Villa Mangiacane

GLASS OF WINE IN HAND, stand in the magnificent arched loggia and gaze out over a private Tuscan vineyard to the distant Florence skyline. Welcome to Villa Mangiacane, once home of the powerful Macchiavelli family and now a sybaritic retreat that mixes Renaissance frescoes and modern art with some decadent Italian living.

Wander through Villa Mangiacane's ground floor salons, library and wine cellar; stretch out on a boldly striped sofa on the loggia; sip a prosecco in the sculpture garden; doze over a book beside the pool. Bedrooms – none less than a suite – have a restrained opulence with crisp, clean colours, generous fabrics, rugs on polished floors and breathtaking views.

Grand antiques –  perhaps a carved four-poster or an elegant chaise longue  –  mix with contemporary artworks. Bathrooms are cool, marbled and sleek with a hint of cool Art Deco. At night, after dining in the chandeliered and mirrored dining room, you’ll be drawn to the frescoed loggia – perfumed with flowers and lit with soft candles – and the dreamy views of distant Florence. Just the two of you and the twinkling Tuscan hills.

Opulent bedrooms

Opulent and eclectic rooms – some recently redecorated by designer Ralph Krall – are individually themed with luxurious beds and marble bathrooms. The indulgence continues over dinner, taken on the terrace, in the atmospheric cellars or around the fire in winter.

© Room for Romance