Overview
Located in the heart of Tuscany, this historic villa is beyond compare for all those who delight in nature, literature, the arts, and history. It may possibly be one of the 3 finest gardens in Tuscany and has one of the most iconic panoramas of the region. Few sights are as impressive as the Italian gardens where symbolic blessings can be held along with cocktails and receptions.
The property lies on the hills overlooking the Val d'Orcia, a beautiful and miraculously intact valley in Southern Tuscany. Midway between Florence and Rome, it is also within easy reach of Siena, Arezzo, Perugia, Assisi, Orvieto. The estate garden, artistic and breathtaking, offers guided tours. This is one of the most enchanting settings for anyone planning a wedding in Tuscany.
Renaissance and medieval gems such as Pienza, Montepulciano, Monticchiello and Montalcino are only a few miles away. The countryside abounds in lovely walks among woods and the characteristic crete senesi (clay hills); the food is among the best in Tuscany and famous wines such as the Vino Nobile and Brunello can be tasted in the local cellars. Cultural events - concerts, exhibitions, seminars - are organized in beautiful venues nearby. Tuscany's charms have been widely publicized, but the Iris Estate. is undoubtedly a place where you can enjoy the very best of this region. The Villa itself (now available for rent) was built in the late 15th century.
The Estate features a wide range of accommodations for you and your guests, from smaller apartments in a medieval castle or fortress up to larger farmhouses, with private pools and gardens. All have been beautifully restored and provide a perfect venue for your holiday or special wedding event in Tuscany.
Key Features
The Estate’s Key Features & Activities:
- Swimming Pools
- Tennis Courts
- Hikes and walks
- Chamber Music Festival in July
- Private guided tours of secret, or less well-known, Tuscan treasures
- Swimming in volcanic hot water pools
- Wellness and beauty treatments
- Riding in Val d'Orcia
- Mountain biking through the woods and the crete senesi
- Gourmet Cooking courses
- Olive grove and the estate’s olive oil
- Wine tasting
- Ballooning
- Language courses
- Riding lessons
- Shopping in the many lovely hill towns in the vicinity
ACCOMMODATION – THE MAIN VILLA
Originally built at the end of the 15th century, this villa is now the center of the main estate. This luxurious house is full of old-world charm, not showy, but with beautiful antique furniture, comfortable beds, and lots of lovely rooms which offer both privacy and opportunities for family gatherings. The Villa includes an independent apartment on the second floor, with its own kitchen: a perfect retreat for children and nannies, or younger guests. All rooms have stunning views over the garden and valley.
Accommodates 19
Key Features & Amenities
- Many cultural activities in the area
- 2 full-time maids
- 2 Kitchens
- Garden (kept by 3 gardners)
- Pool
- Delightful library with fireplace
- A large music and living room with fireplace
- sunlit living room with satellite TV
- 6 double bedrooms
- 2 twin bedrooms
- 3 single bedrooms
- 8 bathrooms
- 1 guest cloakroom with WC
- Wi-fi
- Washing machine and dryer
ACCOMMODATION – HOLIDAY HOUSES - minimum weekly rental (Saturday to Saturdays)
Belvedere House
Belvedere 1 – This house is ideal for a family or group of friends with a taste for space, as the two living rooms allow people plenty of privacy. Glass doors lead to a lovely garden.
Accommodates 5 people.
Belvedere 2 - The house is spread over several levels, with steps leading up and down from one room to another. Light flows in from every window, either from the garden or the piazzale (square) in front. All ground floor rooms open out into the garden, which has a table and chairs for meals. The pool, shared with Castelluccio, lies at the end of the garden.
Accommodates 8 people.
Key Features & Amenities
- Pool
- Garden
- Complimentary WI-FI connection
- CD-stereo
- TV
- Dishwasher
- Washing machine
- Wood burning oven
- Garden Terrace
- Complimentary WI-FI connection
- CD-stereo
- TV
- Dishwasher
- Washing machine
- Bi-weekly change of bath linen
- Pool
- Garden Kitchen
- Fireplace
- Washing machine
- Dishwasher
- Satellite TV
- CD stereo
- Complimentary WI-FI connection
- 2 hours cleaning a day (Mon. through Sat.)
- Extra help with cleaning and cooking is available upon request
- Pool
- Stone fireplaces
- Washing machine
- Dishwasher
- TV
- CD stereo
- Complimentary WI-FI connection
- Alarm system
- 2 hours cleaning a day (Mon. through Sat.)
- Extra help for cleaning and cooking is also available upon request
- Four bedrooms, spacious and full of light, leading off the central living room
- Enormous fireplace
- TV
- A kitchen that can be used by guests at all times
- Complimentary WI-FI
- Serves breakfast
- Dishwasher
- Washing machine
- Pool
- Garden
- Garden
- Pool
- Pergola covered with vine and wisteria with large table for outdoor meals
- Open fireplace
- Washing machine
- Dishwasher
- TV (satellite)
- CD stereo
- Complimentary WI-FI connection
- 3 hours help per day, extra help and cooking available
- Pool
- Garden
- Library
- Fireplace
- Shaded pergola
- A wood oven in front of the pergola
- TV (satellite)
- Maid/cook who will prepare breakfast and lunch (dinner at additional cost)
- Washing machine and dryer
Casa del Bove
A self-sufficient and cozy loft with old tie beams and a large fireplace, this house contains a double bedroom and a charming room for two children. It features a view that looks out onto a perfectly private garden facing the woods. Accommodates 4.
