Foresteria il Giardino di Fontarronco - Arezzo, Italy     

We just returned from spending 3 weeks in Europe, and one of the highlights of our trip was staying at the agriturismo Foresteria Il Giardino di Fontarronco outside of Arezzo. We had a group of 25 so we took up the entire villa complex, with the exception of two single bedroom apartments. This was an excellent choice for a group our size. The location was perfect for getting around to all the hillside towns and using the train station in Arezzo. It was maybe a 15-25 minute drive to the train station (depending on time of day). A car is a must in Tuscany for getting around to the small hillside towns, but the train was great for trips to Florence. The villa is located among fruit orchards so there was an abundance of fresh fruits at our fingertips (literally) .... while relaxing at the pool you could walk over and pick a peach ripe from the tree. The agriturismo also produces its own delicious wine and olive oil. It is a very quiet location although we were visiting during their harvest, so some mornings we did hear farm machinery traveling down the dirt road that runs adjacent to the farmhouse. Every morning a van pulls up with delicious baked goods at a very reasonable price. The complex is gorgeous. When looking at their website, I wondered if the photos were realistic ... upon arrival, the grounds and apartments were even better than I could ever have imagined and even better than the photos on the website (--). Our group wanted to feel immersed in the Tuscan farmhouse lifestyle and this was the perfect place. The apartments are tastefully decorated in a rustic farmhouse manner, each bedroom having its own bathroom. Marian is a delight and was so helpful with reservations, suggestions and she took over the problems we encountered getting several airlines to deliver "lost luggage." The villa offers 2 meals during the week, however, we only had time for one wonderful meal as we were off and about so often. The dinner was delicious in the typical Tuscan style, served with plenty of the villa's own wine. You can also arrange for breakfast and though I personally did not do that, several guests in our group did and commented that it was quite good. Marian can also arrange cooking classes at the villa. There are lots of miles for running or walking, and there are about 6 bicycles on the complex for guests to use. One of the best parts of the whole experience was feeling like it was "home" ... sleeping with the shuttered windows wide open (mosquito netting on the beds included) and waking up to the most gorgeous views outside our windows. Evenings were spent outside on the patio with a bottle of wine, cheese and meats. I would highly recommend the Foresteria for its location and easy access to the A-1, train station, and supermarket without losing its quiet country charm. I just can't say enough about how special our visit was.

Hola, somos 4 amigas de Majadahonda ( Madrid). Hemos estado en el puente de Mayo en la Toscana y estuvimos en la Foristeria il Giardino di Fontarronco. Estamos encantadas con el sitio donde esta situada, es precioso. Los apartamentos son muy bonitos y estan cuidados todos los detalles. Estuvimos cenando alli y nos encanto la cena..buenisima! Y tienen una pisicina impresionante.. Ademas, Marian y Francesco son encantadores y muy profesionales..... Nos llevamos muy buen recuerdo asi que os lo recomendamos a todos.