We absolutely loved the area

by Carol and John, U.S.A.

Originally published on Slow Travel

###Location

Civitella is a lovely small village about one hour south of Siena. Our vacation house, Casina di Rosa, is in the village of Civitella. The location was perfect for exploring Tuscany, as it’s close to a highway. Civitella was quiet and safe, the people in the village were friendly and helpful, also forgiving of our very limited Italian. We absolutely loved the area all around Civitella, it’s very beautiful. Sunrise and sunset, plus views of the surrounding valley and hills are all spectacular.

###Nearby Amenities

Civitella has a bakery, small grocery shop, butcher, dress shop, pharmacy, fabulous restaurant, small cafes, pasta shop, market on Wednesday, florist, etc. We had all these amenities within walking. Two larger grocery stores were within a 10 minute drive.

Many other really good restaurants were within a few minutes drive.

###The House/Apartment

Our vacation house was in great shape for a vintage Italian home, also peaceful, quiet, and spotlessly clean with everything we needed for cooking, washing clothes, or whatever. It was very nice to have a washing machine! We hung our clothes outside on the line, just like everyone in town. The house has a kitchen, one bedroom with a comfortable bed, spacious bathroom, and sitting/living room with couches. Also radio and cable TV.

###Garden

We had a small sitting area next to the house, and we sat outside every morning and evening, very peaceful. It was nice to see people occasionally walking by with their dogs or on their way to the bakery or other shops.

###Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas

The furniture was all in great shape and comfortable. Everything was clean. We had everything we needed.

###Bedrooms/Bathrooms

We had a comfortable king sized bed with plenty of extra blankets. Our bedroom had a large dresser, two night stands, and an armoire for hanging clothes. The bathroom was spacious and had a shower with plenty of hot water.

###Kitchen

The kitchen was nice, plenty of dishes, pots and pans. We used the kitchen frequently for breakfast and other meals. Gloria and Marcel provided us with a gift basket on arrival with pasta, wine (Gloria’s father’s wine – excellent!) and other items. We had plenty of spices.

###Problems or Bonuses

No surprises at all! Gloria and Marcel did an awesome job of communicating with us before our arrival with any details we needed. When we arrived, they met us promptly and helped us get settled. They provided additional written instructions and suggestions which were very helpful. We had never been to Italy before, and this was a perfect spot for our first Italian vacation.
Agency and Representatives (and price)

We booked directly with Gloria and Marcel through PayPal, which couldn’t have been easier. Gloria and Marcel both speak fluent English and Italian, which was so helpful. The information we had on their website was completely accurate and descriptive, and really helped us make the decision to stay at Casina di Rosa.

###Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?

YES! My husband and I plan to return to Casina di Rosa in the future, and would highly recommend to others. We loved it so much! The small village of Civitella is perfect and not a tourist trap, also people in town were warm, friendly, and helpful. Staying in this little village really gave us a feel for everyday Italian life. The easy access to the major highway was very convenient, and made it so much easier to travel around the area. Parking was close to the house, and always available.

We felt very safe and walked frequently all over town day or night. Civitella has many architectural treasures, and the views over the surrounding countryside were amazing.

###Things to do in this area

We visited many villages and sights: Paganico, Roccastrada, Roccatederighi, Sassofortino, San Galgano, San Antimo, Montalcino, Pienza, Grosseto, Cingano, Vetulonia, etc. One of our favorite spots was the archeological site at Roselle.

It always felt good to come back to our home base at Casina di Rosa and Civitella! The restaurant in town, Locanda nel Casero, is unbelievable, not to be missed – we were lucky to eat there several times. The bakery in Civitella is also superb, and we were there every day to get fresh bread and pastry.