John……………….Our stay at Amerigo was very nice……..we found the home to be what we expected. I would recommend this home to anyone traveling to

Tuscany…….Sam, the manager of the property was great. He was friendly and always helpful. whatever we needed or ask for , he was there.

One small issue that we found and forgot to tell Sam……….the downstairs bedrooms had some spiders and a few bugs ……….might want to have them taken

Care of ……….

Great place.

Rick & Susan M.

John,
We were in Paradise at Hugo2 villa. The setting, the pool, eating all our meals outside, the hike to Cortona, the great little market at the bottom of the hill–all of it was the highlight of our trip to Italy.

The owner is also was a godsend, as we needed to arrange some transportation for a few of our party and there was a train strike in Italy. He arranged a very reasonable cab driver to pick up a few of them from Florence at midnight and drive them to the villa. Wow, what a relief.

We were just so happy with everything–including Ada and Enzo.
Thank you, thank you!
Jeanie, Tom and family

Hi John,
It was absolutely amazing! We loved Cortona so much. I would go back in a heartbeat. Hugo2 was beautiful. The grounds were spectacular, as was the huge pool! We spent most of the time outside either at the pool or at the two tables outside. I loved the comfortable outdoor furniture – couches and chairs – near the driveway. Such amazing views from there. The roman trail behind the villa was a neat path into town. I often would run (walk the steep hills) it in the mornings to get to town. Who knew you could get there that way?! So cool.
Thanks for all your help.
Much appreciated!
Christa

Wow, what an awesome stay at the Villa! Our group of friends (with some kids) had just an incredible experience.
The location is perfect, the Villa is in the middle of the Chianti region and is perched on the hillside for stunning views of the surrounding hills and valleys (+the towers of San Gimginano in the distance), with beautiful sunsets. You can enjoy the view from so many places in the villa: the dining balcony, the rear shaded area, the solarium, the swimming pool and many of the bedrooms. The location was great as a base for some day trips to Pisa, Siena, Florence and Lucca. All within 1 to 1.5 hours away.
The villa itself is stunning. Beautiful ancient buildings (a main house/tower with his barn) restored to exquisite taste and comfort while preserving the historical flair. Each of the room is very large and very well decorated. Lots of attention to details like very large double shower heads, double sink basins, comfy towels, comfortable beds, etc. Lots of common rooms for reading, relaxing and socializing. Beautiful modern kitchen and dining rooms.
Everything was great with the villa and the spacious rooms and décor far surpassed my expectations.
The nice swimming pool was a hit with the kids (and adults too…). The lawn with bocce balls provided some good distraction before site visits.
The owner was very present and attentive to make sure that all was going for the best. We organized several services with him and John (like cook, baby-sitter, wine/cheese tasting etc.) and he was very helpful in organizing everything with delightful local people.
All guests were super-impressed with the stay. Couldn’t think of a better place for our Tuscany vacation.

https://www.italiantownandcountry.com/testimonials/5983-2/

Best Vacation ever

We loved the villa, it was beautifully furnished and well equipped, and the setting was incredible! We hung around the pool and the beautiful garden. Rita cooked wonderful meals with fresh vegetables from the garden.

We loved the villa, it was beautifully furnished and well equipped, and the setting was incredible! We hung around the pool and the beautiful garden. Rita cooked wonderful meals with fresh vegetables from the garden.

Hi John —

Wonderful thank you, a beautiful villa in a beautiful part of the world.

As always, it seems like a lifetime ago already!

Best wishes,

Adrian

John,
Best holiday ever.
Bruno was in fine spirits
Frank (A return guest)

Hi John – Bruno was wonderful.  Not only lovely in and of itself but a great location – easy to Florence as well as lots of other smaller towns.   We really enjoyed coming back each day to such an idyllic setting and lovely villa.  We ended up leaving later and coming home earlier from day trips because we liked the villa so much.  Rosa’s cooking was delicious and she and her daughter were very nice and helpful.   I appreciate your help too – the packet was really helpful as a source of info and you were a delight to work with.  One comment – you might want to make clearer that the name on the villa gate is not “Bruno.”  Even our Italian driver had a hard time finding us because I hadn’t thought to call him and let him know to look for a different name.  We stayed in a villa in Amalfi the second week.  It was also lovely but very different – more modern and of course located overlooking the sea rather than the hills!  We really liked Amalfi too but if I had to choose just one place to return to it would be Bruno.  We liked the style of Bruno – It was more relaxing at Bruno and it was great having the option to eat in and not have to cook it yourself.  Also having someone to grocery shop was really convenient.  Hope to get back there soon!  Nancy

John,

Where to begin… Our stay at Romeo was absolutely amazing from start to finish. Upon our arrival, the entire staff was welcoming, warm, and hospitable. Elisa made sure everyone was taken care of and had the perfect room to fit their needs. We all immediately warmed to Giovanna! My in laws being from Italy were able to communicate with her in Italian. That was a huge bonus for all of us! We had a fabulous dinner the first night we arrived at Romeo, one that we will all never forget. The food was phenomenal.

