Photographers & Musicians Welcome
- The Space
What started out in the 12th century as a lookout tower has flourished over time into an amazing conversion. We have taken great care and poured a lot of love into creating a remarkable living space. We've kept the best and simply made it better.
Ok... our home is a particular point of pride. We (email hidden)'s from just down the hill, where we lived in a vineyard, and now have a commanding view of the hills. We know love and cherish this area and The house reflects it with its good balance between classical and modern design. During reconstruction we removed several walls to create open areas and let in lots of light. This is our primary home, so it's fully decked out with all the mod cons and toys.
Our home is your home. The place is all yours and we want you to enjoy it as much as we do. I'd suggest leaving the internet alone, but it's there if needed, as is a courtesy computer, massive film library, books in several languages, bring along your iPod and crank up the tunes. We've a swanky turkish bath for relieving aches and pains after a long hike, a large garden that is the bain of my existence, No really I love it. We try to run as green as house as possible with respect for the environment, so others will continue to be able to enjoy this part of the world. With all this the only caveat is that you treat it with the utmost respect as we would do with your home.
For us, our guests are almost like an extended family. We have travelled the world and love meeting new people and exchanging tales of the road. We strongly believe in preparing our little angle of the world so that when you're here you can do much more than just relax, you can breathe. Once you know the ropes of course you're on your own, we love seeing our guests thrive, do go out and be adventuresome. We will be happy to hear all about it at the end of your stay over a good glass.
Bacchereto is literally heaven on earth, I like to think of it as an Italian version of St. George's in Bermuda where I grew up. The views are spectacular, people look out for one another and the vibe is very relaxed. There are incredible trails, great wine and olive groves, a lovely active community, great interaction amongst the generations. That Da Vinci's grandmother lived there is I think no small coincidence.
Our home is best accessed by car or motorbike. Should you insist on arriving by lamborghini, helicopter, camper or hovercraft - this is probably not the place for you.
We live only 5 minutes by foot from the nearest village and traffic here is at an absolute minimum. You'll have at most 5 cars pass by in the average day so peace and quiet is assured.
The village is just a few mins walk away, and life there is really warm and welcoming with festivals every so often and great food to be had. 5 minutes in any direction by car and you'll run into great restaurants, up to an hour away you can swim, Ski or skip to your hearts content.
Heading down the hill you have a beautiful winding road passing vineyards where you can get wine directly and do a proper grocery run.There is very easy access to the major highways. You can be within any city in northern Tuscany in under an hour and can avoid the stress of staying in the city. A typical day trip can take in Siena and San Gimignano or Pistoia and Lucca with ample time to wander about and still be back in time for a relaxed BBQ in the garden.
We are particularly close to Florence, you can enjoy view of the duomo from here in the hills whilst remaining above the heat of the plains. The passing of the seasons in spectacular here, possibly the best time of year is late Autumn, though there is never really a bad time to visit. - About the photographers and musicians welcome? No it is not a prerequisite, but this is a place that breeds creativity. We encourage you to tap into your inner artist and get busy.
| Room type: | Entire home/apt |
| Bed type: | Real Bed |
| Accommodates: | 6 |
| Bedrooms: | 2 |
| Bathrooms: | 1 |
| Beds: | 4 |
| Extra people: | $57 / night after 2 guests |
| Minimum Stay: | 3 nights |
| Weekly Price: | $960 /week |
| Monthly Price: | $3582 /month |
| Cleaning Fee: | $57 |
| Country: | Italy |
| City: | Carmignano |
| Cancellation: | Moderate |
Overall Guest Satisfaction
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House is in a beautifull area. Its very old, very beautiful building. What other guests wrote here is true. To be fair I think that host should mention that he smoke cigarettes inside the house. We are allergic to that and it was an issue for us.
November 2013 -
A perfect place if you're looking for tranquillity. Great for hiking and day trips to other towns in Tuscany.
The house is very tastefully designed and decorated, with a lot of extras; wifi ,hifi, movies, turkish bath and has spectacular views.
Alec an Cristina were vey helpfully with finding the house and kept in touch till we savely arrived.
A must is to eat at la Bussola da Gino ( run by Cristina's family).
