Senza Fine

A Slow-Living Stone Getaway in the Wild Tuscan Highlands

Filled with evocative treasures sourced by its antiques dealer owner, with an atmosphere of elemental elegance from its organic construction and furnishings in hemp, stone and lime plaster, this eight-bedroom stone house occupies a promontory in deep, wild Tuscany. Not set in the postcard Tuscany of cypress trees and rolling hills, this is the region’s high-altitude back country, a wild land at 630 meters altitude dominating a wooded valley. The Etruscans settled here, between Arezzo and Cortona, thousands of years ago, and it’s a natural area protected for the truffles and mushrooms found deep in its forests.

The eight double bedrooms are set with linen bedding and rich, earth-toned textiles, with views of the surrounding mountains. There are five en-suite bedrooms, with the upper-level bedrooms sharing a bathroom. The primary bedroom benefits from direct access to the terrace, a shaded space that occupies the home’s heart, and all bedrooms offer views of the wild countryside. The cozy farm-style kitchen was created for leisurely meal preparation and culinary creativity, and downtime can be spent at the billiards table, playing foosball or piano, or cozying up with a book in one of the home’s serene, beautifully decorated living spaces.

Outdoors, there are games, a natural pool, and endless blue skies and green woodlands. The home tops a promontory, its stone walls sturdy and reassuring.

Around

Located between the medieval cities of Arezzo and Cortona near the village of Palazzo del Pero, this stone home stands at 630 meters altitude, atop a promontory overlooking preserved natural parkland and a valley below dotted with vineyards and olive groves. This is Tuscany but a wilder land of higher elevation and ancient heritage, settled thousands of years ago by the Etruscans. The hamlet of Palazzo del Pero has several restaurants, two grocery stores, a pharmacy, a butcher shop and all necessary basics.

Arezzo clings to a hilltop overlooking the valleys of Tiberina, Casentino, Valdarno and Valdichiana, while smaller Cortona’s hilltop views extend over Lake Tasimeno. Arezzo’s medieval Piazza Grande is an architectural destination with its facades by Vasari, Giambologna and Rossellino, and the town is a stop on the Piero della Francesca trail that documents the works of this famed Renaissance painter and native son. The Medici Fortress dominates the highest point in town, offering breathtaking views. The Medici legacy, among others, has made Arezzo one of Tuscany’s wealthiest towns, known for its trade of gold and fine linens, and jewelry boutiques offer fine works in gold and other precious metals, while Italy’s most famed linens are still produced in the area. Finally, antique dealers hold a monthly market on the Piazza Grande, offering furniture, fine art, and locally designed crafts.

Cortona offers a smaller village feel, its steep narrow lanes overlooking Lake Trasimeno’s shimmering waters flanked by a patchwork of cultivated fields and vineyards. The town’s main square, the Piazza della Repubblica has cafes and benches for people-watching under its historic clock tower and town hall. Archeology enthusiasts should stop into the Museo dell’Accdemia Etrusca in the 13th-century Palazzo Casali for its striking collection of Etruscan, Egyptian and medieval artifacts.

Location

Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy. Nearest airport: Umbria-Perugia (PEG, 60km), Florence (75km)

Best time to visit

April to October

Photography: Anne-Emmanuelle Thion