For quality and authentic Tuscan charm at a very reasonable price, this farmhouse is unbeatable - and the location is delightful too. You are far removed from the madding crowd at charmingly rustic Borgo di Gugena (pronounced goo-jeh-nah), yet you are only 1½ km from your nearest bar-and-sell-everything shop in the hamlet of San Bavello. On arriving at Borgo di Gugena, you'll find the capable and ever-helpful Signora Maria Grazia has stocked you up with a basket of local produce for supper - nothing fancy, just a simple starter and lashings of the local wine (Chianti Rufina it's called, and jolly good too), then a dish of pasta to be eaten with wild boar sauce, followed by a heap of almond biscuits designed (many centuries ago!) to soak up the vin santo she's also left for you (a rich, sherry-like wine - Mmmmm). It's simple, pleasing food to help get your holiday off to a splendid start in the oh-so-simply-pleasing Mugello!

Within a 15 minute drive of your Tuscan farmhouse, you'll find easily more than half a dozen eateries to choose from. Or you can might prefer to Signora Maria Grazia for another effort-free meal to eat in the comfort of your own home? You are only 45 km from the glorious art and high fashion of Florence, 30 km from Lake Bilancino, And 8 km from Dicomano, where you can stock up in the two supermarkets or park at the station and let the train take the strain as you head off for a happy day's sightseeing in Florence. Tiny San Godenzo's nearby Sunday morning market is a pleasant, low key affair. Serious farmer's-market-enthusiasts may prefer to plan some heavy marketing at Borgo San Lorenzo on Tuesday morning? The Mugello racetrack is 30 km away at Scarperia for those keen on Ferrari spotting. Trek up into the woods, explore the hills on horseback, play golf, wind surf on Lake Bilancino or pit yourself against the current in your very own swimming pool - or just relax in your garden. There's something for everyone in this lovely place. It's hardly to be wondered at that the the Medici family fled the heat of Florentine summers for the tranquility and sparkling, fresh air of the Mugello. The medieval nobles naturally followed their lords up into the Mugello hills, and still today, the folk of Florence tend to exchange summer in the city, for the silken breezes of the Mugello. Down the centuries, this area has developed a sophisticated range of shops to please their Florentine patrons. The ceramics are gorgeous, the wrought iron is highly collectable, there's wicker-work, and some very handsome leather goods to snap up too.

Heading north from Florence, you pass Dicomano on the way to tiny San Bavello. It's an easy, exceedingly scenic drive. At San Bavello you make a sharp turn off the tarmac road onto a dirt road and soon arrive at Borgo di Gugena via a well maintained "white" road. You've arrived at your own piece of Tuscan heaven! Borgo di Gugena is called "borgo" because once it was a thriving collection of farmhouses, making up a mini-hamlet, or a "borgo" as Italians call such small places. Today, only the romantic ruins remain, sitting neatly by your own, well-cared-for farmhouse. If you look hard at our main picture, you'll see the ruins behind your sun umbrella (with your own, beautifully maintained farmhouse on the left).

Step through your front door at ground floor level and into that characterful Tuscan sitting room you've seen in our photos. There's a door opposite the fireplace that takes you into a long, long corridor. The rest of the accommodation is off this corridor. First you'll find the kitchen - and we think you'll be very pleased with it! Carrying on along, you'll discover four bedrooms, a "reading room" and two large bathrooms. And that's it. Terracotta floors, old beams, a pleasing mix of antiques, nicely preserved old bric-a-brac, and plenty of modern comfort - that's Borgo di Gugena. Heading back out of your front door, you'll find the dining table and umbrella of our main picture. Walking on past the table, turning the corner and heading down to the garden, you'll be amazed to find your spacious 4 bedroomed "apartment" has suddenly turned into an enormous house, looking down onto your pool. Part of the upper floor, and all of the lower floor, of your farmhouse is empty storage. It's unlikely it'll ever be developed into extra accommodation - there's plenty already. But you can have fun exploring and dreaming up projects on the owner's behalf!

Borgo di Gugena is a very special spot. You'll be delighted by its friendly atmosphere, its peacefully private location and its convenience for your sightseeing trips. We'd recommend you take a leaf out of the Medici's book, flee the hurly-burly of city life, and book Borgo di Gugena for your next Tuscan holiday!