Welcome to Trequanda
Tuscany, Italy
Villa Gli Oppi
Toscana
Tuscan Medieval Fortified Farmhouse
Sleeps Up to 16 people
Welcome,
Podere Gli Oppi is a 14th century, hilltop villa situated in the countryside just 2 miles south of the Etruscan village Trequanda in the South East of Tuscany. Although it is only 15 minutes from the nearest autostrada A1 exit, Gli Oppi is an oasis of quiet.
The house is a typical, Tuscan medieval fortified farmhouse. Over the years it has been carefully restored. It is completely surrounded by forests, pastures an olive grove and gardens filled with plants, fresh herbs (thyme, basil, rosemary etc) and flowers. You can see for miles over the green rolling hills of this lovely part of the Provincia of Siena. Although the closest house is a mile away, culture and good Italian food are never far. Since many years Marco and Lumi take very good care of the house, the gardens and the pool and especially the guests.
The bells of the 13th century Abbey of Sicille on the other side of the valley tell you the time (if you are interested). On a clear day the Lago Trasumeno can be seen behind the hills and forests. Close to Gli Oppi are many old towns and villages. Visiting them can take weeks and even months if you care to go on a cultural and historic trail. Montepulciano, Cortona and Pienza can be reached in less than 30 minutes and then somewhat further you can see Siena, Arezzo, Perugia, Assisi, Orvieto and Rome to mention just a few possibilities.
Most shopping can be done in the nearby village Trequanda, where you also can find some genuine Italian bars to enjoy a morning coffee or a Campari or Prosecco in the afternoon. Like many parts of Italy also this area is filled with nice restaurants, but you should try also one evening pizza’s made by Marco and Lumi in our own 500 years+ pizza oven.
We and everyone we know love staying in this paradise in the hills where the wine regions of the Chianti, the Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and the Brunello de Montalcino meet very nicely.
The paradise outdoors
All around the house is a nice big plot of land, which slopes on the Eastern and Southern side. On the Northern side of the house there is an oak tree forest, while the Eastern side is formed by a sloping hill down to a valley. You can see for miles over the green hills and see at the far distance the mountains behind Cortona and Arezzo.
The courtyard
On the Southern side of the main house is first of all the courtyard where there is a very large table seating 15 or more shaded from May by a semi pergola formed by –very tasty- vines. The court yard which measures some 60m2, has a gate on the southern side from where you can walk to the swimming pool which is some 5 meters lower than the house, or you take the western gate (through which you probably always come in) which leads you to a big garden and olive grove. Almost any season of the year people use this secluded place to have lunch or dinner or use the big BBQ. The long table lends itself perfectly for endless meals, discussions and playing games.
The olive grove
On the Western side of the house is the olive grove with dozens of century old olive trees from which we produce super olive oil. Here you find several seating corners to enjoy a relaxing time, read or have a nap. When you walk say 150 meters or so through the olive grove you reach the fence on the western end of the estate behind which is the small tar road on which you came from Trequanda. On the other side of that sparsely used road is a big forest for hikers with many deer, and other animals and birds. In the olive grove is plenty of room to play sports -there is a proper tennis court close by- such as soccer and football.
The pool area
Just south of the house and courtyard there are some terraces with fig trees and lots of flowers. An old staircase leads you down to the pool area which is completely surrounded by flowers, plants and low trees providing you with maximum privacy. The pool is 18 by 5 meters and you can either walk in slowly, take the pool stairs or dive it at 1 end where the pool is more than 2.5 meters deep. By the end of the pool is another pergola so that you sit in the sun or the shade. There are lights in and around the pool for night swimming although the clear skies with millions of stars may be providing more romantic light. After a swim you can take a nice shower by the side of the pool and you can also decide to listen to music on the small hifi set there.