Cristina and Alec , thank you for a fabulous stay!!!October 2013 -
We so enjoyed our stay at Alec and Cristina's lovely home. Wonderful accommodations and such charming hosts. Everything we could have wanted was available. Our three days there were prefect and would HIGHLY RECOMMEND a stay in this lovely home. If you get a chance, it's a 20 minute walk in the moonlight to Leonardo da Vinci's grandma's home, and you will have an excellent meal at Cantina de Toia. Wish we had the energy to hit La Bussola for a meal - our only regret. We were too relaxed to venture out of this blissful retreat. Don't be shy to get as much information out of them as possible, as they were spectacular advisors of local wineries, restaurants and nearby must-sees.
October 2013 -
Alec and Christina are the perfect hosts and their place is simply fantastic! Hope for a rainy day so you can make the most of it! Seriously. We had trouble getting out of bed after a ten hour sleep, as it was just sooooo comfortable. And this view you have lying in there. Definitely a wow-experience!
October 2013 -
Reader, you’ve gone too far! Stop hesitating, you can always read this later. Now hit Back and Book, and pray no one else has beaten you to it. If they have, you should, and will, cry like a leeeettle girl and, if you’re lucky, you’ll do so anyway when you have to leave Alec & Cristina’s place.
All booked now? Good. Here’s our story: We found ourselves two weeks into a sliiightly overambitious honeymoon, so I needed to book us quickly into Heaven for the last week. And I did.
Everywhere outside the house, you will be surrounded by beauty. That's wonderful, of course, but not unheard of in Tuscany. The real surprise is that that is just as true inside the house! The place feels like a part of the NY MOMA design wing, but very warm, personal and without the "don't touch me" vibe. It can be humbling even, for a brooding type like me, if you realize that the people who clearly poured their souls into this place have keener eyes, bigger hearts and a greater love of life and people than you ever did. But all that beauty around you makes you optimistic, so you end on an uplifting note: "Some day, when I grow up, maybe I'll create something as beautiful as this."
Now, it would have sucked if somehow all that beauty and warmth could have been put together by two a$$holes. Thankfully, it was an even greater privilege to have met Alec and Cristina. These are the sort of people you want as dear friends, that you travel the world for, more than to look at some pretty rockface that nature has had the good taste to erode just so. In letting you into their home, they've already shared with you a lot of themselves, but they are happy to let you have more, yet without imposing of course. Take them up on their genuine offer of hospitality. E.g., don't miss La Bussola, a restaurant run by Cristina's family for generations. Save an evening, go hungry, and enjoy. Ideally, see if Alec and Cristina can join you and you'll have a truly memorable dinner, that will leave you thinking "I hope they can come to NYC [or wherever you live], so I can pay them back in kind for this." By the way, you know a restaurant is good when you hear from all the winemakers in the area "Ah, La Bussola! Si mangia bene li'!" (One eats well there!) Wine folk know their food too.
So, yes, you'll be drinking and buying some first-class wine [by then you won't regret throwing out some formerly-thought-to-be-precious belongings just to make some luggage space]. But unlike in California, here you'll walk to the wineries; and those very nice warm people will feed you well too. The nearest is next-door. Another, 25 min walk. In each, eat, drink and carry as much wine, olive oil, figs as your belly and luggage can hold.
Altin (& Kara)
September 2013 -
Alec and Cristina have a beautiful home, both inside and out. Not only that but the location was fantastic - there wasn't a window without a wonderful view. Pretty much isolated up a typical Tuscan hillside but just a short walk from the quaint local village and a drive from Florence.
As hosts they were helpful, warm and welcoming throughout our stay and thoroughly got us settled in to the house and area when we arrived.
Would definitely recommend the house and hosts - keeping the original spirit of airbnb with genuine, welcoming people opening up their beautiful homes in the best locations.
September 2013 -
Super beautiful place, just like the photos. Tasteful and interesting decor and an ideal jumping-off point for walks and day trips. Alec and Cristina were thoughtful and kind hosts; they went out of their way to find a baby bed for our 8-month old. They'll also give you as much guidance as you could want. As they told us well in advance, the place was not ideal for a baby, but they trusted us anyway and we had a great time. We'd love to come back -- fall must (as Alec tells us) be amazing.
September 2013 -
Vaig passar 6 dies amb els meus amics Xavi i Emili a la casa de l’Alec i la Cristina i únicament puc dir que va ser genial!!
La casa és fantàstica, molt acollidora, estava tot molt net i té un jardí preciós en el que esmorzàvem i sopàvem cada dia, un luxe!!
