Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Villa la Massa, near Florence
Facts in brief
Official star rating 5
Location The hotel is 15-minutes' drive fom Florence city centre
Annual opening 6 April to 28 October
Closest airport Florence and Pisa
Distance from airport The hotel is 15-minutes' drive from Florence and about 60-minutes from Pisa
Hotel facilities and services
Swimming Pool (May to September), Bar Service to the pool, Garden and Terraces, Restaurant, Bar, Lift (in central villa only), Fitness Centre, Spa, Massage, Cycle Hire, Private Parking, Babysitting, Room Service, Wine Cellar, Private Chapel, Tennis Courts (500m away). Yoga Classes and Painting or Drawing Lessons can be arranged upon request.
Complimentary
WiFi, Parking, Daily Shuttle Service to/from Florence city centre, Honeymooners receive a bottle of sparkling wine and the signature amenity of the Chef in the room upon arrival (we must be informed of the honeymoon status at the time of making the booking)
Land sports
Horse Riding, Tennis, Jogging, Mountain Biking.
Out and about nearby
Florence, San Gimignano (market on Thursdays), Chianti wine route, with markets at Castellina and Greve on Saturdays and Panzano on Sundays. Pistoia, Lucca, Siena, Arezzo, Volterra, Forte dei Marmi on the coast.
Sports nearby
Walking, Jogging Track, Horse Riding, Golf Course in Ugolino (6 miles away).
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Double deluxe or twin room for 5 nights
From about
£1,860
Holiday Code IE251
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Villa la Massa, near Florence
This beautiful sixteenth century palazzo enjoys both a proximity to one of the most beautiful cities in Italy and a countrified location. Set on the River Arno, the Hotel Villa la Massa and grounds boast views across the river and over the wooded plains of Tuscany. Florence is just a 15-minute drive away and the hotel provides an hourly shuttle service which takes guests to the historic centre and back. Dating from 1525, Villa la Massa has a total of 51 rooms divided amongst five historic building: the Villa Nobile, the Mill, the Villino, the Casa Colonica and the Limonaia. The spirit of the Renaissance is still palpable in the first two villas decorated with canopied beds, frescoes and tapestries, silks and brocades, while the three other villas are beautifully furnished in a more contemporary Florentine style. Adjoining this a cosy bar provides drinks and light lunches and there is a full bar service by the pool. The elegant hotel restaurant, Il Verrocchio, is situated in the opposite villa and specialises in typical Tuscan cuisine. Meals can also be taken in the beautiful riverside setting of the restaurant terrace on warm evenings. The bedrooms and suites, each with splendid views over the surrounding countryside, are situated in all three villas and are individually decorated in Renaissance style with antique or reproduction pieces. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, the Villa la Massa is an ideal hotel for enjoying the best of Tuscany.
Room descriptions
Villa La Massa has 51 rooms and suites with private bath and wc, air-conditioning, satellite television, telephone, radio, safe, mini-bar, free wi-fi and LCD TV.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Double deluxe or twin room for 5 nights
From about
£1,860
Holiday Code IE251
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Villa la Massa, near Florence
The journey and how you get there
For a holiday to Villa la Massa in Tuscany, our clients usually fly to Pisa or Florence airport or arrive by train at Florence Santa Maria Novella railway station. We recommend the use of a hire-car for a stay at this hotel and we would include it in the price of holiday.
Additional information
Children: One child of up to 12 years of age is provided with an extra bed free of charge when staying in their parents' room.
