Salvadonica is a high class, luxury agriturismo in the heart of Tuscany’s Chianti hills, with surprisingly reasonable rates outside of the peak, summer season.
It has a history going back to the 14th century, and a gorgeous hillside setting surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Salvadonica is very much one of rural Tuscany’s best hotels, not just best agriturismi.
The Accommodation:
They have a broad range of accommodation from standard doubles to family rooms that can sleep up to five and some extra spacious suites.
Check out all your room options now on the booking page here.
Even the most basic of rooms have a whiff of luxury with the only major difference really being the amount of space on offer.
All are chic, clean, and comfortable, and their mixture of modern and rustic interior design complements the wood-beamed ceilings and frescoed walls.
Every morning you’ll be treated to a great Tuscan-style buffet breakfast including cold meats and cheeses, pastries, and jams.
Agriturismo Salvadonica also has its own small restaurant which serves some quality local food for lunch and dinner and uses the farm’s own olive oil and wine.
There is a large garden outside which has lovely views over the Chianti Hills, an outdoor swimming pool, and plenty of space for relaxing and dining.
If you’re impressed by the food, and most people are, you can join their daily cooking classes where a professional chef will teach you how to create full three-course traditional Tuscan and Italian meals.
You’ll have access to a tennis court and fitness center at the farm stay too, and they can also organize a whole host of services including massage, concierge, laundry services, business meeting rooms, bicycle rental, bicycle tours, horse riding, and hot air balloon trips.
The Farm & Vineyard:
Salvadonica has a long history as a farm and a manor, with the farmhouse having been lovingly restored in recent years.
The farm itself has five acres of olive groves, four acres of vineyard, and over 15 acres left semi-natural as park and woodland.
It is a beautifully relaxing place to wander around but it’s also a working farm & winery, producing its own wine and a range of extra virgin olive oil produced using the delicate prima spematura a freddo (first cold press) method of extraction.
The wine is a premium Chianti Classico, and guests can join daily wine and olive oil tasting sessions where they can learn about the production processes involved.
It’s also an opportunity to discover which local foods make suitable companions for the farm’s products.
The Location:
The location of this agriturismo is difficult to beat; nestling in the hills of beautiful Chianti, with its winding roads, sweeping views, and small, quaint villages.
One of these small villages is the former medieval market town of Mercatale in Val di Pesa. It is just down the road from the farm and makes for a lovely morning stroll.
The larger centre of San Casciano is about four kilometers away and has plenty of nice cafes, shops, and restaurants.
It also has a strong medieval history and in one of its satellite villages, Sant’Andrea in Percussina, you can visit Albergaccio Machiavelli, the former home of Niccolò Machiavelli during his exile from Florence from 1512 onwards.
He wrote many of his works here including his most renowned; The Prince. Visitors are more than welcome, there is a small on-site museum at the property plus a very good restaurant and winery.
These are just two examples of nearby villages of interest but there are many, many more.
The staff at Salvadonica know the area well and will have many more recommendations, and as mentioned before they also arrange all sorts of tours for their guests.
In terms of cities, Florence is 20km just to the north while Siena can reached in less than an hour by car.
About halfway on the journey to Siena if you take a right turn you can visit the much-loved, and much-photographed, town of San Gimignano.
Guest Reviews:
“We love this place very much, it is the perfect place for a relaxing holiday in Tuscany. The breakfast served at the restaurant every morning was hearty, and the open outdoor area around the hotel was absolutely beautiful. The backyard overlooked the classic Tuscan scenery with rolling views and iconic trees, which felt incredibly peaceful, healing, and relaxing. The room itself was also spacious and comfortable. Overall, we truly enjoyed our holiday here and would definitely love to come back again in the future….”
