- Truly, our vacation in Villa Paterno was one of our most memorable and wonderful of all! – CEO Major Company (Ohio)
- …Our trip to Tuscany was wonderful and everyone had a fabulous time in Villa Paterno. Florence and Siena were great, but the highlight of the trip was the tour and your description of Villa Zingale. Everyone had a great time. – Executive who rented the entire villa (California)
- …We had a marvelous time in Londa and especially at Villa Poggiolo. Everything was beyond our expectations, the villa, the town, the surrounding area and its beauty and lack of tourism. – Family (New Jersey)
- …I can’t decide if early morning was my favorite, or the stars in the evening! I was able to see the best of both worlds, the big cities and the blissful quiet of the country. I have never slept so soundly. The restaurants I found in the big cities became disappointing after I discovered your local trattorias. When I think of my visit to Villa Paterno all I can say is “amore”. – Single women traveling with a friend (Ohio)
- …You know usually the places you go to don’t look like the pictures at all. This place is so much better than it looks in pictures! We love it! – Couple (New York)
- …Don’t forget we’re coming back! We all agreed when we were there that we’d come again in five years! – Couples who met while staying at Villa Paterno (New York and California)
- …It was the greatest vacation time together our family ever had! We all had so much to see and do and could still enjoy the countryside. Best of all we and our children each had our own apartments allowing privacy for my parents! – Family who rented entire villa (Ohio)
- …The entire experience exceeded my expectations in every way. I fell in love with Italy, felt I was home. It was truly a life-changing experience. The villa and vineyards were so beautiful, the Tuscan landscape so incredible that I couldn’t stop painting. – Artist (Maine)
- …It was a wonderful time for our three families. The best feature of the villa is the setting. Just sitting on the patio was a real pleasure. We spent a part of nearly every day exploring the back roads, small towns, and high-rim hiking trails literally within a few miles of the villa. Never have we had such great Italian food! – Families (California)
- …The only thing more charming than our stay at Villa Antica was your hospitality. – La Dolce Vita! – Couples (New York and California)
- …I look through the arches and I see a world so strangely poised between the hurried world of modern life and the secrets of the past. We toured Villa Zingale and were taught many things as we listened to you both. However, I doubt whether you realize the most important lesson you taught – the love of life itself. I believe no other vacation has meant so much to myself and to the people and family around us. Thank you!!! – Family group (New York)
- …Why do you even come back to the United States? – Everyone!
This week was such a wonderful start to our Italian adventure. Everything has been perfect–the weather, the food, the art, the history, the shopping – all fabulous.
“We especially love the countryside and are sitting on the patio watching the sun set as I write this. The sounds of the birds and roosters are the only distractions.
“And the food in Londa was our favorite-better than anything we tried in Florence or Siena. Paolo and Clara, il Colonnello, da Fischia-all first class and family owned. I will never look at a mushroom the same way.
“We enjoyed taking the train to Florence from Contea and exploring all the area towns, especially Stia, which I loved.
“But a real highlight of our trip was the tour of Villa Zingale-highly recommended!! The history, art and antiques in that home cannot be described. They must be seen. And it makes the trip especially gratifying to know we’ve stayed in a place with such rich heritage and fascinating culture.
“We hope to return one day.”
“We were thinking of you both this glorious weekend; primarily because the weather was so like that which we enjoyed in Londa at the beginning of May. My parents, husband and I were reminiscing about our trip to Italy and realized that we have been remiss in not letting you know how much we enjoyed our sojourn in Londa. The villa was everything you promised and then some. The views were truly spectacular, the town was ideally situated and all of the recommended local restaurants were charming.
“Key to our enjoyment was the fact that we did not need to move from hotel to hotel each night. “Giotto” was ideally suited for the four of us and even accommodated my stepdaughter comfortably. We cooked extensively in the kitchen for breakfast and lunch and even managed a dinner one evening. The villa was very spacious with plenty of closet space, comfortable beds, great showers, etc. The living room and terrace gave us plenty of room to spread out when we wanted to relax. And we certainly appreciated the central heating on some of the cool evenings.
“We were very well looked after. You are so fortunate to have a manger who is not only a consummate professional when it comes to day-to-day operations at the villas but who is also so personable and thoughtful.
“We have fallen in love with your corner of Tuscany and plan to return often. Our next goals are to become proficient in the Italian language and to learn to cook really great Tuscan pizzas. When we accomplish those goals, you will be hearing from us to book “Giotto” for our next holiday. In the meantime we have been recommending the villas to our friends, and we sincerely hope that our recommendations will bring you some additional guests. You have such a magnificent estate, and we appreciate having had the opportunity to share a part of it as well as to experience a bit of the Tuscan lifestyle. Thank you so much!”
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“It will not be news to you that Mike and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Caiano. We now feel it was the best ever of all of our trips to Italy. You both, in no small measure, deserve a lot of credit in this. It seemed almost from the start that there was a great affinity between us. Apparent was the appreciation of the beautiful surroundings of the villas, the views, the unbelievable clean air, the peacefulness, and the starry unblemished night skies. ‘Our cup overfloweth!’
