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> SlowTrav > Italy > Vacation Rentals > Reviews > Tuscany South Review 3664: TuscanHouse, La Casella
2bed/2bath house near Cetona, Tuscany South 
WhenMay 17-24,2008, 7 days LocationLa Casella is located 2 kms outside the quaint and picturesque town of Cetona. La Casella sits at the base of a beautiful mountain range on eight acres of land. The property is maintained beautifully by Mario and Anna. The grounds have olive trees, a vegetable garden (which you can help yourself to what is in season, we enjoyed leeks), herbs and perennials. La Casella has stunning views of the Tuscan Country side and is very private. There are farm houses close by but very quiet except the late night barking dogs. Although we had reservations about being that far south in Tuscany it was not a problem. Highly recommend the location. Nearby AmenitiesLa Casella is only a five minute car ride to Cetona for groceries or restaurants. The grocery store in Cetona was small and not a lot of variety but good for staple goods. Chiusi is 15 minutes away and has a great grocery store called PAMS which had everything you would need. The owners of La Casella have a complementary bottle of wine and olive oil to start your stay. The olive oil is made by Mario and Anna. How can you get any fresher than that!! The town of Cetona has three or four restaurants. We ate twice at a wonderful restaurant located off the main piazza called Osteria Vecchia. Outstanding food at great prices and a good wine list. The House/ApartmentLa Casella is a private house which has two floors and has been completely updated in the last five years. The first floor has one queen bedroom, bathroom, living room with fireplace, dining room, sun room, TV, computer and fully equipped kitchen. The second floor is entered by an external staircase has one queen bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room with fireplace. There is about 2500 square feet of living space, which is more than enough room for two couples. The house was extremely quiet and peaceful. You can view the property directly: La Casella. GardenLa Casella has three sitting areas. The first is attached to the house and is 270 degrees of glass overlooking the mountain range and keeps you out of the elements. There are two other open air terraces which are covered. There is a pool on the property, which is not heated and a little too cold in mid-May to enjoy. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and maintained. Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living AreasLa Casella was spotless. The owners do not overlook any detail. From the bathrobes in bathroom, to proper wine glass to enjoy the sensational Tuscan wines, to sharp knives, to complimentary olive oil and wine. There was more than enough chairs in the living room and dining room. The house was very comfortable and felt like home. Bedrooms/BathroomsLa Casella has king size beds, which is not common in European rentals. The bathrooms were very well equipped and spacious. KitchenLa Casella has two kitchens both well equipped with pots, pans, sharp knives, dishes and cutlery. We enjoyed cooking in the kitchen and the outside fire pit. Problems or BonusesWe were pleasantly surprised at how large the property was and friendly Mario and Anna were. Overall an amazing spot. Agency and Representatives (and price)The agency was excellent to deal with. Mario and Anna are the caretakers of the property and only speak Italian but gave us a great introductory tour of La Casella. The website for La Casella does not do justice for the actual property. You need more pictures of the property, both inside and outside. We stayed May 17-24, 2008 and paid $2200 U.S. for the week. Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?I would stay here again in a heart beat!! I have recommended the property to four people. Things to do in this areaWhile at the La Casella we made day trips to Montepulciano (30 minutes), Montalcino (had to try some Brunellos) and spent time in Cetona. By far the most amazing dining experience while in Italy was dinner at Banfi Estates in Montalcino. Exceptional food, wine and service (pricey but worth it). In Cetona, we ate twice at the Osteria Vecchia, which had amazing fresh local food with a great wine list. Very well priced. Try the chicken liver crostini!!! Doesn't sound appetizing but amazing. This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com. |
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