Il Leccio - Buonconvento - Tuscany

Fattoria Armena is a beautiful smallholding in the heart of lovely Tuscany. The little farm (almost 20 acres) produces a truly excellent red wine, fine olive oil and a range of home produced jams from the fruit trees. You’ll also find there are hens for fresh eggs, as well as a calf, a couple of wildly gobbling turkeys, some friendly little goats and the beloved horses you've already seen. It’s farming on a small scale: small but delightfully well done - not to mention the delicious produce all the hard work produces!

There are three apartments in total at Fattoria Armena, plus the house where the family lives. There are two apartments for up to 4 guests - Il Leccio, here, and La Stalla. Il Salariato is the third apartment and sleeps up to 6 guests.

Il Leccio is nicely tucked away, below the main farmhouse where Stefania lives with her husband and her two strapping sons. Our main picture does Il Leccio no justice - it's much bigger than you might think! This cute cottage was once a large barn. Now it's been transformed by the family into a comfy, two bedroomed apartment, not far from the swimming pool.

Il Leccio is entirely on one floor. It’s comfortable, plain and simple in a Tuscan-cottage-kind-of-way, as you can see from the photos. It goes without saying that the views are wonderful, but what we couldn't photograph for you is the splendidly handy location! The busy little market town of Buonconvento is less than a ten minute drive away. It’s a vibrant little town with all the shops, restaurants and bars you could need. You must try the trattoria “Da Mario”. It’s the nicest, most inexpensive place to eat in town - home cooking at its Tuscan best! The Saturday morning market is great for bustle and bargains while the Tourist Information office will point out where you can quietly contemplate the town’s art treasures. If you like markets, then nearby Montalcino holds its market on Friday mornings. The wines of Montalcino are justly world famous and a trip to the cantine is highly recommended. Siena is unmissable and its bustling market is a Wednesday morning must!

Monte Oliveto Maggiore is just over ten minutes drive away, climbing through the wooded hills to a stunning 13th century Benedictine monastery set in outstandingly beautiful countryside - another one for your “must-do” list! The glories of Siena are little more than 30 km away, while the luscious red wines of Montalcino are only a 15 minute drive away. The perfect little Renaissance town of Pienza is a 30 minute drive away while the world famous wines of Montepulciano are only a little further. Florence and Arezzo are both just an hour away!

If you want to try something really different this holiday, pamper yourself with a trip to an Italian thermal bath. Nothing could be more spoiling than the health and beauty treatments at these Italian spas - and Il Leccio is close to some of Tuscany’s best! Rub shoulders with the film stars relaxing at elegant San Casciano, take the waters at ancient Bagno Vignoni or spend around 50 euro and treat yourself to a massage (Aromatherapy, Ayuverdico, Qi Gong and many more are on offer) at nearby Rapolano Terme.

To get your holiday off to the perfect start, you might also decide to book in for Stefania and Alessandro’s special Saturday evening “Welcome Buffet” - it’s only 25 euro per person for a hearty meal based on their delicious farmhouse produce.

A holiday here offers all the pleasures of any mainstream Tuscan self catering holiday - and much, much more besides!!!