PODERE CAPITIGNANO

The estate, known as Capitignano, is beautifully situated on a Tuscan hillside with magnificent vistas overlooking olive groves and vineyards that slope down into the Mugello Valley. There is a tennis court and swimming pool on the property, with lovely walks radiating out across the unspoiled countryside, an artist's paradise. There are four converted farm buildings at Capitignano. All are charmingly restored and furnished, with central heating and linens. Washers and dishwashers are available where indicated. No telephone service is available but cellular phones are easily rented from nearby Borgo San Lorenzo. The climate of Tuscany is mild and usually sunny from March through November and often over Christmas, with an early spring. Florence, treasury of many of the world's finest masterpieces and overflowing with fascinating shops, open markets, craftsmen's workshops, and many fine restaurants, is only a forty-minute drive away. Fiesole, the Etruscan hill-top town, is half-way into Florence and definitely worth a visit. It offers several restaurants, shops, a Cathedral, and a Roman amphitheatre where a varied program of music, theatre, and dance is performed during the summer. Further afield, Lucca, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra, Arezzo, Assisi, Ravenna, and Bologna are all within a 2 hours' drive. The nearest town of Borgo San Lorenzo is only a 10 minute drive and meets all shopping needs. Borgo has public tennis courts, a municipal swimming pool, and a convenient train and bus service to Florence. Bicycles can be rented in Borgo, as well as horses for country trekking 20 minutes away in Barberino. All major European airports have several daily connecting flights to Florence (35 kilometers away) and Bologna (70 kilometers away). Detailed directions are available.