The Best Italian Agriturismi For Summer
Lose yourself among rolling Tuscan hills and Puglian olive groves, finding calm amid weaving vineyards and grazing animals at these top Italian farm stays.
30 July, 2021
- Words by
- Olivia Morelli and Phoebe Hunt
Agriturismi
Agriturismi
– farm stays – are rapidly garnering a loyal
following among those searching for authentic travel experiences.
Traditional Italian estates and historic manor farms double up as
homestays, providing guests with intimate dwellings for tranquil
escapes. Arcadian views across fields and farmland can be enjoyed
from rustic rooms or standalone guest houses, charmingly decorated
and often more affordable than typical accommodation options. In
recent years, low-key luxe has found its niche, with organic
cookery schools and infinity pools being added to the mix. As well
as offering an escape from the city, agriturismi stays entail daily
meals that often prove the closest rendering of farm-to-table food
you can find as a visitor.
Lose yourself among rolling Tuscan hills and Puglian olive
groves, finding calm amid weaving vineyards and grazing animals at
these top Italian agriturismi.
hotel
Borgo Pignano
Tuscany, Italy
Within spitting distance of the hilltop villages of San
Gimignano and Volterra, this peaceful 17th-century farmhouse is
brimming with wholesomeness. Sit down to honey from the farm’s own
beehives, wine from its vineyards and olive oil from the ancient
gnarled trees growing within the impossibly beautiful country
estate. At the alfresco restaurant, pasta and bread are made from
Borgo Pignano’s own harvest of ancient grains, meaning they’re far
easier to digest than commercial wheat. The working farm is home to
Cinta Senese pigs and free-range chickens, as well as horses that
guests can ride and a beautifully maintained kitchen garden that’s
perfect to stroll around. Friendly cooking classes put an emphasis
on heritage grain bread-making, while guided tastings offer an
introduction to the region’s biodynamic wines.
hotel
Borgo Santo Pietro
Tuscany, Italy
More luxury palace than muddy homestead, the 120ha Borgo Santo
Pietro estate encompasses an extensive working farm, with a
traditional dairy, vineyards and apiary all helping to fuel the
two-Michelin-star restaurant. Stay in one of 20 unique bedrooms in
the 800-year-old farmhouse hotel, once a stopover for medieval
pilgrims in search of some R&R. Alternatively, thanks to its
close proximity to Siena, Borgo Santo Pietro can be visited for the
day, offering guests the chance to take part in a seasonal cookery
course or wine-tasting session, before indulging in some true
farm-to-table dining. The organic kitchen gardens and orchard see
hundreds of varieties of fruit and vegetables ripening under the
Tuscan sun.
hotel
Il Borgo del Balsamico
Emilia Romagna, Italy
A stay at this bucolic farm in Italy’s culinary heart brings you
close to one of the region’s most celebrated products: balsamic
vinegar. The 17th-century property has three beautiful rooms and a
private apartment available for guests and is surrounded by
charming gardens frequented by butterflies. Start your day with a
delicious breakfast featuring local breads, jams and cured meats,
then explore nearby villages and sample some of Italy’s finest
Parmigiano Reggiano, with many producers offering demonstrations
and tasting sessions. Modena is also worth a visit, not least for
the culinary mecca that is Massimo Bottura’s Osteria
Francescana.
Address
Via Albinea Chiesa 27, 42020 Botteghe di Albinea Reggio Emilia
hotel
Nordelaia
Piedmont, Italy
This newly opened farmhouse in Montferrat is a welcome addition
in a region that’s steadily making a name for itself on Italy’s
slow-food scene. Offering 12 unique bedrooms housed within an
ancient farmhouse, the project, whose restoration was three years
in the making, respects the surrounding countryside at every turn.
Set within 5ha of arable land, the estate produces its own-label
Calligram wine. Foraging, truffle-hunting and nature walks are
encouraged, followed by dinner at the fish and veggie-centric
restaurant L’Orto. Piedmontese chef Andrea Ribaldone heads up the
restaurant, bringing Michelin-star credentials to local dishes and
ingredients.
hotel
Il Fontanaro
Paciano, Italy
Address
Il Fontanaro di Lucia Verdacchi
Pinelli
Vocabolo Montanaro 64
06060 Paciano
N/A
hotel
La Subida
Italy
hotel
Casa Clelia
Italy
hotel
La Traversina
Stazzano, Italy
hotel
Moscatello Mulinër
Pozzolengo, Italy
Address
Agriturismo Moscatello
25010 Località Moscatello di Sotto 3/5
Pozzolengo
hotel
Villa di Campolungo
Fiesole, Italy
hotel
Tenuta La Pila
Verona, Italy
hotel
Masseria Uccio
Tricase, Italy