Ancient Stone Country House

In a dominant position with spectacular views of the Chianti hills, the castle of Montebenichi and the horizon up to Montalcino and Monte Amiata, farmhouse renovated in 2002 mantaining original features such as vaulted ceilings, medieval stone walls, cotto tiles on floors, beautiful brick facades, arches, antique chestnut beamed ceilings, oakwood window pannels.

The farmhouse, dating back to the year 1230, is located 300 meters from the small castle of Montebenichi, a small hamlet with castel halfway between Arezzo and Siena, on the crest of a hill located on the south east of the Chianti hills, which miraculously was able to preserve the beauty and authenticity of its territory with cypress trees, vineyards, olive groves, woods and gorse. To access the property you travel about 300 meters of a white country road from Montebenichi which is 12 km from the Siena-Bettolle highway, exit Colonna del Grillo, 12 km from Castelnuovo Berardenga, 25 km from Gaiole in Chianti, 40 km from the A1, 30 km from Siena, 40 km from Arezzo.

Access to the property from a large yard with 3-4 car park spaces, locked off by a solid iron gate, entrances to the house and the independent cottage. The country house consists of a ground floor with very bright double reception room with beautiful stone and cotto brick arch, fireplace with glass door, kitchen, bathroom, large laundry room, cellar, utility room and double bedroom with en-suite bathroom and private entrance from the garden.

Two staircases, one indoor and one outdoor, lead to the first floor where, with high beamed ceilings, there is a studio, a lounge with fireplace and pellet stove, three double bedrooms, two bathrooms with large windows, access to the extraordinary panoramic loggia with view over Montebenichi’s castle and Chianti.

The small cottage has a bedroom, kitchenette and bathroom.

The property is surrounded by a large garden with two wells, private swimming pool, an hectare of forest timber and one hectare of land with some 185 olive trees producing up to 280 litres of native olive oil.

Due to its altitude and orientation the property enjoys cool mild winds in the summer. It has electric roof-fans in all rooms. One bedroom has air-conditioning.

Location:

. Surface: 250 sqm.
. Land: 2 hectares with some 185 olive trees producing up to 280 litres of native olive oil.
. Garden: surrounding the villa with complete computerized irrigation system.
. Year built: circa 1230
. Year refurbished: 1998 – 2002 – 2012 – 2016
. Type of Construction: stone and Tuscany’s traditional materials, bricks, arches, medieval walls, chestnut beams, oakwood window pannels
. Condition: Restored
. Annex:  48 sqm annex used as pool house with sink, small fridge and bathroom with shower
. Bedrooms: 4
. Bathrooms: 4.5
. Living areas: At the ground level, living room with fireplace, dining room, and kitchen in three adjacent rooms with vaulted ceilings and ancient original arches. Laundry room, cellar and bathroom. In-door and outdoor staircases, lead to the first floor where there are 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, an open room and a family room or second living-room with fireplace. Master bedroom with access to its own small terrace and twin bedroom with access to loggia. Within the house there is another big room with bathroom en-suite at the ground level.

. Pool: 11 x 5,5 m private pool, 160 – 210 deep with ample space for sun-bathing,  manual cover, solar heating (useable from May to October), pool house with kithchinette and bathroom.

. Kitchen: full kitchen with dishwasher, stainless steel appliances
. Gas: 1500 litre tank GPL
. Water: Artesian Well plus new deep water well drilling (88 meters) incl. 10000 litres cement cistern, pump room in natural stone, new piping&distribution. All the four well pumps are new. Tested drinking water.
. Electricity: 6,5 KW
. Telephone: Internet functions via router with access to the G 5 mobile phone network (Vodafone).
. TV: Satellite (ASTRA)

.Heating: The heating system is an environmentally sound combination of three components: some 18 sqm of solar heating panels; a 34 Kw wood burning (I can use no pellets) thermocamino on the first floor and a Gas- Caldaia. All three charge the 2.000 Liter well insulated water – filled buffer. The water for heating and warm water is heated by a system of heat exchangers within this buffer. The system is fully computer-controlled and can be operated from distance via Internet. When the heating is not needed for the house, the energy produced by the solar panels is used automatically for cost – free the heating of the swimming pool.

Environmentally optimized computerized  combination heating system (solar / Wood/ Gas) with controls from the distance via Interent;  all year solar heated hot water.

. Special Feature: Open panoramic views throughout, gazebo-terrace by the barbeque, loggia or balcony along the side of the first floor, complete electric anti-animal fencing, including gate. Two deposit rooms on front and back for storage. All outside doors and windows have solid all-wood shutters; all windows and doors have mosquito nets; all windows have insulating double glazing; the property has a large flat lawn suitable for Badminton or lawn cricket. The house has a wireless alarm system (siren).

Essential Provisions: Some 7 km on mostly tarmacked road lies Pietraviva, a small village with a typical Italian facility at the centre: a small very good trattoria serving Tuscan food, with an Alimentari where one can buy most of all essential things and food until late in the night. Weekly markets and all necessary shops at Castelnuovo Beradegna and Ambra.

Visits to Florence: since two years visits to Florence have become easy: at the Motorway A 1 close to Florence a large parking area has been constructed (driving time approx.. 45 minutes) from where a brand-new tramway leaves all 10 minutes to the main railway station Santa Maria Novella in downtown Florence.

.Airports: Florence (approx. 75 minutes), Pisa (approx. 90 minutes) and Perugia (served by Ryanair; 90 minutes).

Here below a short video of the property:

Below the extended version: