We are so grateful to Francesca and her family for the kindness and hospitality that they showed us leading up to our stay, during and even after our stay in the villa in April 2015, along with close family and friends for our wedding.

We planned our trip within four months, from Toronto, and were very busy throughout the the days leading up to the wedding and trip. Francesca was in touch with us by skype and email throughout, despite having other weddings to plan in the meantime, and was always so helpful, cheerful and generous with us in sharing ideas and resources, something we didn't find to be the case with online services or wedding planning services, and she was doing this as a villa host! She went above and beyond to help us navigate the services in Poppi, knowing that we might have trouble with speaking in Italian with local vendors.

When we got to the villa, we felt immediately like we were at home. The villa is a wonderful and private haven. We had our families, many with small infants under one or two, stay with us - and there was enough privacy for people to feel comfortable. The villa and surrounding farm were so beautiful and charming that it was like a dream to stay there.

We got married in the Poppi castle and had the reception and other events in the villa, and it was just perfect. Francesca and her family and staff were so attentive and helpful, and just really thoughtful and nice people to be around, as well. They seemed like they weren't just doing a job but loved what they do. We ordered catering for the wedding dinner and the brunch the next day and it was so delicious and everyone is still talking about how fresh and appetizing the food was.

In terms of getting there from Florence, Francesca recommended taking the highway - unfortunately, we forgot to take her advice and took the winding hills the first time - however the highway is definitely an easier route for those with children and those prone to motion sickness.

ALL of our guests felt a sense of gratitude and relief upon arriving at the villa and that sense of appreciation stayed with them throughout the rest of their vacation and long afterwards. We know that we have a once in a lifetime experience that we share with our closest loved ones, and each one of them has expressed thankfulness to us for arranging such an epic time. All we can be credited for is choosing the right villa to stay at! The villa was a perfect blend of attentive host, tasteful decor, privacy, hospitality and a beautiful and calming setting.

Overall, we just want to say thanks again to Francesca and her lovely family for the kindness and care they showed, to make our wedding and family vacation a dream and wonderful memory. We hope to come again for a reunion!

A bit late in writing this review, but it's been on my to do list for a while. I stayed at the villa with my family for a 1 week vacation in May 2014. I don't know that I can adequately describe how wonderful the villa and Francesca and her family are. When we arrived, Francesca was waiting in the driveway to greet us, and then she promptly took us on a room by room tour of the villa. The place is so large, we just kept wondering if it was ever going to end....in a good way :). Francesca left us with a couple of bottles of wine as a gift to start our trip, and on our very first morning, we awoke to a freshly baked berry pie that her mom had dropped off. It was little touches like this that made the stay so memorable.

Everything about the villa was fantastic....the space, the cleanliness, the views, etc. It was also great to see Francesca on the property each morning as it gave us the opportunity to ask questions and get sightseeing advice.

Francesca also offered a home cooked meal (with cooking class). I highly recommend everyone take advantage of this. It is not to be missed, and is the best meal I had my entire trip in Italy. On top of that, she provided us with a recipe book to take home. I've since purchased a pasta roller and have been taking advantage of the recipes Francesca taught us :)

Don't hesitate to choose this villa. It is an experience you will never forget. I only hope it's available on our next trip over there :)

Words cannot express my and my new husbands deep gratitude to Francesca and her family/staff for making our dream wedding come true! From her gracious welcome and hard work (with the help of her mom!) in the kitchen, to her attention to detail on the setup of our reception room, to the fantastic autumn views of Poppi and it's historic castle, to the comfortable accomodations at the villa, to her hospitality toward our friends and family (who are a handful!) - we were just so happy with everything Francesca did for us. We planned the whole trip/wedding from the USA, and she made the process so easy. To give you an example of Francesca's hospitality and helpfulness to the planning of our wedding - she emailed back and forth with us for a year to answer all of our questions, she skyped with us, and she even drove a photo of my perfect wedding cake to a bakery in town to make arrangements for me! When we arrived, she personally drove us to the bakery to finalize our order and to meet the baker. These were all things we would have expected from a wedding planner... Not our vacation rental! All I can say is, if you are looking for a perfect wedding venue, or even just a fabulous family holiday, look no further. This truly is an unforgettable property and the service is impeccable - you just won't find it elsewhere.