Podere Usignolo

A Place of Encounters - Peace - Culture

 Podere Usignolo is a place where flora, fauna  and people come together. As well as forests of chestnut trees and very old    cork oaks, this small paradise of 3 ha also contains olive groves, many fruit trees, a small vineyard and a terraced vegetable and herb garden.
  At the heart of this idylic place are the houses Casa Usignolo and Casa Upupa, built in the traditional Tuscan  style.
  Podere Usignolo lies roughly 300 m above sea level on a sunny slope in the southern hills of Tuscany,
  the Colline Metalifere. From here the views span over the Maremma Plains as far as the Tyrrhenian Sea,
  and on a clear day Giglio Island can be seen.
  Many small cosy areas surrounding both houses and in the olive groves invite our guests to rest, relax and dream.
  In the summer the trees give shade, and in the early gentle summer evenings the bewitching song of the
  Usignolo (nightingale) can be heard.
  We understand Podere Usignolo as an agricultural place of culture. Your well-being as our guest is central  
  to our attentiveness. We cultivate our plants and trees according to the principles and demands of biological
  and ecological agriculture. As well as our own fruits and vegetables that are important to the success of our
  creative kitchen, you as our guest will enjoy the specialities of our house, such as fresh homemade
  bio-wholewheat bread, a great selection of jams and marmalades and of course our
  «Olio Extra Vergine d’Olive» that we make from our own olives  year for year.

Casa Usignolo

This house was built with natural stones in the classical Tuscan style, and is defined by its clear and simplistic architecture. It has two floors: the top floor houses a private area as well as three bedrooms (double 15m2 / single 11m2), a spacious bathroom with shower and toilet, and also a separate toilet. The bathroom and toilets are used jointly by our guests. The ground floor, where we live, has a large dining area as well as a sunnyterrace framed by a flower-covered pergola. On cooldays a large open fireplace gives warmth to the “sala di pranzo”. The piano, which may be played at wish, lets many guests relive the joy of music. The terracotta floors, the ceilings whith visible beams of  matoni and chestnut wood and the walls whitewashed with natural chalk give the rooms a special atmosphere We have taken great care and attention to the decor of all the rooms:  very comfortable beds, selected antique cupboards, and classical ceramics and fittings in the bathroom give our guests a feeling of exclusivity without forgetting where they are: in a « casalone » in the « campagno ».  Casa Usignolo uses the most modern techniques for heating and warm water preparation : air/water heating pumps deliver the necessary energy for the floor heating, giving a comfortable warmth even in winter. The water is heated by strong solar panels, and the water for the toilets comes separately from rainwater tanks.  The three rooms in Casa Usignolo can be used as single or double rooms.

Casa Upupa

Casa Upupa, named in honor of the hoopoe which finds its way here every spring, was built in 2007 and planned as a holiday cottage. It is situated slightly above Casa Usignolo at the forest edge, from where the views span the Maremma to the south and the Monte Amiata to the east. In size and appearance, this house also corresponds to the Maremma Alta style of a „casetta“, a simple country house. The top floor is reached by a large stone staircase and has two bedrooms (15 m2) each with a separate bathroom with shower. The ground floor has a living/dining room (20 m2) and a kitchen with a modern basin, gas cooker and refridgerator. The kitchen is so well equipped with cooking and dinner ware that cooking is a pleasure, even on holiday! On the west side, a bit below the house, is a sun terrace with a garden patio surrounded by oleander bushes, lavender and rosemary.  As in the Casa Usignolo, Casa Upupa also has terracotta floors, ceilings with visible beams of chestnut and biological chalk whitewashed walls, giving the rooms a pleasant simplicity combined with a decidedly comfortable climate. The antique wooden cupboards compliment the high quality decor and the firstclass beds. Both bathrooms contain wall radiators through which runs water heated by solar panels. The toilet water comes from separate rainwater cisterns. For cold days there are wood-burning ovens in each room, the wood for which comes from the  olive groves and forests belonging to Podere Usignolo.  „L’amora di casetta“ Upupa with its two bedrooms and bathrooms, living/dining room and kitchen can be rented as a holiday cottage for maximum 5-6 people. It is also possible to rent a bedroom with bathroom and the living/dining room with  kitchen (studio). B&B guests stay in one of the double bedrooms with bathroom.

Prices

Our prices are valid for the whole year (no seasonal changes). Include are:
Bed linen
Towels
Kitchen towels and cloths (house and studio)
Electricity
Heating

Rental

per week

1-3 nights per night and room

 from 4 nights per night and room

 final cleaning

Casa Upupa max 4 persons

Casa Upupa 5-6 persons

Upupa Studio max. 2 persons

EURO

830

1030

605

EURO

EURO

EURO

60

70

45

Double room with breakfast

84

68

Single room with breakfast

62/65

45/55

For longer stays (4 weeks ore more) price reductions can be discussed
 
Reservation should be made by email