While we were in Tuscany, in the town of San Gimignano, we were privileged to stay at this beautiful home called IL Borghetto.

BEFORE

We got to know the recent owners of the home and it was fascinating to hear the history behind this once ruin. The new owners purchased the villa in 1999 after it had been abandoned for 50 years. They spent 2 years restoring the ruin to its original beauty.

AFTER

They were incredibly drawn to the views from the home and decided they were willing to restore it!

Can you blame them? Just look at these views.

Incredible and wonderful to wake up to each day.

BEFORE

The home was dilapidated. The roof was caved in and large trees were growing up from within the building. The restorative work of IL Borghetto was completed taking into account the various historical architectural phases during which the Villa was built, recuperating and adding value to the structure and emphasizing the medieval elements.

BEFORE

They told us that every one of their family members played a part in restoring this home. They all cleared out the rubble, removed the trash and did all they could before the contractors got to work. From the young children to the grandparents.

AFTER

The Villa is surrounded by a large park with secular Cypress tress.

The family is incredibly gifted all they way from an Architect who drew up the plans to a grandmother that does all the cooking. The husbands keep the grounds and welcome the guests, making them feel at home. Every family member has a part in keeping this holiday home going day to day.

AFTER

The grounds are huge so I can't imagine keeping up a place like this, can you?

AFTER

They really did a beautiful job restoring the main house into 11 apartments.

AFTER

They can now be rented while you are on holiday. The home is close to several towns including Siena, Pisa and Florence.

AFTER

Each apartment resembles a typical Tuscan atmosphere and they are all very cozy and comfortable. We were in a 2 bedroom apartment but there are bigger ones available too.

It was fun to be able to cook for ourselves once in a while.

AFTER

All totally remodeled and air conditioned!

AFTER

All the windows open up to the beautiful views.

AFTER

The best part of the entire stay is that the family makes all the guests feel like they are a part of their family. They told us that is one of their main goals. They don't want their guests to feel like guests, they want them to feel like family! I LOVE THAT!

AFTER

During the day you would see couples or families gathered around chatting together and enjoying each others company.

AFTER

They served us dinner on the patio overlooking the gorgeous vineyards. They chatted with us, told us stories about their families, educated us about local wines, laughed with us and seemed delighted to serve all their guests. Grandma was in the kitchen cooking away and the rest of the family made us feel at home while we were all gathered around the tables in the moonlight.

Lavender, basil, rosemary, mint and many other herbs were all over the property and smelled heavenly. My fondest memory was watching their grandma pick the herbs for that evenings dinner - priceless, but that is their normal way of living. All the meals they served were fresh from the garden and absolutely delicious!

AFTER

There are patios and balconies tucked away all around the property and there is a wifi area too! We did stay clear from that so we wouldn't become sucked into the real world while on vacation.

AFTER

PARVA SED APTA MIHI means "Small but suitable for me"

LOVE THIS!

AFTER

We spent time at their pool reading and soaking in the sun. I loved hearing all the different accents in the background from all over the world. I met couples from Australia, England & Switzerland.

AFTER

We drove away feeling like we had stayed with a local Italian family for 4 days. They were incredibly hospitable and it was exactly what we were looking for in our stay!