“How lovely it was that you were there when we arrived, Joe, followed by Mary Jo’s early morning visit the next day with the gift of the fresh peaches! You both are the most gracious hosts. What a difference from staying in a hotel!
“The tour Joe gave to acquaint us with the present and the past of the Villa Zingale was a highlight of our stay. We have told many of our friends about it. The chapel with the youthful painting of St. Frances, the trompe l’oiel room, the frescoes, the beautiful robes, the ancestral paintings and the whole interior areas made so livable for modern times, while leaving the charm and beauty of days past. When you pointed across the valley and made us realize we were standing close to where Hannibal crossed the Alps we were thrilled. Altogether it was dream come true.
“Mike’s morning walks, picking wildflowers, fresh figs and peaches, the church of Santa Maria a Caiano and its surroundings were an important part of our days.
“We will always remember this, our first stay on the Via Zingale, with joy.
“We feel privileged to have met you both and grateful that you have shared so much with us. Thank you.”
“I have been waiting my whole life for a trip to Italy. Villa Paterno has fulfilled all my dreams. The view from the villa was breathtaking of the mountains and vineyards. I can’t decide if early morning was my favorite with clouds hanging low or the light show of the stars in the evening.
“The villa was definitely the way to enjoy local Italian culture. Being so centrally located to Florence, I was able to see the best of both worlds, the big cities and the blissful quiet of the country. I have never slept so soundly.
“The restaurants I found in the big cities became disappointing after I discovered the local trattorias. I feel that I have experienced food for the first time, but of course not the last. For I hope to return this summer.
“When I think of my visit to Villa Paterno, all I can say is amore.”
“. . . . . Truly, our vacation in Villa Paterno was one of our most memorable and wonderful of all! So it was fun to reminisce about it and to also hear about all your other fascinating ventures . . . . .”
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” . . . . We thoroughly enjoyed our three weeks in Caiano. . . . . Waking up to that panoramic landscape was such a calming and refreshing antidote to the stresses and turmoil of American living.”
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” . . . . Sat on the terrace and shelled peas, listened to the birds and gazed at the lovely hills . . . .
“Took the pathway near your villa and gathered wild flowers. My mother always told me how large the violets were in Italy and the ones I found on the pathway were indeed large. The bouquet was in memory of my mother who died a year ago the week I was at the villa. I cried because she spoke so often of Italy and never returned.
“The car was a new Red Fiat-called it my chariot of fire, and it was a first for me-I had never rented a car before. Friends and family were amazed I did it in Italy. The roads are excellent, and after I relaxed, enjoyed having the car. Some of my nervousness was because of the horror stories people told me about driving in Italy, and you were right-not in Londa, etc.
“I enjoyed the eclectic d�cor of the apartment, the skylights, the blue and white tile bathroom, the beautiful mohair blankets, the spacious kitchen and dining area, the view from my bedroom window-a large cypress tree, and in the background, the hills. You have created a lovely and welcoming sanctuary in sharing all the beauties that are on your properties with so many persons, including myself. All the information you sent was so complete and helpful.
“I understand why you are enchanted with it all. . . . ”
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“The flight from Milan to JFK was a long one, nearly eight hours. We all sat with our separate thoughts and memories of the two plus weeks that had just passed. The kids, Zachary and Alley, thought about the night at Paulo and Clara’s two nights before where they had the run of the place and took pictures of everybody working there, even getting a glimpse into the kitchen where Clara worked her culinary magic. We will save the bottle of wine they gave us to take home for some truly special occasion.
“Now, a week after our return, we have pictures, memories, souveneirs and the feeling that a part of us, no matter how small, was left behind on a little stretch of curvy road winding up from Londa to our villa where the landscape dazzled and relaxed us and the sunsets bewitched
us–the place where we took an unforgettable vacation.”
“Thank you so much for your note and the included brochures and clear copy itinerary. It was certainly a pleasure to have met you and Joe and to have stayed in the Villa Poggiolo. We had a marvelous time in your undiscovered Tuscan world. The countryside was so beautiful, quiet green hills, vineyards, olive trees, flowers and mounds of blooming lavender. We feasted at Paolo and Clara’s on incredible funghi and game, and after the hustle-bustle of Firenze or Arezzo or Siena, it was grand to come home to the magnificent sunsets and the cool quiet of ‘our’ Villa Poggiolo. We sat on the spacious terrace and admired the canopy of stars. I do think your part of Tuscany is cooler than the area south of Florence. We enjoyed our train trips into Florence, with the little convent looking down over the tracks.
“Everywhere, I am passing the word about your little Eden.”
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“Just returned from two weeks at your villa Michaelangelo and thoroughly enjoyed our stay and accommodations. We would particularly like thank Mary Jo for being so thoughtful and making our stay even more enjoyable.”
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” . . . . For everyone, it was a beautiful trip and was an ongoing topic of conversation. Thank you for creating such a beautiful home for us all and memories forever .”
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” . . . . . Thank you for allowing us to share a memorable family experience at your beautiful Villa Paterno.”