The day of our wedding was so incredibly special; everything went off without a hitch. It was absolutely perfect in every way. Lucia was amazing and we can’t thank her enough for all that she did for us to help plan the wedding. She was a true saint, which is appropriate for her because St. Lucia was the saint of sight; and she definitely was our eyes in Tuscany when we wouldn’t be there to see our options for the wedding day.

The villa itself was remarkable. Every detail was perfection, we couldn’t have wanted for anything that was not already provided for us. The owners definitely got it right! Our favorite days were spent just hanging by the pool on the lounge chairs, playing volleyball, etc. enjoying the beauty of the villa and the surrounding vistas.

One thing that you should look into is the list of local restaurants that you sent to us. A couple of them are no longer in existence. At least the couple that we attempted to call in the local town of Contignano. Not the biggest deal, but something that should be tweaked in the welcome package for future guests.

All in all we all has the vacation of a lifetime. We couldn’t be more happy in the choice we made to travel to Tuscany and stay at villa Romeo.

Thanks for everything!

Lauren and Gino

John:

Just wanted to let you know we had a wonderful time at Bono.  Gianmarco and his family are very nice and excellent hosts. We would recommend Bono to anyone who is looking for an authentic Tuscan Villa experience. Thanks for all of your tips and help.

Sincerely,

R&M R.

John,

Where to begin… Our stay at Romeo was absolutely amazing from start to finish. Upon our arrival, the entire staff was welcoming, warm, and hospitable. Elisa made sure everyone was taken care of and had the perfect room to fit their needs. We all immediately warmed to Giovanna! My in laws being from Italy were able to communicate with her in Italian. That was a huge bonus for all of us! We had a fabulous dinner the first night we arrived at Romeo, one that we will all never forget. The food was phenomenal.

The day of our wedding was so incredibly special; everything went off without a hitch. It was absolutely perfect in every way. Lucia was amazing and we can’t thank her enough for all that she did for us to help plan the wedding. She was a true saint, which is appropriate for her because St. Lucia was the saint of sight; and she definitely was our eyes in Tuscany when we wouldn’t be there to see our options for the wedding day.

The villa itself was remarkable. Every detail was perfection, we couldn’t have wanted for anything that was not already provided for us. The owners definitely got it right! Our favorite days were spent just hanging by the pool on the lounge chairs, playing volleyball, etc. enjoying the beauty of the villa and the surrounding vistas.

One thing that you should look into is the list of local restaurants that you sent to us. A couple of them are no longer in existence. At least the couple that we attempted to call in the local town of contignano. Not the biggest deal, but something that should be tweaked in the welcome package for future guests.

All in all we all had the vacation of a lifetime. We couldn’t be more happy in the choice we made to travel to Tuscany and stay at villa Romeo.

Thanks for everything!

Lauren and Gino

John –

I’ve been meaning to write you for the past week or so to let you know how much we enjoyed our stay in Tuscany – mainly as a result of the wonderful experience we had with you and Villa Hugo.  I’m very impressed with your service, your helpful information packet, the quality of Hugo’s villa, and the wonderful, friendly, warm experience we had there.  It was our first time to Tuscany, and it has set a very high bar.  We’ll make sure to look you up when we can get back over there.

Thanks again for a job well done, and an excellent service.  Please let Hugo (and his son Nicola) know how much we enjoyed our stay.  I hope I can send some business your way.  We’ll highly recommend you to friends and family.

Best,

John S.

Hi John,   We had a wonderful time at the villa. We returned home 2 weeks ago and life has been a big game of catch-up.   Hope you are doing well and enjoying your summer.   Anna Lisa is a very sweet woman. We have lots of feedback for you. Mostly good, but some areas for improvement.   The farm house is quite lovely and very private. the pool was very clean and well kept by the gardener as were the grounds. however the interior of the house had some areas that needed improvement.   Anna Lisa was there to greet us when we arrived. We had called her ahead of time to let her know we would not be there until 7 pm. she said she had not received message (or had forgotten) about the crib and high chairs for the babies, but she did take them out from the loft at that time. She greeted us with a bottle of wine and some fresh peaches and bread dessert.   The house was clean from a superficial perspective. Michael spent a good part of Sunday morning cleaning spiderwebs, replacing lightbulbs, repairing Various loose fixtures. The water in the small separate house took quite a while to heat and the shower and sink did not drain well. We had to ask for paper towels, soap and kitchen cleaning supplies which Anna Lisa did bring for us. We purchased citronella candles to keep the outdoor bugs away so we could enjoy all the beautiful outdoor dining spaces.   The outdoor tables needed to have the spider webs removed.   Now for all the good. The location was absolutely incredible to enjoy the many towns in Tuscany. We had time to explore montepulchiano, castiglione fiorentino, Cortona. It should be explained the the flea type markets are a good place to purchase clothes, but not for produce. The 2 markets in town are better for that. I think Euro Spin is the one we particularly liked. We all loved the pool area. The kids brought a badminton set and played that game. Little Henry, road his tricycle around the grounds. It was an absolutely beautiful space and home. It just needed some of these finishing cleaning and maintenance type touches. Anna Lisa was very trusting. She gave us back our deposit the night before we moved out. The cleaning woman waited down by the pool area the morning we were moving out so they would be ready to clean for the next group. I guess they just need a little assistance regarding where to put a little more attention. The gardener was a great guy! The restaurant just down the road is delicious!  Ristorante Antica Pieve Localita’ Vitiano Arezzo. Our family ate there twice. enjoyed a private wine tasting at a local winery. I wish I could find the info from it.   All in all it was a great property and location. It just needed some tweaks to make it absolutely perfect. Feel free to call me if you have any questions. Gail L.

Fiorella is a lovely place. For people looking for a Chianti rental option, this is lovely. Terrific location and very beautiful pool and grounds.
J.A.

John,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I wanted to send a thoughtful response and since I’ve been back its been crazy. It was the first time I’ve been away from work for two weeks in 19 years and I paid the price. it was more than worth it.

First off thank you…the trip, the Villa, Massimo and Il Girasole , Cortona, your recommendations were  all wonderful and exceeded my hopes not just my expectations.The Villa and its views were spectacular. The pictures on your web site do not do the views from the Villa and the grounds justice. The owner was a thoughtful and charming host and the meals she prepared while dining outside with the aforementioned views are a memory that I and my family will cherish forever.

Your information packet was very helpful. My children enjoyed your suggested restaurants. I tried early one evening to go but it had not yet opened up as we were early. Mary and I were being good grandparents watching our 4 month granddaughter for my daughter and son-in-law so they could enjoy a late night dinner with her siblings. Marco and Paulo were very helpful with their wine selections, at Molesini (as well I presume the food I ordered). They were so good ,four cases of wine from their store arrived at my home yesterday.

The only regret was I did have was not seeing St.Francis’s hermitage and the lake. I am planning to correct that oversight by returning in 2015…Paris can wait. I presume to do so I should contact you sometime in the first half of 2014 correct?

On a practical note…you were wonderful and very helpful…where can I go to sing your praises. I would be delighted to provide a testimonial for Italian town and country, just point me in the right direction.

Also if you would like to use some of the photos I have of the views from the Villa just let me know.

Finally I have a Friend who is hoping to go next year if he can make the time, if so I’ll direct him your way.

Again thank you and I look forward to booking with you again.

Best Regards,

Joe

John,
We loved the Villa thanks again everything was perfect!
Wendy

Hi John,

I second that emotion from Pam!

I could not have said it any better! We had a WONDERFUL time !

It surely will not be our last and we will not hesitate to use you over and over again!

Everything was fantastic!

Kind regards,

Pat

Hi John

I hope you are doing well!  I know we have been home from our wonderful Italy trip for a few weeks now – but I wanted to reach out to you and let you know how everything was.

The Villa in Chianti was PERFECT!!!!  There were 8 of us and we all felt so comfortable and at home there.   The caretaker Eric was amazing and checked in with us every day – he became our friend by the end of the trip.    We would highly recommend the villa to anyone – it was clean, comfortable, cool in the bedrooms at night with the air conditioning.  We had lunch outside and sat by the glorious pool when time allowed – our week there was probably our favorite.

You had also arranged to have 2 chefs come to the villa and prepare a special birthday dinner for us – Naomi and Jessica came to the villa and prepared such a delicious meal that we are still talking about it – not only were they wonderful chefs but they were lovely and fun and we all felt like friends by the time they left us.

Thank you so much John for everything – we are sad it’s over – but we know it won’t be our last time in Italy.

Hi John,

We are back from Italy and have only the best things to say about Andrea.

Their property is absolutely beautiful with the design of indoor and outdoor space creating a very special backdrop for our vacation. Plus their attention to detail and beauty can be seen everywhere especially in the pool area with outdoor shower and pavilion which was a popular relaxation spot for us.

We absolutely enjoyed the owners too! They are warm, kind, thoughtful hosts and quickly responded to any questions we had. It was hard for us to say goodbye actually, because they made us feel so welcome and at home.

We highly recommend this villa for anyone looking for a unique and beautiful space both inside and out – it’s truly a one of a kind gem.

And thank you for all your guidance in planning and ensuring that we have the information we need to be prepared. It was a pleasure working with you John and we will definitely recommend Italian Town and Country to our friends.

Warm regards,

Cynthia W.

Oh John. It was wonderful!!! Staff very helpful, Alessio on top of everything … and we loved his wine and ordered for shipment!!  We thought Chef was fantastic and in addition to the 3 nights at the villa, we went to his restaurant 2 nights. We were extremely pleased with the driver who took us to Florence. So everything was perfect.

The weather was only an issue several hours after we arrived…terrible storm totally unexpected came up as we were unpacking

And I came downstairs just as an umbrella by the pool blew away.  Water blew In Several windows and under a door but the caretaker came and checked everything.

The rest of time weather was perfect. A totally wonderful vacation. Thanks. JH and Family.

Hi John

Hope you are doing well, we got home a little while ago what a wonderful trip,

Stefano and the property were truly wonderful in every way can’t thank you enough

It was good to work with you and hope we can do so again in the future

I really appreciate your attention to detail, and thank you again for such a special memory of this beautiful home and country.

My entire family loved every minute you are a great host!

All of your assistance was much appreciated

Best Regards

Mark

Dear Italian Town and Country

The villa we stayed in (Pesa) was truly magnificent and I would highly recommend it to anyone. We were a family of 5, my wife and I, and our 3 adult children. We all had a fantastic time.

June 2019

John

Villa Scala was wonderful. It was as nice or better than the photos and in a very private setting. The owners were very nice and great on our arrival and departure. We had a great week and certainly would recommend this villa to family and friends.

We loved the property very much. As I said before it was as advertise.  Alex and Rosa were very kind, accommodating and patient with the children. Rosa’s cooking was simply amazing and I would recommend that anyone staying there take full advantage of her culinary skills. The kids also claim that this was their favorite part of the trip by far.

Here are some of the suggestions from the group:

When we ordered the meats and cheese we all expected it to be prepared when we arrived.

A heads up about the mosquitoes would have been nice so we could bring a decent repellant. One of our group a particularly bad time with the little buggers.

The check out time caught us by surprise. Alex told us 9:30.  If we were aware of this we would scheduled a later train. Alex and Rosa were kind enough to let us leave at 11.

Other than that we had an amazing time!  Hope all is well.

cMack

Hi John,

Sorry for delay in getting back to you — playing catch up after being gone for 2 weeks is brutal. The villa was spectacular and I have to say I polled the whole group and there is nothing that we could say was imperfect about the house at all. Everyone voiced high approval of the accommodations! In fact, my husband said he would go back there in a heartbeat. (He actually stayed on the property by himself with a book for a couple of days that the rest took day trips.)

So, in short the villa was perfect — plenty of room for all to sprawl about and have quiet time or to gather together for some libations and laughs.

Thanks for providing a spot for making fond memories with friends!

Liz

Thank you John, in a nutshell everything was perfect, I really cannot think of anything that you could improve.

This was certainly our family’s best trip, everyone agreed. And the house and your services including Cinzia, the lovely cook (we all agreed that the best meals we had on the entire trip were the ones Cinzia prepared for us) played a major part on this!

Thank you so much for being so helpful and for suggesting the ideal house for our holidays.

I know many Brazilians already who are interested in booking the house so I will forward them your email.

I cannot thank you enough!

Best regards,

Kevis

“The week we spend in the property Le Casale was fantastic! The place where the house is build is very beautiful, one of the best view in Tuscany! All the rooms of the house are great, the house has an incredible decoration, everything is in right place…

Everyone who works there is helpful and nice! The cook Cinzia made the most delicious food! Elisa arranged all we asked for!

We had the best time we could have to celebrate a important birthday with the whole family!”

We had a wonderful time. The villa was perfect the owners were wonderful.

It’s a great location, Good access to the freeway. Next year I’m looking into Greve area. Thanks for checking in.

R.G. return guest

Hi John,

Safely home and pretty much recovered from jet lag. I can’t say enough good things about Melto, the owners and our Sunday night chefs. The house was even better than the pictures and Tuscany was everything we had hoped and more. Several people have asked how I found the house so I will be recommending you whenever anyone is interested in such a trip. I’d like to thank you again for all your help. You helped make our trip really special and memorable.

Sincerely,

Diane F.

September 2016

John, My apology for not getting back to tell you how very much we enjoyed Aquaviva villa and surroundings. Elaine and I and the kids are enjoying talking about the memories we will savor for years to come. We were all so very pleased w/ the accommodations and enjoyed our leisure time in the pool, hot tub, billiard room and the AC in the bedrooms. With the hot weather we encountered, I dare say it was a necessity and a blessing. I would hope the 1st floor is next on their list for AC for future guests. Again, many thanks !!! PS- one of my son’s friends spent a few days with us and is excited about taking his family to just such a villa in Tuscany. He has your web site.
Tony D
2016

Exceeded expectations for a villa stay in Italy!

We cannot say enough about how wonderful our stay at Hugo II was this July! Writing this in August and the memories are still making me smile. Hugo and his family are perfect hosts; there if you need them, but don’t intrude on your vacation. Their property is amazing from the gigantic pool and postcard worthy grounds to the charming outdoor and interior spaces. We spent the bulk of our time outside or at the pool. The interiors are a little dark, but probably by design to keep it cool, and with the stunning landscapes outside your door, you won’t spend much time inside. The beds and bedding were over the top awesome. Bring bug spray and pick up some citronella candles at the store if you are going in the summer. Mosquitos are not horrible compared to other places we’ve been, but they are there.

Ideal for two families of 4+ who want separate separate spaces. We loved the grocery store at the bottom of the hill, but really relished eating out at all the great restaurants Cortona had to offer. Great food is remarkably reasonably priced and we loved experiencing local cuisine. We walked to Cortona on the old trail, but it was blazing hot, so drove in a lot as well. You could spend at least several days just exploring around Cortona, but it was also a great jumping off spot to explore other hill towns and the Val d’Orcia.

John and Michelle at Italian Town and Country were invaluable to us in planning our trip. They matched us with just the right place and went the extra mile. Hands down the best way to rent a villa and have the confidence that your experience will be unforgettable and free of unpleasant surprises. Would go back and do it all again in a heartbeat!

Heather & Sam Berger

Ciao John

After a few days of settling back in and recovering from the time change, we are doing well.

It was a trip of a life time and an experience none of us will ever forget! Tuscany in and of itself, is beautiful not to mention the food and wine!

The Villa was perfect in every way…..met all our expectations and then some! With the help of a cooking class and a fabulous, well stocked kitchen, the families and their kids really got into cooking, the Italian way. During the days, each family went on an excursion and then we rejoined at days end for fun in the pool before dinner.

Our vow renewal was lovely in the rose garden, complete with music (on my iPhone) and a photographer to capture it all. We missed you and your wife!

Last but not least, the owners are wonderful, caring, good people! They tended to all our needs with ease and smiles.

We were sorry to leave…..would love to return someday.

THANK YOU for all you did to make this trip/Villa happen. It was the BEST!

Saluti
Peggy 7/30/2016

Hi John!
We got back last night and I can’t begin to express how much we loved Villa Bruno. It exceeded all of our expectations and we could not have been more thrilled! Everything from the insanely gorgeous setting to the food was amazing and we will definitely go back. We loved Bruno, too, who is so lovely and a true Italian gentleman!

We didn’t end up staying in the Annex as it was not on par with the rest of the villa, but we were all quite comfortable in the villa and there was plenty of space for the three families. We also particularly enjoyed two of the restaurant recommendations you gave us in your paperwork – La Logge in Siena for the ambience, and for the food our #1 award went to Antica di Torre in Castellina in Chianti. The latter was the best food we had in all of Italy and none of us can stop thinking about the truffle pasta special they had, and their insane jars of tiramisu (unrivaled anywhere). And of course the serene, firefly-studded walks to our local gem, the Rignana restaurant, were spectacular….the magic prevailing right down to the family of kittens that kept the kids entertained for hours (we went there two out of the seven nights and one family even returned for lunch).

Thank you for everything and hope you have a wonderful rest of the summer!!

Best,
Heather

Hi John,
The trip was wonderful! It rained, but we were looking for a week of rest and we got it. There was plenty of sun too. The home is lovely and the staff, Rafael and his wife, were very nice. Bruno came to say hello a couple of times and was an interesting fellow. Very gregarious.
I attached some photos from the trip. Thanks again for your help. We had an unforgettable time in Italy.
Lee

John,

Finally getting my clock straight after our visit to Italy.
Mari was great, and so was Mariella the check-in manager.
Want to go back and do it again.
Trips to Montalcino and Montepulciano were easy and rewarding.
Thank you for taking care of us. I wouldn’t hesitate recommending you to friends and family.

M. E. S.  

To let you know how much we enjoyed the villa in Castiglione Fiorentino. it was a great suggestion.

Hi John,

You must be on vacation……..hopefully you’re somewhere nice!!!

The villa was just beautiful……..more so than the photos could show!  What a great piece of property and it was very well manicured.  We didn’t spend much time in the villa since the weather was so beautiful and we used the outside kitchen and table every day. 

 The owner was very sweet and didn’t speak a lick of English so two of us tried to get by with our Spanish.  She brought her son by a couple of times and he translated for us.  Maria (the cook for one evening) was just fantastic!  First of all, she was very sweet and her cooking was amazing!  I think we had 7 things!!! Two appetizers, duck, lamb and pasta and then 2 desserts!!!   It was just fantastic!!!  I would highly recommend her to anyone!!!

 Anyway, I will forward you pics of the villa that I took and you are welcome to use any for your website.  I can see how you are attracted to Cortona and the area since it is all so relaxing and charming!!!!   It’s also a great location for day trips to other hill towns in Tuscany!!!!  I’m ready to go back!!!!

We all thank you for all of your hard work and helpful advice and I’m sure we will all be referring you to our friends who inquire about villas!!!

 Best of everything to you and your family!

S. and D. A.

Hello John…I’ve been meaning to write to you to let you know how awesome our stay was at Villa Maria. Our entire family loved the house and surroundings. We’re still day-dreaming of Cortona!  We could not get over Carmela’s meals and how inexpensive they were and more importantly delicious!  We always had left over’s for lunch too! The one & only negative was the walk into town!  If you wanted a good work out while on vacation then it was fine!  Otherwise we drove.

 Thanks again for everything. We’ll be sure to use your company in the future,

 J.G.

John:
. Your efforts in arranging details and recommending options resulted in a marvelous two week sojourn in Tuscany. You and the folks there at Italian Town and Country deserve A short message to send a sincere thank you for a splendid job in advising us and providing such superb assistance to us for our Italian tripa solid pat on the back — and a cold beer should I be in Seattle anytime soon. Again our thanks for your time and extensive coordination.

We have arrived in Rome and already miss villa Girasole very much!  The city is busy and exciting but we miss the beauty of Tuscany — and especially our little spot in Cevoli.

LK

John, We had a great time at the Radda in Chianti property.  It was even more beautiful than we had hoped and everything from the stocking of the fridge to the friendliness of Simona  exceeded our expectations. While we toured a few days and enjoyed some wine tastings, we spent most of our time at the villa. As the following three videos (sorry, I don’t know how to splice videos together) illustrate, it’s pretty easy to simply sit and enjoy the surroundings … when the surroundings look like this:   Now it’s 4:45 am and I’ve been awake since 2:00….  And it’s good to be home. This was a 30^th wedding anniversary trip (and 36^th for Steve and Judy) that Cathy and I won’t forget! Mille grazie! Terry  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSjxBWcKB1o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFIFCMmRG_A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zh7eGLL7YA

Hi John,

Hi John:

I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful time we had at Mari. The villa was even better in person than reflected in the pictures! We visited several hill towns and returned each evening to our “home”. It was so nice to enjoy the house by cooking great meals with the fresh local ingredients. Mariella was a true treasure. She met us in town at the supermarket on the first day and helped us get up to speed on shopping Italian style. She also offered her assistance for whatever needs we might have during the week. Grazia cooked a special meal for us on my birthday. It was the most memorable meal we had! Her attention to detail and the love that went into the meal was evident. Her son Andrea accompanied her and grilled the meat. It was a warm evening and we were able to sit under the wisteria covered dining area. All in all, we couldn’t be more pleased and hope to return again to such a wonderful place.

Thanks again,

M.H.

Dear John,

I want you to know how much we enjoyed our stay in your most impressive villa.

The hospitality, service and food received Rosa and Allesandra was all wonderful.
Thank you for all of the help in arranging a most enjoyable holiday.

Cordially,

F.A

 John…

 Thanks for the note and sorry for the delay in response.. As soon as I got home from Italy I have been going non-stop back at work..

The trip to Italy and the stay at Cittadella was fabulous.  My family rated the trip as “best-in lifetime” so I guess that is pretty good.

The Villa was beautiful…and having Italian cooked meals 3 nights was something my family particularly enjoyed.  We decided to take

3 day trips; Florence, Sienna and SanMangiano (sp?)…anyway all incredible.  The highlight was a trip to a winery and wine-tasting.  It was the first “tasting-event” my wife and kids attended and they loved it!!!  I rented a van and we also hired a driver (Guido) who was awesome…the kids especially enjoyed his company… (Last night he took us to his favorite “local restaurant” outside of Florence and it was great….the food and “venue” was just a blast! 

….thanks again for all your support in preparing for the trip…I learned a lot (do’s and don’ts ) so as we plan our next trip I will be that much more comfortable ….

 All the best…. I have already recommended your company to a dozen of my friends and neighbors…don’t be surprised if you get a few calls in the near future!

Regards

Dennis

John – I have thought about writing you several times to report on our trip…we had a fabulous time…we loved Panzano, and it was a great location for us…our sitter was perfect, so thank you very much for that…we had the big night at Dario’s which will go down as a huge memory for us…we loved the house, especially the pool and, of course, the view…Franco was a big help…the stove was very confusing, and took a veteran touch to make it work, and he was patient in helping me solve that mystery…and it was just nice to have someone around to answer any small questions. We totally loved eating outside, and drinking wine from nearby vineyards…and it was a classy touch to have Franco bring us some wine from the winery down the hill.

.

So, on a scale of 0 to 100, we had a 110 experience in Panzano, and we give the house Rosa 92…that’s still pretty good. We plan to take our kids toEuropein 2014, and I will definitely be talking with you again and will do business with you again, and will recommend people use you. You are phenomenal…the arrival packet you sent us was perfect…and we learned some important things for our next trip in terms of what we want out of a rental home.

Thanks for asking for “listening”,…and more importantly, thank you for helping us have an A+ trip toEurope this summer!

Best,

TW

Hi John – Everything worked out wonderfully for us. Filippo was perfect in all ways, really wonderful. The location was exactly right too, for seeingFlorence,Siena, Sam Gimignano and Chianti country. And the family was delightful and very kind to us. Thank you so much!

C.M.

Dear John,

As of August 4^th, we have returned from a magnificent three weeks at the Villa Girasole. All was to our total satisfaction. The villa served our needs perfectly, exceeding our hopes and expectations; and we will long remember this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gather all our family together inTuscany.

We had a very satisfactory check-out with Renella.

Thank you for your services atItalianTownand Country. Diane and I have recommended you to others and will continue to do so.

Best,

J.S.

Dear John,

 I can’t thank you enough for the chance you provided to rent the villa in Cortona.  Everything went absolutely perfect, even the directions.   The only complaint heard was one that you have no control over – the heat.  One suggestion that I would make is  ceiling fans in the bedrooms.  We thoroughly enjoyed it and thanks again for the service.

Sincerely,

R.S.

 Hi John – this email is LONG overdue.  Just wanted you to know that we had an amazing trip.  It couldn’t have been more perfect!  Thank you for the wonderful packet of information as well as all of your assistance in getting us there!  We had such a wonderful trip and truly enjoyed the Corti Family.  They are fantastic people.  Thanks again for everything!  Michele

 Dear John,  We had a wonderful, memorable stay at Nicollo – in fact, I just spoke with our son Mark and he said his wife had just said she wished we were all back in Italy ! 

