Residenza D'epoca Palazzo Buonaccorsi

“Beautiful ! A wonderful, traditional Tuscan guesthouse in a 13th-century family home.”

Tusacny !! The fabulous and historical land of wines and rolling hills spread under sparkling blue skies and tall, slender cypress trees, peppered with small, ancient and historic villages that still live the old lifestyles. And amidst this bucolic landscape stands the ancient, walled village of … more

Tusacny !! The fabulous and historical land of wines and rolling hills spread under sparkling blue skies and tall, slender cypress trees, peppered with small, ancient and historic villages that still live the old lifestyles. And amidst this bucolic landscape stands the ancient, walled village of San Gimignano ~ one of many such in the region. Looking almost untouched from the time it was built by pre-cave-dwellers – just kidding !! But, yes, the look is classic Italian, Tuscan: picturesque and architecturally distinctive. The village sits atop a hill, overlooking all the surrounding countryside - this was a natural way to build for defense, back in the old times: if you’re on top, you’re on top. Circled by tall walls dating back to the 13th Century, its buildings abut each other seamlessly, grouped around small, irregular plazas, courtyards, narrow streets and public buildings like churches, shops and the town administration. Here, there were no height restrictions or building codes, so there is a hodge-podge of tall towers, short towers, wide and slender and squat buildings, whose size was determined by the space and funds available to their builders. Again, for natural defense, the towns were built compactly, with winding streets and sudden dead ends even though there may have been no limits required of their boundaries at the time. Today, the old architectural styles have been preserved, while allowing individual homeowners to upgrade and improve their properties, so these walled towns have developed a unique characteristic that is a mix of the old and new worlds - with all the modern facilities and comforts available today. Palazzo Buonaccorsi is one such old family home, built hundreds (??) of years ago and owned by perhaps the same family for generations. The owners still live there, and have developed rooms within their property that can be rented as hotel / guest rooms, and they provide a wonderful way to assimilate with the local culture. Entry into the village for cars is strictly prohibited - only residents can park within the walls. Visitors can drive in to arrive or depart such lodgings, but there are parking lots located around the walls at the various entrances to the village for overnight stays as a nod to modern-day transport. And thereafter, one walks everywhere, or takes some form of public conveyance. The entrance to this beautiful lodge brings you through a winding corridor, up some stairs, past an area where the owners have their “office” and residence, and opens up into a beautiful courtyard fully surrounded by the upper levels of the village – I say “village” because there are no visible delineations between one home and another. The courtyard is open to the sky, with natural light and ventilation pouring in. I did not ascertain the number of rooms or floors, but there seemed to be many, interwoven through some of which is the owners’ home. Our two rooms (for 4 of us) were located on opposite sides of the entrance to this courtyard. The entire structure is natural stone and brick flooring - local building materials beautifully maintained, and plant-scaped with potted greenery everywhere. Internally, our rooms were rustic but fully equipped with modern appliances and finishes. The owners restored and refurbished the authentic structure and put in new fixtures to create the new bedroom, kitchenette and bathroom within the old, nestled under the ancient stone arches and vaulted brick ceilings that enhance and emphasize the way the city was constructed eons ago... The bath has folding metal and glass doors that close to form the neat, functional and compact shower space. The one thing that is at a premium in these old structures is space – so the planners have to be very inventive to carve out the desired rooms and integrate the necessary utilities into them. And this is very nicely done everywhere. The large, comfortable wrought-iron bed and a sofa are also tucked into arched stone alcoves to the back of the room. All the surfaces are tiled in locally made ceramic tiles, and the fully equipped kitchen space features a small cooktop, a Kona coffee machine, a compact double-door refrigerator, a roomy microwave and a generous sink on a marble counter. Very adequate: all the necessary modern amenities, and just so well integrated into the old. Pity we could only stay for one night, as this was just so attractive and “antique”. The hosts are welcoming and very good to work with. They helped us make this reservation online, find a local restaurant, etc. and it was seamless. Thank you, ladies.

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