Il Pino is a handsome 12-acre estate: a private, gated village of 7 exquisitely restored properties, surrounded by the kind of well-groomed farmland that makes this one of Tuscany’s loveliest landscapes. Il Pino started life over 300 years ago as a thriving farm in the lush hills between Foiano and Cortona, now it's an exclusive holiday spot, far from the madding crowd. A place to relax in stylish comfort and let the cares of the credit crunch slip away.

On offer here are two side-by-side "twin" villas tucked into a private spot on the estate, surrounded with their own gardens. The two villas each offer a an excellent rental for smaller groups of up to 8, or rent them both together for a large party of family or friends. Neighbours, yes! Privacy, yes! You couldn't be better located. Stay home and enjoy delicious tranquility amidst the gorgeous rustic scenery, or use Il Pino as the perfect base for a busy holiday exploring Tuscany and Umbria. You are just 10 minutes drive from the Valdichiana exit on the A1 Autostrada del Sole - but you'd never guess it as you soak up the peace at Il Pino, watching the swallows swoop and dip over the pool and listening to the gentle rustling of the estates many olive trees.

Our two semi-detached villas belong to two great friends. They wanted to holiday together, but with some proper privacy too - so there you have it, two almost identical, semi-detached villas sharing their own, fine swimming pool. Rent one, or both, as suits your needs! The estate also boasts another swimming pool which serves the other properties at Il Pino. You are welcome to use the estate's communal pool if you want to make new friends, or stay home and revel in the privacy of the villas' own pool at the bottom of the garden. The views are incredibly lovely wherever you are! You'll have neighbours of course, but you know they'll be like-minded folk and you know the villas pool will never have more than 8 people from next door using it together with your own group. As you can see from our photos, the two villas offer not only the same style and high standard of accommodation, they are also furnished in similar manner too and both have outdoor terraces and shady eating areas as well as parking spaces too. Authentic Tuscan building materials have been used throughout. Fine terracotta floors and sturdy chestnut beams were obligatory!

The ground floor of each villa offers a spacious and comfortable sitting room, a well equipped kitchen with sparkling granite work surfaces and a dining area. Both villas were designed with enjoying the Tuscan sun in mind, so there are doors opening out to the patios and lawns in the ground floor rooms. Each villa also has one twin bedded room on the ground floor with its own beautifully tiled en suite bathroom. The sturdy grey stone stairs up to the first floor are made of Tuscany's traditional pietra serena. Upstairs, Settima Est offers 2 double bedrooms with their own elegant en suite bathrooms as well as a second twin bedded room, again with its own en suite bathroom. Settima Ovest offers 1 twin bedded room on the ground floor with 3 double bedrooms upstairs - all with en suite bathrooms. The villas were designed with Italian style and air conditioned comfort firmly in mind!

Foiano is your nearest village, just 5 km away. A pretty place with shops, restaurants, bars and banks (the cakes and gelato from the bar “Del Duca” should go on your must-have list right now). Or head for the shopping outlet on the outskirts of Foiano and snap up a bargain or two. Twenty minutes in the car will get you to Cortona - the famous Etruscan hilltop town founded over 2,000 years ago. Prepare to be delighted by both its charming antiquity and its stylish shops. The art treasures of Siena and Arezzo are all within an hour’s drive of Il Pino, while fabulous Florence will take very little more. If you want the best of Tuscan red wines, then spend a happy day exploring the well-stocked cantinas of atmospheric Montepulciano and the serious reds of fairy-tale-perfect Montalcino. Pause at Pienza and revel in the Renaissance architecture, then drive on to eat in charming San Quirico d’Orcia. Don’t forget to add Umbria’s lovely Lake Trasimeno to the sightseeing list too (Italy’s 4th largest lake and undeniably picturesque - particularly the lakeside towns of Castiglione del Lago, Passignano and Tuoro): it’s only 20 minutes away. Potter about the lake’s islands on the little ferry boats, try the local speciality of tegamaccio (Italy’s version of the Frenchman’s bouillabaisse).

If you still want more ... visit nearby Chiusi and be astonished by its massive stone walls (well over two and a half thousand years old!), admire the fascinating Etruscan exhibits in the local museum and eat a memorable lunch at “La Solita Zuppa”. The castle of the medieval mercenary John Hawkwood is nearby too. Perugia, Umbria's bustling capital city, is another one for your sightseeing list as is the wedding cake cathedral of Orvieto. And then there are the sulphur baths at tiny, beautiful Bagno Vignoni, the nearby Abbazia di Farneta and the truly outstanding trattoria “Vecchia Osteria” at delightful little Cetona. We could go on listing the many, many sights to see within an hour or so’s drive of Il Pino - but you’ve gotten the idea by now!

Choose just one villa for up to 8, or rent them both together for a large group with a 10% discount - either way, we know you will take away very special holiday memories from this delightful corner of Tuscany!