Father & Son Architects Design a Personal Holiday Home in Tuscany
Andrea and Luca Ponsi—a father and son architectural team—spent two years searching for a site. What they built here, in the Maremma hills between Pereta and Magliano, is the kind of thing architects rarely get to do: design a house entirely for themselves. The result was published in Casabella, collected by Princeton Architectural Press, and included in the definitive record of Tuscan architecture since 1945. Now it's available to rent. Locally quarried tufa stone forms the base, while white stucco and nautical brass carry the upper levels. From every vantage point, the view runs unbroken to Monte Argentario and the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The concept was site, first and always. Ponsi senior has drawn the Tuscan landscape for decades, and this house is the three-dimensional version of that practice. Stratified horizontal planes mirror the layered geology of the Maremma, and there are three levels, each with a distinct relationship to the ground.
White stucco walls read clean against warm wood panelling, and the nautical theme arrives through brass fittings and copper details, nodding to the sea visible from nearly every room. The open-plan main level gives the kitchen, dining, and living spaces room to breathe and flow out to the terrace without transition. A fireplace anchors the space for cooler evenings.
The main terrace is the center of daily life, with its pool, outdoor dining, and long views west to the Tyrrhenian islands. The landscape is Morellino wine country: vineyards and olive groves on the flat, medieval hill towns at eye level in the middle distance. An external steel staircase leads to the upper terrace and the master suite.
Layout
This vacation home for rent in Maremma, Tuscany sleeps up to eight guests on three levels and in four bedrooms. The ground floor holds two bedrooms and utility spaces. The main level is open plan, with kitchen, dining, and sitting area flowing to the principal terrace and pool. The upper level is the master suite with a private terrace, accessed via both an internal stair and the outdoor steel staircase. A fourth sleeping space uses a sofa bed, and a bunk bed sleeps two children. There are three full bathrooms and one WC.
Good to know
A car is essential as the home is in open countryside. The home sleeps eight at capacity (bunk bed and sofa bed), but is best suited to six guests. Air conditioning status should be confirmed with the host before booking peak summer.
Amenities & services
Pool, outdoor barbecue, fully equipped kitchen, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, fireplace, wi-fi, outdoor terrace, wood provided, parking
Around
Characterized by flat plains, gentle hills and its proximity to the sea, the Maremma area on the southern coast of Tuscany is a quiet corner of Grosseto Province. A charming and rural vineyard-dotted area, it's bordered by Monte Amiata to the east and the Tyrrhenian coast to the west. Nearby there are several wonderful medieval towns to explore including Pereta and Magliano in Toscana. A natural archipelago region, both Giannutri, and Giglio are within a short boat ride. The nearby town of Orbetello stretches across a small strip of land in the middle of the lagoon and unspoiled marshlands and the former island of Monte Argentario is connected to the mainland via narrow sandbars.
The gorgeous Uccellina National Park set along the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Marina di Alberese beach is an hour's drive and the beaches of Giannella are within a half-hour. The curious and fantastical Giardino dei Tarocchi (Tarot Garden) dedicated by designer Niki de Saint Phalle’s is an hour south and the Thermal baths of Saturnia are an hour southeast. The Tufa towns of Pitigliano and Sorano are an hour east.
The region is ideal for vineyard hopping, starting with Poggio Antico in Montalcino (grab a winery map from the Wine Roads office in town to explore further). The beautiful Val d'Orcia, Montalcino, and Siena are within an hour's drive, as are Pienza and Montepulciano. Further afield in just under two hours are Pisa, Florence and Perugia.
Location
Pereta, Maremma, Tuscany, Italy. Nearest airport: Rome Fiumicino (FCO, 158km)
Best time to visit
Late spring and autumn for mild temperatures and uncrowded roads, summer for the pool and Tyrrhenian coast, winter for wine country and the thermal baths