Our only issue was that when we landed in Paris on our way to Italy, the Italian air traffic controllers were on strike that Saturday!  So we ended up having to stay overnight in the Paris airport hotel and taking a flight out to Milan, not Rome as planned, early Sunday am – so we arrived to meet Hugo mid Sunday afternoon.  After that all was really just wonderful – the villa met our needs really well and it was so comfortable!

We traveled about some in the beautiful countryside, but did relax and stay around Cortona some, also – it just was perfect !  We had Hugo’s cook, Rita, prepare our last evening’s meal Friday and it was beautiful weather to eat outside, food so delicious – it was the memorable occasion that we all were anticipating!  We took many pictures that evening of the 5 of us, some of Mark and Shelly, some of just Cheryl, some of Henry and I – those will be used as our Christmas card picture this year !

Many thanks for recommending this specific villa – I really appreciated the comfortable bed!

We, too, had beautiful mostly sunny days – and are giving glowing reports to everyone about Tuscany and the villa !  Hopefully we can send others to your website !

many thanks for answering all our questions, the restaurant tips, what to do notes, etc!

The N. Family

Hi John,

 We had a wonderful time at Melto and the property is really beautiful & special. We were pleasantly surprised that the owners provided a few basic groceries since we arrived so late Saturday and no stores were open until Monday. That helped a lot. I love that they have wine available for purchase in a rack if you want it- that was handy and the wine was good. The facilities were pretty updated for such an old place and the washer and dryer were pretty new. We had lots of hot water available. They let us use all of the firewood we wanted. I would recommend they upgrade their pillows to make the beds more comfy, but otherwise we have no complaints.Sinalunga wasn’t the “loveliest” Italian village we’ve been to, but they had all of the staples we needed during the week. If Melto were located in Cortona, it would be the best of both worlds!

We had just come from a week at a villa in Provence that was really nice and in a great location, but we definitely noticed the great hospitality from the owners at Melto as a significant change from Provence.

 The wine tour was really fun and Andrea was extremely knowledgeable about wine and about the region. He was right on time picking us up and finished the tour on time. We had great access to 2 wineries and wine-makers and a nice drive through the region. We ended up at his wine shop in Luggiano where we tasted other varietals and made a few purchases. We ordered some wine from each winery and Andrea is supposed to send it to us soon. Have not heard from him yet, but will certainly give you feedback if we have any issues. Thanks for setting that up! I would definitely use him again for a tour or tasting.

 Still jet-lagged and trying to catch up at work today. Thanks for checking in!

C.P

Hi John – We had a fabulous time!  Pozzo Antico was perfect for us. We appreciate all you did to help make our trip a huge success.  You information packet really helped us too.

Hello john. Our stay at Bono was amazing.  The Perfect house.

Thank you,

N.F.

We had an amazing time and the villa was fantastic. Also the Relais Borgo is a great place to stay on the way

Thanks for your help with everything. We will definitely contact you for our next family trip to Italy. D.D.

The villa is fabulous. Its wonderful views and its close proximity to Panzano, which we all fell in love with, made for a perfect location. It is comfortable, spacious, and well appointed. The pool and the grounds are beautiful. Now I can see why you said it is your favorite villa. Franco could not have been more friendly and responsive. He was very welcoming and is a very kind man. When we had problems with the water pressure and the well pump, Franco responded immediately to the problem. One phone call and he was there within minutes. And when the pump needed to be be replaced, it was done in a way that we never skipped a beat. Hats off to Franco. The dinners with Mimmo and Maria were outstanding. Our meals in town, Dario’s and Il Vescovino, were amazing. Dario’s is an experience we all will never forget.

All in all the villa was fabulous. Your guidance, recommendations, and your professionalism and expertise were spot on. It was really a pleasure working with you over the past year and I thank you for all that you did. I highly recommended you to friends of ours  that are thinking of a trip to Italy next summer. Hopefully you will hear from them.

As for Vista, Molly and I are very interested, but haven’t had the opportunity to really discuss it. Once things settle down after being away and we have the time to talk, I will be in touch.

In the mean time, thanks again for all you have done and take care my friend.

Best regards,

Ben

John,

We made it back home yesterday after 15 days in Italy and two in Lugano, really a great trip!

Isabella is a great property that has everything one could need. It was obvious that the owners put a lot of effort and money into the property, and I would recommend it to anyone. It was very close to Greve and Panzano, and only about 20 minutes from Radda if you took the back road.

Regards,

Kurt

Hi John,

Apologies for the delayed response. As soon as I came back from Italy I’ve been traveling quite a bit for work.

We had a wonderful time at the villa. Letizia was very helpful in providing us with recommendations on where to go. Lisa (the transfer driver) was also wonderful. We were, of course, a bit bummed about the weather. It ended up being quite cold. We didn’t realize that the house would end up being so cold at night and didn’t want to pay extra for the heat so we ended up using many of the blankets! The grounds were impeccable and the staff was lovely! We especially enjoyed meeting one of the gardners, Gino, who gave us one of his home made bottles of wine.

Unfortunately we didn’t have a chance to see Letizia before we left. It would’ve been great to hear about the history of the house…oh, I’m sure if walls could talk, we would’ve learned a lot about the history! 🙂

Let me know if you want any other feedback. We really enjoyed our time at La Cittadella!

