Talo osta in Civitella Val di Chianassa, Toscana

in a panoramic and reserved position not far from Arezzo, renovated villa with swimming pool and vineyard. The building, dating back to the Middle Ages and probably born as a convent, was recently renovated and divided into flats and bedrooms (12 in total) for the accommodation of guests. The original finishes are still clearly visible and the property retains its rustic charm. The estate covers 41.0 hectares in total and includes a 14 × 7 m swimming pool in the garden, an olive grove (3.0 ha) and a vineyard (6.0 ha). Services are available in the nearby village (just 4 km) and the town of Arezzo is a little further away, reachable by car in about fifteen minutes. The A1 motorway is close by and makes it possible to reach Florence in just over an hour. The farmhouse (585 sqm - 6,295 sqft, 12 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms) dates back to the 11th century and is supposed to have been a small monastery where pilgrims travelling to Rome along the Via Romea (which also passed by the sanctuaries of Camaldoli and La Verna) were welcomed. The most recent extensions date back to the 18th century, when the building was converted into a manor house. Later abandoned, the structure was divided into flats and used by local farmers as a rural home. in 1961, the building was renovated while maintaining its function as a farmhouse, and only recently has a new renovation been carried out to convert the dwelling into a farmhouse. FLOOR PLANS OF THE HOUSE The building has four floors and is divided into several residential units rented to guests and/or lived in by the owners. Entering through the main door on the ground floor, one finds oneself in an entrance corridor that leads on the left to two communicating bedrooms with a shared bathroom. On the right, two doors open onto two dining/breakfast rooms for guests. Continuing past the largest room, one arrives at a small shop where the farm products are sold and, at the back of the building are the cellars and laundry room. Also from the entrance corridor, proceeding beyond the door leading to the bedrooms, one reaches the kitchen with pantry. From outside, two independent staircases lead to the mezzanine floor divided into two units. The first is a bedroom with private bathroom in the south-east corner of the farmhouse, while the second is a small apartment (100 sqm - 1,076 sqft, usable by the owners or the caretaker according to preference) consisting of a dining room with kitchenette, two bedrooms and bathroom. From the ground floor, halfway down the hallway, a staircase rises to the first floor. The hallway leads to two living rooms (one of which has a beautiful panoramic terrace) that are joined at the rear by another corridor. Two rooms at the ends of the corridor share a bathroom (located in the corridor). From the hallway, two doors then lead to two more bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms (one also with walk-in wardrobe and children's bedroom). Going further up, one reaches the second floor where two large suites are located, each with its own sitting room and bathroom and a view of the surrounding countryside. A roof hatch connects one of the small sitting rooms to the tower in the center of the building (used as a storage room). The outbuilding (105 sqm - 1,130 sqft) is located in the garden in front of the farmhouse and is currently unused, in need of renovation and modernization. Next to the pool is a pool house (80 sqm - 861 sqft) in need of renovation that could house changing rooms and showers for guests. The history of the farmhouse can be reconstructed from the information available in the forty-two parchments that can be consulted at the Diocesan Seminary Archives in Arezzo. The original core of the building dates back to the Middle Ages (around the 11th century) in the form of a fortified tower that was later donated to the Camaldolese monks in the 12th century. The building then became a reception center and refuge for pilgrims travelling along the Via Romea. DEVELOPMENT OF THE BUiLDiNG The left-side extension dates back to the 15th century, when the building was transformed into a country residence for a noble local family. The next expansion dates back to the 17th century, with the construction of the right wing and the addition of ashlar at the ends of the building. Between the 18th and 19th century, the villa was gradually abandoned and was used as the residence of farmers who converted the lower floor into a stable for animals, and in this form the farmhouse remained until after World War ii. After an initial restoration in 1962, the current owners renovated the farmhouse again in 2001, while preserving all its characteristics intact.