undiscovered Tuscany. You will be given a book with all details and maps on how to discovery Tuscany out of the beaten tracks. Don't miss a wine tasting or just getting lost in small gorgeous villages and castles surrounded by Medieval walls or a walk looking for wild animals, you will be surprised of how many you can meet!
You will be hosted in one of the 4 apartments of different size with private entrance equipped for self-catering !
You will have free access to our organic garden, where you can pick delicious vegetables to be cooked in your apartment (from mid June till February).
In case you don’ feel like preparing food, there are many good and also cheap restaurants near us (but you will need a car to get there). Most of them serve the real Tuscan food, you should try the typical Tbone steak “Fiorentina” if you eat meat or the “Ribollita” soup if you are vegan/vegetarian..
And in case you would like to learn to cook like an Italian... we offer cooking class of pasta from scratch using the rolling pin like our grandmas used to...
When the sun goes down you can hear wild boars grunting and the crickets singing...The breathing calms down, a sense of wellbeing pervades you...
Have a bath in the wooden tub with an amazing view , enjoy healthy food, good wine, friendly chatter with the family, bring with you the people you love... is there anything better that is worth living for?
Pets
Dog, Cat, Other
House Facilities
- Garden
- Laundry
- Parking
- Internet Access
Bedrooms available for booking
About the Area
Our farm is located 27 km South East from Florence in the heart of the beautiful country of Tuscany . Around us there are oliveyards, vineyards, hills and woods.
The main village with stores and a train station is at 7 km from the house.
If you don't have a car we offer free lifts to the nearest store or train station the day of check in and check out , other pick ups are to be scheduled and will be charged 10 euro per ride . When you make a reservation please advise.
Local Area Facilities
- Tennis
- Swimming
- Cinema
- Horse Stables
- Fishing
- Restaurant
- Bus Stop
- Train station
- Hospital
Meals
Hosts can offer a complimentary light breakfast at their discretion. All other meals will incur an additional cost. Meals and any additional payment should be arranged directly with your host.
Included in the stay
- Use of Kitchen
House Rules
We ask you to confirm your reservation with an advance payment of 50%.
Payment can be done through Paypal or bank transfer.
Please let me know your arrival time as soon as you know it. Check in time is from 4 pm and check out time before 11 am.
On arrival please fill in the form you find in the apartment with your names and document; it is an important formality required by Italian Police. The form must be returned immediately. In case nobody is there, leave the form at the reception door.
Air conditioning is available from June to August , it starts when room temperature is higher then 25° from 11:00 am until 09:00 pm . It is forbidden to use air conditioning with the windows open.
We live in the middle of the beautiful Florence hills , no stores or restaurants at walk distance are available. You need a car to visit the area. Nevertheless, there is a train station at 7 km from our farm. We offer free pick ups the day of check in and check out. For other rides to/from the stores and station we CHARGE 10 EURO PER RIDE.
Hot tub use in fall/spring/winter season is not included in the apartment price . In summer is free for all our guests.
Take care of the forniture in the apartment, it is much older than us and it took time to restore it. Please wash all the stuff you may need to cook. In case you use the fireplace – it creates a marvelous atmosphere – please clean it throwing away the ash.
Since we have to sustain high fixing costs, we have to ask you 30 euro for every broken lamp or lost keys.
Cancellation policy: in case we do not receive your cancellation within 30 days, these are the penalties: from 29 days to 15 days before the check in: 50% of the deposit will not be returned; from 14 days to one day before and no show: 100% deposit will not be returned.
Smoking is not allowed.
23 Reviews
July 2019
Francesca was a wonderful host! We made us feel so welcome with her friendly and kind ways! The villa we stayed in was so nice! It’s a great way to slow down and enjoy the countryside of Tuscany. I would highly recommend for everyone to do the pasta making class and lunch with Francesca!! She taught us so much and about the way of life with organic farming. The pasta was delicious and a true Italian experience!! We really enjoyed our time with you Francesca and thank you for your hospitality!!
Host reply
Thank you Gina, it was a lovely experience also for me !
Thank you very much,
FrancescaJune 2019
Francesca was extremely welcoming, the setting beautiful, accommodation wonderful and overall a very worthwhile experience.
Host reply
Thak you Paul, it was nice to meet you!
