It is very hard not to be excited about B & B La Lodola which in our view represents one of the best that Tuscany has to offer, and that is saying something. We can honestly say that we would rather stay here with Mario and Beatrice than at a luxury hotel for less money!
From the outside, the old farmhouse, doesn't look like much, but once you get inside there is no end to the delights! The large living room, used by guests and the family is in perfect harmony with the large fireplace, the comfortable furniture and an indescribable cosy atmosphere. It is also the case as for the rooms, which are almost exclusively furnished with antiques partly due to the owners' good taste, and the fact that they also have an antique shop in Pienza. By the way, breakfast is available here in the living room.
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The rooms, one on the ground floor, the other on the first floor, as mentioned, are all decorated with antique furniture, and since the it happens quite often that guests fall in love with something, they often end up buying it! In other words, the rooms regularly undergo change and they all remain well furnished, very personally decorated and quite charming. In the garden below the house you can enjoy a well maintained pool with breathtaking views of the countryside.
The garden is Marios domain, while Beatrice tends more to the house's interior. Mario works the majority of the day outside with the vegetable garden and farmland and of course his home grown is used in the cooking at the small restaurant that is run by their son, Carlo. It is close to impossible to imagine anything more romantic, cosy and intimate than this small eatery, and since the food is excellent too, very few people want to eat anywhere else during their stay here. By the way, also possible to take a cooking class!
Since the B & B is on the road, there is some inevitable traffic noise at times from passing vehicles, but the road is not heavily trafficked, however we feel it should still be mentioned. A guest once remarked that her first impression had been the noise of the traffic, but once she was on the farm, she forgot about it. In our case it took just 10 minutes and then we thought no more of it, instead, we only thought how wonderful everything was.
There is one room of this type, it is on the first floor, and it is quite small. It is not possible to add extra beds (in turn, the room is very cosy). You have your own bathroom.
There are two rooms of this type of B & B La Lodola, one located on the ground floor, the other on the first floor. Their size means that it is possible to add a single bed. They obviously have a private bathroom.
There are two rooms of this type of B & B La Lodola, one located on the ground floor, the other on the first floor. Their size means that it is possible to add a single bed. They obviously have a private bathroom.
There is one room of this type. It's a lot bigger than the others, and it is therefore possible to add up to two beds. Also the bathroom is large.
This room is basically not a suite, but a room with a large solid loft. In the entrance area is a single bed (as it is antique, it is not for large people), and on the top floor you will find a double bed and a bath (!). There is also a bathroom and the possibility of adding one extra bed.
A wonderful week at a lovely family. Clean and nice, really good food, good rooms in very beautiful surroundings.
In the afternoon we were on a couple of trips to the nearby towns, and all of them were really good.
The owner of this 250 year old, beautiful farm Mario Purco, made us feel at home and the hospitality was great. His daughter-in-law Manuela, whole ran the restaurant, which we ate at 6 out of 7 days to our pleasure, also needs a lot of credit for helping us through their gourmet dinners and choice of dishes.