Best regards,
Janette

John,

Sorry it took so long to get back to you.  Things are back to normal after getting caught up with work. We completely enjoyed the villa.   The home and grounds were beautiful.   I  wish we had spent more time there actually enjoying it and relaxing, but we were on the go every day.   Bruno and Rosa took great care of us and everything was fantastic.  The birthday cake and prosecco  were a perfect addition,  and I appreciate the extra effort.   No complaints at all.  I would recommend it to anyone who is interested.

Too bad we can’t swing this kind of trip more often.  We would not hesitate to return and hope to someday. If only I had won the lottery last weekend . . . .

Thanks for setting this up for us, and please pass on our thanks to Bruno. It was a special time.

Stewart

Hi John:

 Your email was forwarded to me today … I did attempt to reach you upon my return, however, my correspondence would not transmit (?!?!?!?).

 Anyway, I’m on sabbatical from my professional responsibilities … so this is my personal email.

 Our stay in Cortona was more wonderful than I ever dreamed.  While we captured the vista on many cameras the images in our minds are the most magnificent.  Thank you so much for your assistance in helping to make this happen for us.

 Nicollo was lovely …  the most gracious Italian gentleman … we hold him in very high regard … Ada’s meals (twice) were wonderful.  I so enjoyed dining on the terrace.  The weather was beautiful as well.

 Please stay in touch … I’m very grateful and blessed by this experience.  I will be pleased to assist as a reference anytime you wish.

 B.H.

 I am remiss in not sending this earlier.  The house was terrific, no, it was better than that.  All the bedrooms had their own bath and the beds were very comfortable.  While the house looks old it’s actually new.  All bedrooms had cable TV and there was wireless internet throughout.  The kitchen had a great stove/range and good gear to go with it.  There was nice glassware and table settings as well.  By far the high point was Franco the owner.  He is a charming and gracious man who taught us to make pizza on the outside wood fired oven-WOW.  We actually became good friends with Franco and his wife and son.   He cooked for us again and we took them out for dinner as well.  All in all, the week at the house exceeded our expectations by a significant margin.  We’re already talking about another trip to Tuscany. 

 D.C.

Hi John

 Just wanted to let you know how much we loved and enjoyed every minute at Cittadella. 

 It was exactly what I was looking for at the start of this adventure.

 Thank you for understanding my wishes. 

 Cevoli is the town of dreams, and I know I left my heart there.

 We did the whole tourist thing, but when we came back to Cittadella, we felt like  locals

 Tuscany was in its glory with the changing of the colors,  it was magnificent…

 Thank you for helping making all of our dreams come true.

 Best Regards

Linda and her California friends and family.

https://www.italiantownandcountry.com/testimonials/we-enjoyed-greve/

Hi John,
We are back from our amazing Italian vacation at Le Casale. The villa in Tuscany was absolutely beyond our expectation. The staff, the landscape, the food, the wine, and the culture made for an unforgettable experience of a lifetime.
Thank you so much for all of your help in booking our trip we will be sure to use you again in the future.
Many thanks again,
L. O’N

 All in all we did have a wonderful trip.  We had some great family time and had fun outings to Sam Gimignano, Forte dei Marmi, Lucca (biked around the wall), Volterra, and CinqueTerra.  And my husband and I got to eat at Enoteca Pinchiorri again in Florence!

 I will recommend your agency in the future (already have, in fact).  Thanks again for your help.

 Catherine

Hello John,

Ciao John,

Thank you for laying the groundwork for the most fantastic experience any of us have ever had! There truly are no words sufficiently adequate…….. …………..again John, many, many thanks. How do you thank someone for such an experience?
Other than pass it along, which we will.
B.H.

let me just say what a wonderful experience we had with one of your rentals. The house was wonderful the location and the owner where superb. Everything that was promised was delivered and more. If you ever need a reference let me know. Awesome property and experience. Thanks for your help arranging everything for my wife’s 40th birthday gift.  Oh by the way we rented Niccolo near Cortona, what a great town

R.H.

Dear Mr. Ferrari

Hi John,

 I have been meaning to write to tell you how very happy we were with our stay at the Villa.  We had the most incredible time.  We loved the place, the view, the wine, and especially Graziella and her cooking!  All of us have fantastic memories of our stay there, and wouldn’t hesitate to return.  Actually, we are all having a terrible time transitioning back to life without ItalyJ  We have all had to cut back on our eating and drinking wine just for a starter…all those extra pounds we so well deserved.  Oh how we miss the food, the wine, the people—Italy has always been one of my favorite places to visit, however, each time I came back it gets harder and harder to leave. 

Thank you so much for helping us put this wonderful vacation together.  I will keep your card handy for our next trip.

Barbara

John,

 Hi John,

 Hi John,

 Tom and I just wanted to “Thank YOU” so much for such a wonderful trip.  Hugo was absolutely fabulous and the Villa was beautiful.  Your information in the packet was very helpful and informative. Cortona is such a wonderful place to visit and we made a lot of friends along the way.   We will definitely go back to Cortona!

 Thanks again,

T and C Jones