There are places where time seems to have stopped, where it seems like being in a beautiful fairy tale and everything is so beautiful that it makes you forget the rest of the world. From where you would no longer want to leave and as soon as you leave you can’t wait to return to experience those beautiful emotions that these places of long memory offer.
Lupaia it is one of the most beautiful refuges in Tuscany, a boutique hotel with a bewitching charm on the hills of Torrita di Siena, between the Val di Chiana and the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about 20 minutes from villages such as Montepulciano and Pienza. Lupaia it follows the rhythms dictated by nature and has a magical atmosphere all its own.
It’s the country house that everyone dreams of, that dream Heidi And Christopher Mueller they made it come true in 2016 precisely in Lupaianow affiliated with the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and Michelin Golden Key.
«Before starting this project we had always stayed mostly in small hotels, with a soul and something unique. Lupaia for us it is the quintessence of what we look for when we travel: a place that has the services and facilities of a luxury hotel, but which resembles a private home” he says Christopher Muellerwho lives in one of the farmhouses with his wife Heidi Lupaia.
Legend has it that its name derives from the Latin “lupus”, therefore the hill of wolves, when they populated the hills of Tuscany. The reality, however, says that it was born in 1622 as a farm and today it is a relais with the suggestion of a small village with 12 rooms and suites, of which the latest renovated in 2023 are “Vigna” and “Oliva”. All impeccably furnished with taste and style, they are located in five different buildings, in stone and brick covered with ivy and American vines, once used as rural spaces and today a symbol of a Tuscany guardian of beautiful stories, affections and traditions. Many furnishings are souvenirs of travels, artists’ works, period carpets, beautiful Italian fabrics, Victorian bathrooms.
It is they, Heidi and Christopher, who welcome guests upon arrival, and after having enjoyed an excellent cocktail with a spectacular view of Montepulciano, expertly made by Andrea Salucciit is possible to dine in the romantic lounge with open kitchen, where the Chef Andrea Sisti gives guests his culinary cuddles.
«Our goal was to create a welcoming, timeless, intimate and enveloping atmosphere. Being able to give life and warmth to this place, giving back the soul to objects: our musical playlists for the different moments of the day, the fresh flowers, the candles, the fireplace lit in the evening, the scents from the kitchen from dawn until evening , all elements that define the experience Lupaia, like being at a friends house. It is our philosophy, which we share with the staff, like a family. Guests leave with the feeling of having made a connection with the magic that surrounds them Lupaiabut also between them” he adds Heidi Mueller.
Together with them, there is the General Manager, Fabio Datteroninative of a small village just 20 km from here, who with pride and passion, describes to us how essential it is for him to offer an authentic experience of the real Tuscany with the entire team of Lupaia. He declares «My Tuscan nature, which is rooted in the territory and local traditions, is what I like to demonstrate to guests».
Finally, a novelty this season is the Kitchen Lab, here guests have the opportunity to immerse themselves in local cuisine with private lessons, with one of the chefs – Andrea or Luca – preparing a typical three-course Italian lunch which can then be tasted in this new place.
This is like a secret haven of the beautiful and the good that brings together like-minded people from all over the world who love to enjoy fine taste and feed on dreams like that of Heidi and Christopher.
It is another fairytale village Borgo Santo Pietro located not far from the wonderful and spectacular Abbey of San Galgano. A 5-star luxury boutique hotel with holistic spa, the starred Saporium restaurant, the Trattoria sull’Arber, a 120-hectare organic farm, vineyards and spectacular gardens. A love letter to and from Tuscany and an ancestral sanctuary for modern pilgrims. Borgo Santo Pietro shares a tangible sense of home, where nature and luxury flow seamlessly together. Five-star luxury farm and part of the Leading Hotels of the World, Borgo Santo Pietro has 22 rooms and suites, 5 of which with private pool.
The estate of Borgo Santo Pietro has developed over the last 20 years thanks to the care and passion of Jeanette And Claus Thottrup and of the entire team with whom they share a profound respect for the land and its management.
Borgo Santo Pietro it is an organic farm where chickens are raised for precious free-range eggs, rabbits, pigs for cured meats and sheep to produce artisanal cheeses. It also includes two vineyards, fruit and nut trees, a herb house, a fermentation lab, a chocolate and ice cream lab, and a sprawling 2-acre biodynamic culinary garden that provides seasonal vegetables, herbs and edible flowers throughout the year. year at restaurants.
Venture into the manicured gardens of Borgo Santo Pietro it means abandoning yourself entirely to the senses and taking a journey among scents and colors that regenerate the body and mind.
If you then want to daydream overlooking the sea, on the splendid Argentario promontory the Pelican it is the ideal place. The journey to get there is already spectacular and offers the opportunity to enjoy the magical coast overlooking the crystalline sea of Porto Ercole. One of the most iconic Italian destinations for over 50 years, the Pelican embodies the essence of the Italian dolce vita and offers the ideal holiday for attentive and pleasure-loving travellers. In the 1960s, a couple made up of a charismatic American high society woman and an English aviator decided to create a romantic retreat in a secret bay on Monte Argentario.
Within a few years, their closest friends, from Hollywood celebrities to European royalty, began regularly visiting them at their beautiful oasis, to dive into the crystal-clear waters that lap it, and attend moonlight parties away from the spotlight. In 1965, the two lovers transformed their charming Tuscan villa into the Pellicano.
In 1979 the well-known entrepreneur Roberto Sciò he fell in love with the property and purchased it, making sure to maintain the same welcoming atmosphere that had always characterized it. Today, his daughter Marie-Louise, Creative Director and CEO of the Pellicano Hotels Group, keeps Il Pellicano in step with the times, in a perfect balance between contemporaneity and retro atmosphere.
The Pelican shines with a timeless glamor that evokes the charm of the Dolce Vita. Immersed in the peace of the Tuscan coast, the hotel offers classic-style and well-furnished rooms and suites with a spectacular view of the Tuscan archipelago.
These are villages that tell important stories, where the happiness of those who lived there pervades and overwhelms everyone, providing priceless well-being.
