| | Facilities within the Estate |
 Breakfast: A rich buffet of various homemade foods served daily between 8.15 am and 10.00 am at Casabella. If you prefer we can deliver fresh bread and milk every morning right to your apartment.
Bar and Restaurant: Every morning we serve our guests a rich buffet breakfast, with various delicious homemade jams, cakes and pastries, local hams and cheeses, fruits and yogurt. From May to September you can enjoy lunch at our snack and bar "Il Cedro" with tuscan crostini, bruschetta, cheese and ham platters and salads prepared with organic and fresh greens from our garden appreciating the view of the swimming pool and the vineyards. In the evening we organise thematic dinners to let you discover the Tuscan culinary traditions and meet other guests. |
 Our gastronomic restaurant "Mulino a Vento" offers a wonderful selection of Tuscan specialities prepared everyday with fresh and genuine ingredients, mixed grills and fresh seafood specialities that arrive daily from the Liguria gulf. Immersed in the green landscape and in perfect harmony with the surroundings, the restaurant offers a large and open-air terrace with panoramic views over the valley andhills of Florence. The interior is decorated with great care using natural materials. The parquet floor is made from the old barrels in which the wines used to be aged. The friendly and relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant, as well as the personalised service and kindness of the staff, will give a special touch to your meals. |
 Cooking Classes: It is a wonderful way of understanding the tuscan culinary traditions and to amaze your own and friends in any occasion. You will learn from our chef the secrets of the Tuscan cuisine. You will prepare fresh pasta with the flour produced with our wind mill, succulent sauces, crostini and biscotti. The final test consists of tasting everything you have cooked combined with ourwines. This course is available from March till December.
Swimming pool: The large pool is located at Podere Casabella (9 x 16 meters) It is available from May to September according to the weather conditions. |
 Wind Mill: we have just restored the 18th Century wind mill that belongs to the property. The mill is working and open to visitors. In the mill a miller produces flour using traditional methods that our baker then uses to make organic bread, cakes and biscuits.
Visit the Oil Mill & Olive oil tasting: once a week or even more, depending on requests of the guests, we organise guided tours of the Olive Mill of the mansion and olive oil tasting classes. |
 Visit the wine cellars & Wine tasting:
We arrange visits of the wine cellars at Fattoria Lavacchio where you can see the barrels in durmast wood and taste the excellent D.O.C.G. wines, produced by the farm itself. Wine tasting tours take place once a week (but usually not Saturdays). The time varies according to demand so if you are interested please enquire.
Horse riding: Every day, between 10 a.m. and 12 a.m. and 17 p.m. and 19 p.m. Western and English riding, classes in the horsemanship and walk in the vineyards and olive groves of the mansion. If you want to relax in the Tuscan countryside, and to taste the emotions that a landscape plunged in olive groves, vineyards, cypresses, wind mills, country churches and castles will give them, a horse walking will help everyone to regenerate body and soul and to catch the magic and unforgettable spirit of Tuscany. It will be the nature rhythm to scan the inner time. |
 Mini-Club: This service is free of charge and is available from May to September to allow parents to fully enjoy their holiday.
Mountain bike and Trekking: You can go trekking or discover the surrounding landscape on mountain bike, living as if cars have never been invented (mountain bikes rental is on request, available from March to December).
Discovering the "Pecorino" cheese world:
Includes a visit to a sheep farm where you can discover the old and traditional methods to make Pecorino, Tuscan typical cheese.
Culinary: During specific seasons, such as the wine or olive harvest, activities will be themes- oriented. Such as the "Olive oil week" with olive harvesting, oil tasting classes, olive preparations and olive oil; "The Wine week", "The Bread week", preparing the flour at the windmill and making your own bread and probably "The Pig's week" where our guests will learn how to prepare hams, salamis and several pâtés.
Relax room: There is also a room for relaxing where you can read a book from our library or play chess or cards.
School of Ceramics: At Casabella you can find even artistic activities. Take part in our ceramics art course taught by a well-known ceramist, who lives and produces his fine products on the farm. Ceramic class is available from March to December.
Fauna & Flora: Guided by an expert environmental guide, this is a 2 hour panoramic walk to discover old farmers' secrets about local plants, herbal remedies and to recognise the flora and fauna that live in the Tuscan countryside. Cypresses, oaks, beeches and olive trees will no longer be secrets for passionate of botanic and environment in general. |
| Property Facilities Summary: |  Baby Sitting Service | Banquets | | Bar | Beauty Treatments | | Bicycle Rentals | Bus Tours | | CD Library | Car Rental (with Driver) | | Ceremony Management | Child Friendly | | Coffee Break | Computer Plugs | | Concierge Service | Conference Packages | | Congresses & Meetings | Cooking Courses | | DVD Player | Excursions | | Facilities for Disabled | Fax Machine | | Fishing | Groups Allowed | | Guest Laundry | Guide-Dogs Welcome | | Guided Tours | Home Produce | | Horseback Riding | Horseback Riding Lessons | | Hunting | Internet Wireless | | Ironing | Jacuzzi | | Laundry | Laundry & Ironing | | Manicure, Pedicure | Massage | | Meeting Room | Mountain Bike Rentals | | Newspaper | Olive Oil Tasting | | Outlet Tours | Parking | | Personal Shopper Service | Photocopier | | Playstation | Private Transfer To / From City | | Private Transfer To/From Airport | Private Transfer To/From Bus Station | | Private Transfer To/From Rail Station | Restaurant | | Sightseeing Tours | Special Events | | Swimming Pool | TV | | Telephone | Ticket Reservation Service | | Towels for Swimming Pool | Trekking | | Tuscan Dinner | Video Player | | Wake Up Service | Washing Machine | | Wedding Management | Wi-Fi | | Wine Tasting | Wine Tours | | |
Discovering the "Chianti Rufina": Guided tour at the "Museo della vite e del vino" of Rufina, Villa di Poggio Reale. People will visit the museum and discover the antique Tuscan country traditions and the history of Chianti Rufina wine, that they will taste in some of the most important cellars of the area. You can see where this great wine is produced and learn how it is made.
Bike Tour of Florence: A stimulating bike tour among the alleys and little squares of Florence to discover the history, the myths and the curiosities of the enchanting city.
The nearest villages of Rufina and Pontassieve have restaurants, a butcher, green grocer, baker, florist, newsagent, bar, post office, bank, chemist's shop, clothing and furniture shops. |
| |
|