Casaccia
A comfortable 3 bedroom family house surrounded by and overlooking the unspoilt Orcia Valley. Completely separated from the main house, this house has a garden of its own and a secluded terrace for outdoor meals and sunbathing offering the most wonderful view over the crete senesi (clay hills), the valley and the mountain beyond. The house has 2 double and one twin bedroom, each room with its own bathroom. Extra special features: French doors that lead to a garden terrace, and a wood burning oven can be used for pizza meals or baking your own bread.
Accommodates 6
Key Features & Amenities
Castelluccio
Located on our magnificent estate is a medieval castle that lies on the summit of an impressive hill. The precise date of the castle’s foundation is not known however, it was probably built in the XIth century. A large, old wooden door opens onto a stone ramp and a pretty courtyard with arches; it is here, the Incontri in Terra di Siena festival holds chamber music concerts each year at the end of July. The castle holds a chapel, two apartments, a walled-in garden, a spacious lawn, and a swimming pool with a breathtaking view of a valley. Lastly, a country restaurant lies at the foot of the hill, in walking distance, if you feel like a stroll.
Chiarentana
In the middle ages Chiarentana was a small castle. It has now been restored and features a large central courtyard lined with climbing roses, clematis, ceanothus and traditional Tuscan irises. A great lime tree provides shade in the middle of the courtyard. From the courtyard staircases lead to each apartment: Beco, Bersagliere, Fonte, Ronda, Tiglio, Vespa. The apartments have been carefully restored to maintain the old terracotta floors and wooden beams; an open fireplace makes each house warm and welcoming.
The open garden around the house blends into the natural landscape, rows of olive trees and lavender lead to open fields and the view spreading over the valley, and the hills behind the house are wooded and full of wildlife. This small castle also features a tennis court and swimming pool. A dining room and professional kitchen have recently been opened. Gourmet Tuscan meals with home-made pasta, seasonal ingredients from the vegetable garden or the countryside and woods, as well as fruit from the trees in the garden, are prepared on guests’ request. The grounds have mountain bike trails and places for lovely walks.
Children are especially welcome at Chiarentana. At the far end of the garden there is a playground for the smaller children and a trampoline. A tennis teacher is available on request. There is a central laundry for all the apartments and heating for the colder months.
Fontalgazzo
Full of rustic charm, this elegantly restored farmhouse is sheltered by a row of cypresses ending in a semi-circle, where a stone table and benches have been put for al fresco meals. The house features a garden and swimming pool. The travertine fireplace in the living room was originally designed by Cecil Pinsent for the main Villa, and the spiral stone staircase leading to the first floor is based on a fifteenth-century model found in the nearby town of Montepulciano. Bedrooms are full of light and charming fresh colours.
Accommodates 8
Gonzola
Positioned in the middle of open farmland, surrounded by fields of wheat and sunflowers on one side and a small wood on the other. This large sunny house built from local stone is surrounded by a garden where Mediterranean aromatic plants flourish. The house features a pool with views of the surrounding countryside, and a pool house that has a garden kitchen for outdoor meals.
Features & Amenities
Montauto
Tuscan style architecture, a pool, courtyard and gardens are only a few of the many features this house offers. The floor plan is open, proportionate and spacious, built around a central courtyard. The courtyard is an ideal spot for outdoor dining during the spring and fall months. The house is furnished with lovely antique furniture, many books, local pottery, terracotta floors and ancient stone fireplaces. There is a large pool on a terrace just below the house that enjoys a wonderful view. It is protected by a wooden gate that makes the garden safe for small children. Beautiful walks into the surrounding countryside can be taken directly from the property.
Key Features & Amenities
ACCOMMODATION – BED & BREAKFAST
Palazzolo
Superb location with a panoramic view and very peaceful surroundings, this Bed and Breakfast is only 500m from the Villa. The house can also be rented for a minimum stay of three nights by a family or group of friends.
Accommodates 8
Key Features & Amenities
ACCOMMODATION – MANOR HOUSES
Sassaia
Situated in an opening in a wooded grove surrounded by old oak trees, which blend sun and shade on the lawn in front of it. This manor house features many windows, a spiral Renaissance-style travertine staircase, a lot of natural light, a waist-high fireplace to cook over the fire, and stunning views of surrounding hills.
Accommodates 10
A small house, Casa del Bove, is a charming and cosy loft with old tie beams and a large fireplace, can be rented together with Sassaia during the pool season, to ensure the pool’s exclusive use.
Accommodates 4
Key Features & Amenities
Donata’s House
Donata’s house offers all the special charm, character and seclusion of a private home and garden, with the additional advantage of having the restaurant, tennis, playground and other children’s activities within easy reach. The lower garden level of the house offers an open living space with rattan sofas, armchairs and a spectacular view over the valley and beyond it to the Monte Amiata. There is a rectangular swimming pool (15X5m), also looking out towards the view but tucked away where bathers cannot be seen, with a shower and changing room next door. Antique family furniture, paintings, and objects can be found in all rooms in the house.
Accommodates 10
Key Features & Amenities
- Pool
- Garden
- Library
- Fireplace
- Shaded pergola
- A wood oven in front of the pergola
- TV (satellite)
- Maid/cook who will prepare breakfast and lunch (dinner at additional cost)
- Washing machine and dryer
Wedding Info
Wedding Info
The Gardens are undoubtedly one of a kind - possibly the most enchanting in Tuscany and in the summertime this is one of Chianti's finest wedding locations. There are various different areas for outdoor ceremonies, cocktails and a seated formal dinner - all of course while enjoying the imcomparable panorama of the Chianti countryside. Large numbers can be accommodated with marquees only.
