Our stay was lovely. Catina greeted us with delicious cakes and wine which was a very nice surprise. We stayed with a group of friends with kids and we all really enjoyed ourselves. Thanks Catina!
I had a truly wonderful experience staying at Castellare for two weeks with some friends and my parents. This was a trip that had to be postponed two years(!!) due to the pandemic, so it had some pretty high expectations to live up to, and it met them all. The property was so beautiful and worked very well do our group, allowing us to get privacy when needed, and come together as a group when we wanted to. We were able to easily get into Florence when we wanted, and weâre able to take day trips to explore the other hill cities throughout the Tuscan countryside. And we always were grateful for a dip in the beautiful pool at the end of the day.
Catina and Jack were excellent, warm and welcoming hosts, welcoming us with a delicious homemade olive oil cake at the start of our stay and then giving us homemade tiramisu during our second week. And I canât thank Catina enough for her graciousness and flexibility to allow me to reschedule my reservation two years in a row when I realized that the state of the pandemic would prevent me and my group from traveling.
The trip was a dream come true, and I am so incredibly grateful! I would stay at Castellare again in a heartbeat and very much hope I get another chance to do so soon.
I will review by sending the text I sent to my family once we got settled at Catinaâs place:
Well, what a surprise! After some twisty, turny roads, David and I emerged into this property of what dreams are made of! The grounds are lush, with flowers and herbs and fruit trees blooming all around! The cottages are modernized without taking from the character of their centuries-old history and filled with books, original art and Italian cookbooks. Most special are the hosts, Catina and Jack. They live on the property, which has been in Catinaâs family for decades. While they would give us total privacy, we are drawn to their nature of wisdom and interest. I am sure I will have better perspective on LIFE after this week! AND David will know how olive oil is produced! Enchanting, indeed!
It is gorgeous and homey. A stunning place in the country, while being closes to the city.
The owner, Catina, is the most amazing of women, and I am so grateful to have met her. She has created an oasis for herself, and others. Her partner, Jack, greeted us, and he was very helpful and generous. He made us a homemade Tiramisu. This property is just stunning. I loved the pool. I swam in it many times. I loved the house, it was so peaceful. So many books to read. I found a good one. All the houses on this property are beautiful. I wanted to stay in all of them. I, picked the biggest one, for my friend and me to share. The road to get up to the place is pretty rocky, so, I am glad I had a good car. Most of the roads in Italy are pretty tight, and twisty, so, it isn't unusual. The drive up to the place is worth it for the magnificent views. I am so happy I chose Catina's place. I had a holiday to treasure. I would pick this place again, in a heartbeat. Thank you Catina and Jack, for providing me with such a great experience. You are in my heart forever.
You will be so glad to stay here and to meet Catina!
The photos give an accurate picture of the beauty and peacefulness of this wonderful property. This estate is an escape from the hurly burly of the world. We were very happy with all that was provided. The pool was wonderful, looking over a fruit tree orchard and surrounded by plantings that attracted butterflies. Catina, our hostess, was a delightful person to meet and she recommended, local grocery stores, wines shops and restaurants which were all excellent. We were away from the classic tourist sites and really in Italy with the local people. We had wonderful experiences that were not of the typical tourist visit. Great food, wine, and wonderful local people. The location is very convenient to many places a visitor would want to see and the train was very easy to navigate and we went into Florence several times (20min ride) and explored wonderful nearby hilltop villages and towns, we were transported to a different time and pace of life. I understand completely why visitors to Castellare decide that they have to return.
Ein wundervoller Ort zum Entspannen in absoluter Ruhe, mitten in schöner Natur!
Wir haben mit 10 Personen alle vier Einheiten von Castellare fĂŒr eine Woche gemietet. Die Vermieterin, Catina, ist Ă€uĂert nett, humorvoll und hilfsbereit! Zur BegrĂŒĂung stand in jedem HĂ€uschen ein selbstgebackener Kuchen und eine Flasche Wein bereit!
Als Ăberraschung bekamen wir ein paar Tage spĂ€ter auch noch ein selbst gemachtes Tiramisu von Catina! War wirklich sehr lecker!!
Die Ausstattung und die Einrichtung der GebĂ€ude ist sehr geschmack- und liebevoll, Altes und Neues ergĂ€nzt sich und man fĂŒhlt sich sehr wohl.
Der Pool in sonniger Lage, mit AuĂendusche, Holzliegen, Beistelltischen und Sonnenschirmen, rundet die gesamte Anlage ab.
Gute Restaurants sind in der NĂ€he, Florenz ist bequem mit der Bahn zu erreichen und in die weitere Umgebung kann man schöne AusflĂŒge unternehmen.
Wir waren rundherum sehr zufrieden und können âCastellareâ nur weiterempfehlen.
Die Auffahrt (SchotterstraĂe) vom Tor unten hoch zur Anlage, ist etwas steil und kurvig, aber man gewöhnt sich schnell daran.