San Ansano is an absolutely beautiful place, we loved it from the moment we first saw it. It is an old traditional farmhouse spendidly located in the Tuscan hills, on the one hand very peaceful and quiet, but on the other hand close to the SS223, the road connecting Siena with Grosseto on the Mediterranian coast. The house is divided into three apartments. We generally stay in apartment A3 on the first floor. It is quite large with a generous living, three bedrooms, a spacious kitchen, and two bathrooms. The apartment is very tastefully furnished and decorated, creating a comfortable and pleasant environment, with the perfect fireplace in the living room completing the picture. The house is very well maintained and clean, and the friendly German housekeeper, who has a great sense of humor, takes perfect care of it.
But although the place is fantastic on the inside, we love it most for its terrace outside. The view is simply spectacular, with the Crete Sienese and the mountaintop city Montalcino on the east and the Monte Amiata on the south. The terrace also overlooks the garden, from where the sweet smells of rosemary and lavender readily rise up to the seating area. Furthermore, the garden has a luxurious swimming pool. The terrace also presents a fine view on the picturesque little village of Pari on top of a hill about 1 km to the south. Pari is a charming place with a small grocery, where we buy our everyday goods, and a ‘locanda’, a small restaurant with perfect homemade Tuscan food.
For us San Ansano has it all: beautiful peaceful surroundings with spectacular views, perfect walking, charming cities like Siena, Montalcino and Pienza, great food and great wine, the beach close by….. you name it. Every year we go back there once or twice and each and every time we enjoy our visit tremendously.
Jan Wilschut and Annemarie van Buuren
Garnwerd, The Netherlands
