We decided to take this property in Sovicille for three weeks to celebrate our Ruby Wedding anniversary with our children and grandchildren, and afterwards for a week of peace and quiet with a couple of friends.

When we arrived, we were a little disappointed by the property … our last visit to Tuscany was in a smart purpose-built villa, and whilst spacious, this property showed signs of needing some maintenance work. As made clear by the description, parts of this property date back to the 13th Facilities were good, though – plenty of bathrooms, good WiFi upstairs (very little downstairs unfortunately) and a landline which the owner is happy for guests to use for calls within Italy.

However, what made the holiday for us was the attitude of the owner and the resident manager (his niece). We were welcomed on arrival with a couple of bottles of local wine, which was a nice touch, and whatever issues were raised were dealt with promptly and efficiently. We asked for a couple of travel-cots for our two baby grandchildren, for high chairs, for fans (like most properties in Tuscany there’s no air-con), for a replacement parasol for the pool … all were provided with no argument and no cost within 24hrs of request (high chairs came courtesy of Amazon Prime!). We had frequent phone calls whilst at the property to check that all was Ok, and a couple of bottles of ‘fizz’ to celebrate our anniversary, for which my children arranged a five-course Tuscan meal in the garden, cooked by a local caterer.

Sovicille is well located, a few km South-West of Siena, close enough for shopping and not too close to the noise and bustle. The town itself is typical medieval Toscana, with a church, a café and little else. Suited us: we wanted some peace and quiet. It’s within reach of Volterra and Montepulciano, which both provided good days out. Needless to say, any number of places to eat within a short drive .. or if like us you have young children in tow, you may prefer the inbuilt barbeque in the garden and just to chill be the pool.

All in all, within a very short time we felt ‘at home’. My children and guests were complimentary, all feeling that it was a place they could relax. It provided the perfect setting for a time of family togetherness and celebration.