Let’s acknowledge that we’ve all seen many (far too many) films, and that when we travel, expectations drift through our heads and our hearts. Traveling to Tuscany carries a romantic weight that’s hard to ignore, which would be unforgivable not to mention here that those lofty expectations did not shadow our feelings in the slightest upon arriving at Castelfalfi.
A friendly local guided us along the winding road up to the hilltop, explaining the details of conserving these landscapes. After checking in, we didn’t delay in savoring the most delicious pasta, salad, bread, and wine at the Olivina restaurant. The green stone – which the Etruscans called the ‘gem of the sun’ – adorns this dining space decorated with centerpieces of vegetables and greens, and where breakfast is also served. The vast landscape lay there, before our eyes, like a painting by Serafino De Tivoli in pastel hues: light spilled over olive trees, vineyards, clouds, and Lake Casiscala.
We traveled to this century-old estate for a unique experience: taking part in a traditional outdoor dinner in the Borgo. It is the heart of this five-star property, built on Etruscan remains and once belonging to the Medici family, who inhabited the historic castle; over the years, several owners have passed through until it was left uninhabited after World War II. In the 1990s there was a hotel in the town’s old tobacco factory, which is now part of the five-star complex, boasting 146 rooms and suites, as well as private villas sprinkled across the estate, spanning 1,100 hectares. Sustainability underpins the owners’ restoration project, a couple from India who fell in love with the region and wished to revive this place.
