In 2007 David and Catherine Gardner opened Villa Bordoni, Country House Hotel and Restaurant, a small luxury hotel immediately above the town of Greve right in the heart of Chianti Classico region of Tuscany.

This 16th century villa has remarkable views of the Tuscan hills and is conveniently located to explore the entire region of Tuscany.  We travelled east to Arezzo, south to Montalcino, west to San Gimignano and then onto Pisa and Lucca. You will need a car to stay at Villa Bordoni as it sits high in the hills with amazing views of Montefioralle.

Montefioralle

The hotel has 10 bedrooms and suites each named after a vineyard, Chianti peak or Castle it looks towards and individually decorated with attention to detail including stenciled walls and all the amenities.

View from a room of vineyards and olive trees

Views from the pool

The pool, exercise space, and restaurant are all just waiting for you to indulge yourself and relax! It is a magical place that I personally had on my bucket list for 10 years! I was not disappointed. The staff are friendly, knowledgable and always ready to accommodate your every need.

Jasmine covered shower!

A private suite

Even I could bear the treadmill here!

The restaurant has 2 rooms but why would you sit inside when you can sit in the lovely gardens surrounded by boxwood hedges and flower beds in the walled garden for breakfast and dinner and revel in the scenery and just being in Tuscany! They serve gourmet food highlighting seasonal ingredients. Of course, if you are there in cooler or rainy weather dining by candlelight and a warm fireplace is just as romantic!

“Villa Bordoni is a ‘Patrician Villa’ – the former country residence of the Bordoni’s, a family of wealthy merchants from the city of Florence.

“To understand the history of the Villa, one has to understand the history of the Greve Valley and beyond to the cluster of city-states that are known today as Italy.

Florence and Siena were separate countries in the Middle Ages – great rivals, frequently at war with one another. The valley of the river Greve, which gives its name to the nearest town, was of great strategic importance, and all too frequently the battleground of the Florentine and Sienese armies; hence the concentration of castles and fortified villages present in the area. The origins of Villa Bordoni date back to the 11th century … Over the centuries a network of fragile alliances brought relative peace to the region, and permitted the structure to evolve into a farmhouse, albeit a fortified one.

During the 17th century, this ‘casa colonica’ was purchased by a wealthy family from Florence, as a form of summer country residence and hunting lodge, and was slowly transformed into a Villa, with its stuccoed façade and Italian garden. During the 18th century, Giuseppe Bordoni made this Villa his permanent home and invested heavily in the vineyards, producing a renowned Chianti Classico …

After the Second World War, the heir to the dwindling family fortune tried her best to defend the family property, but over the years found herself having to sell off parcels of land and entire farmhouses in order to preserve the Villa and the core of the farm…”(Source: excerpted from Wikipedia)

If you long to visit Tuscany I highly suggest a stay at Villa Bordoni! Follow the blog as we continue exploring Tuscany one ancient town and vineyard at a time! Next stop is Villa Vignamaggio just outside Greve in Chianti and a short trip from Villa Bordoni for a fabulous wine tasting and lunch and tour of the cellars and vineyards.