Special offers
Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Double deluxe or twin room for 5 nights
From about
£1,860
Holiday Code IE251
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Villa la Massa, near Florence
About Tuscany
An Expressions tailor-made holiday in Tuscany allows you to appreciate its classical landscape of rolling hills and vineyards dotted with olive and cypress trees, its misty green-grey mountains that are never too far distant, and hill-top towns of rich brown and gold stone houses. This combines with the beauty of the works of art contained in the towns and villages throughout Tuscany to create an inspirational union of the spirit and the senses. There is an intrinsic comfort in the supposed contrast between the delicacy of a Botticelli and the heartiness of Ribollita soup, yet both are typical of this fascinating region. As birthplace of the Renaissance, the impact of Tuscan and particularly Florentine traditions and culture on European heritage is fundamental to our way of life. In addition to the obvious attractions of the scenery of Chianti and the art cities of Florence and Siena, there are the less well-known regions south of Siena with its moon-like landscape of hills, the patchwork vineyards of Montalcino, the coastal marshlands of the Maremma, the spas of Montecatini and Saturnia, the islands of Elba and Giglio, and the Casentino with the source of the Arno and abundant mushroom crops. Wherever you travel on holiday in Tuscany, you will be inspired by the beauty of your surroundings and the way of life, which is quintessentially that of Italy too.
Highlights of Tuscany
Famous vineyards producing wines of Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Alabaster is produced in Volterra. Gold and silver are worked in Florence and the Ponte Vecchio is lined with jewellery shops. Marbled paper and stationery is a speciality of Florence. Ceramics and hand-painted majolica from raw terracotta from Impruneta to the glazed pottery of Siena are to be found throughout Tuscany. Lucca has traditionally produced silk and hand-woven fabrics. Leather goods including shoes, handbags and belts are to be found from market stalls to designer shops such as Gucci and Ferragamo. Interesting markets include the Mercato dell' Antiquariato which sells furniture from antiques to bric-a-brac in Arezzo on the first weekend of every month, in Pisa on the second weekend and in Lucca on the third weekend. The 'wild' Maremma is known for its long-horned white cattle and cowboys (butteri) and natural springs including Saturnia.
Cultural highlights of Tuscany
As birthplace of the Renaissance, Tuscany contains a wealth of treasures: Giotto`s Campanile and Brunelleschi`s Dome in Florence, the Tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo in Florence`s Santa Croce, Botticelli`s `Birth of Venus` and `Primavera` and the portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Piero della Francesca in the Uffizi, Michelangelo`s `David` in the Accademia, the architecture of the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, `The Tuscan Maremma` painting by Giovanni Fattori in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, the Piazza del Campo in Siena, `The Legend of the Cross` frescoes by Piero della Francesco in Arezzo, `The Creation` fresco by Bartolo di Fredi in the Collegiata in San Gimignano, Romanesque church of the Collegiata in San Quirico d`Orcia, 14th Century Fortezza of Montalcino, Renaissance masterpiece of the church of Madonna di San Biagio at Montepulciano, the abbey-church of Sant`Antimo, mediaeval Lucignano and the towers of San Gimignano, the Etruscan Museum in Cortona.
Festivals in Tuscany
Many of Tuscany`s festivals resound with the flamboyance of the Renaissance and keep Tuscans and visitors alike in touch with the region`s rich history. Others are linked to Tuscany`s hearty traditions of eating and drinking. The most famous is Siena`s Palio which takes place on 2 July and 16 August each year. Others include the Sagra del Tordo (Festival of the Thrush) in Montalcino on the last Sunday in October when there is an archery contest and charcoal-grilled thrush are a delicacy. In Florence, Calcio in Costume (a football match played in mediaeval costume) takes place in June. Pisa has the Giocco del Ponte (Game of the Bridge), a mock battle in Renaissance dress also held in June. Viareggio celebrates Carnival on Shrove Tuesday with a huge display of flamboyant floats. In May and August Massa Marittima holds the Falcon Contest.
Gastronomy in Tuscany
Simple country food is at the heart of Tuscan cooking. Regional dishes include Bruschetta (bread or ciabatta toasted and rubbed with garlic, olive oil and salt), Ribollita (bean, cabbage and bread soup), Pasta with hare or wild boar sauce, Porcini mushroom and truffle dishes, Bistecca all Fiorentina (thick cut of sirloin and fillet beef), Cantucci (almond and honey biscuits) served dipped in Vin Santo, Panforte (chocolate, nut and spice cake). Pecorino cheese made from sheep's milk. Local wines include the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano and the Bianco di Pitigliano. Famous reds include Chanti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Vin Santo made from semi-crushed grapes left for several months is an excellent dessert wine.