All the best, FrancescaMarch 2019
un coin de rêve au milieu de nulle part ! Calme et lumière au milieu des oliviers.
Nous avons été très bien accueillis par Francesca que nous remercions pour son hospitalitéHost reply
Merci JeanLuc !
January 2019
We stayed with Francesca in Jan 2019 and she was very helpful with travel tips and pick up arrangements to/from the train station. The apartment has all we needed. Nice veggies gardens and great location to hike and experience farming life. I would definitely visit in summer when there are a lot more veggies. Highly recommend if you are looking for a bit of countryside and farming life of Italy.
Host reply
Thank you a pleasure to meet you !
September 2018
Staying at the farm was so relaxing & beautiful.
Francesca & her delightful family were so friendly and welcoming, with a wealth of local knowledge.
Fantastic pizza nights with great company and amazing memories made!Host reply
Thank you Anne,
hugs from the farm, FrancescaAugust 2018
I recommend staying here 100% Francesca and her family were so welcoming, they drove us back and forth to the train station whenever we needed. Nothing was ever to much to ask. Also spoke fantastic English! They welcomed us as if we were family. We did an incredible cooking class with Francesca at her Home and learnt so much and loved it! Accommodation had everything we needed including veg from her garden! You will not regret staying here. Thank you for making our Italian experience even better!
Host reply
Jenny, thank you!
We loved your visit !August 2018
Abbiamo trascorso 5 giorni meravigliosi con la famiglia nella fattoria biologica di Francesca: è stata un'esperienza sublime di dolcezza e aria aperta nel cuore del suo uliveto. Abbiamo assaggiato le verdure biologiche del giardino e l'olio extravergine di oliva della nostra produzione, senza dimenticare la bella serata di pizza organica organizzata dai nostri ospiti. L'appartamento è di ottimo comfort con una decorazione rustica nello spirito del soggiorno. Sicuramente un indirizzo da ricordare per un viaggio naturale a mezz'ora da Firenze come le piste del Chianti!
Host reply
Merci Christophe !
Bisou a tout le monde !
August 2018
Francesca was a wonderfully accommodating host. Very helpful and made you feel at comfortable at her beautiful home. Was a great experience and I would recommend to anyone. We loved our stay!
Host reply
Thank you Haylee!
It was nice to meet you !
Love, Francesca
July 2018
C était une vraie jolie rencontre . Nous n oublierons pas de si tôt nos vacances chez Francesca. Rien à redire sur l hébergement et le confort, mais plus encore le lieu magique empreint de sérénité.... et avant tout Francesca qui est bienveillante, souriante et disponible et courageuse elle est l âme de ce lieu... petite pensée pour la petite S. et l homme de l ombre.. Francesco
Nous avons retrouvé avec plaisir notre maison et notre chat mais vous nous manquez déjà....Host reply
Merci Celine ,
aussi nous manque vous et le petit , ma fille elle s'est amusée beaucoup !
December 2017
Wow! This is such a gorgeous farmstead. Big comfy bed, whirlpool tub, candles, shampoo, washing machine, hair dryer, plenty of towels, kitchen with utensils, plates, spices, coffee, refrigerator, microwave, heated floors. It was lovely. I forgot to bring my swimsuit but otherwise would have used the hot tub outside. Within walking distance (1.5 hours) of a winery. But nothing else. Could hear neighbors easily but luckily they were quiet at night. Francesca is lovely and has written a really nice guest book with lots of recommendations for daytrips, local produce, favorite restaurants, etc. Definitely recommend!
How do I book?
Contact the host to check their availability and ask them any questions you have about staying with them. Once the host confirms they’re available for your dates, you can complete your booking.
When do I pay?
Once a host confirms they're available, you can go ahead and pay the 15% booking fee (maximum of 199 $£€ for longer term bookings) using a choice of payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro, Laser, JCB & PayPal (not available in certain countries). You then pay your host on arrival or as stated by your host on their profile and agreed by you on booking. Please be cautious if a host requests advance payment if its not included on their profile. Our hosts have been advised that if they wish to request advance payment they must make this explicit in their profile. We do not recommend the use of Money gram or Western Union.
When can I share my contact details?
Host and Guest email address, phone number and home address will be exchanged in a confirmation email sent to both immediately after a booking is completed. It's against our policy for Guests and Hosts to exchange direct contact details via our messaging system.