Cada racó de la casa és especial... ple de detalls, quadres i llibres que ens van encantar!!
I què dir d’aquesta parella? Ha estat un plaer conèixer-vos, simpàtics, molt atents i sempre pendents de si necessitàvem alguna cosa, tant abans de la nostra arribada com durant la nostra estada a Bacchereto.
No vam poder conèixer a Matisse ni vam trobar al petit homenet blanc.. però estem segurs que tornarem, ja en tenim ganes!! Petonets a tots dos!Pasé 6 días con mis amigos Xavi y Emili en la casa de Alec y Cristina y únicamente puedo decir que fue genial.
La casa es fantástica, muy acogedora, muy limpia y con un jardín precioso en el que desayunábamos y cenábamos cada día, un lujo.
Cada rincón de la casa es especial... lleno de detalles, cuadros y libros que nos gustaron mucho.
¿Y qué decir de esta pareja? Ha sido un placer conoceros, simpáticos, muy atentos y siempre pendientes por si necesitábamos alguna cosa, tanto antes de nuestra llegada como durante nuestra estancia en Bacchereto.
No pudimos conocer a Matisse ni encontramos al pequeño hombrecillo blanco.. pero estamos seguros que volveremos, ya tenemos ganas!! Besos a los dos!I spent six days with my friends Xavi and Emili at Alec and Cristina’s place and I can only say that it was amazing.
The house is wonderful, cozy and spotless. It is full of detail with pictures and books we loved. And having breakfast and dinner every day in the well taken care of garden was a real luxury.
And what to say about Alec and Cristina… it has been a real pleasure to meet them. They have been all through attentive and caring for our needs before and during our stay in Bacchereto.
We could not meet Matisse and we did not find the little white man… but we are certainly sure that we will be back! Already looking forward to our next holiday with you guys! Kisses to both of you!August 2013 -
Nothing but love for Alec and Cristina!
Super quick replies and emails from Alec were always as if a very good friend is emailing you. Really fun and welcoming!The house is really really awesome. The pictures are beautiful but cant capture the great vibe it has. Really lovely in all its coolness.
Location wise its also a great place to stay in Tuscany. It's right in the middle of great cities and sights. Also: Leonardo da Vinci was born on the other side of the hill and the hiking trail to that house starts nearby the house. Cool extra!
If you are looking, dont hesitate, really. Great value for money and you will feel all the love!
<3
August 2013 -
Alec and Christina are very welcoming and interesting people. They advice us about Toscana and all the many place to see near their house.
The house was very clean and like the pictures.
The view is awesome.
We hope to stay longer next time !August 2013
- Languages
- English, Español, Français, Italiano
- School
- Saltus Grammar School
- Work
- Technical stuff... Light, Sound, Photography, Networking....
- About
- Italy... what an amazing place to live... Head off in any direction an within a short time you'll wind up at the beach, or the mountains, Skiing, Snowboarding, trekking, a brilliant family restaurant, vineyards, farms, or any of the zillion and one interesting museums, churches of Florence, Pisa, Pistoia, Lucca, Viareggio. I awake each morning to the clouds coming across the mountains, views of Florence, and oh yes, Leonardo Da Vinci's grandmother's house just out my window. Bacchereto, our little village is much like the one where I grew up in Bermuda... everybody is just so friendly, life is truly great here. Come hang out in the garden, take a long walk through the hills, get in some great photography and relax with a bottle of wine from the vineyard next door! ====================================================================== A Late Summer update: We've had an exceptionally HOT summer this year, it seemed to take forever and a day to get moving, but in the end Summer arrived with bells on. We've had a wonderful time meeting all sorts of lovely and interesting people from around the world, this is our second year with Airbnb and we're still in love with it! Our little worldwide family continues to grow. It's now finally cooling down and thoughts turn to training for this autumn, several good treks are in the works so I'll be hitting the hills and hopefully getting in some good shots. With all the rain we've had this spring the wine vendemia is about to get under way and we should have exceptionally good stuff this year. Autumn is around the bend and it's the best time of year to visit Tuscany. This year our area will be hosting the Cycling world Championships, should be great fun! Here in the house, the toys are all behaving well, nice little tricks such as improved wireless, music all over, wireless printing! A proper little amp for jamming on the guitar. I've gotten a new guitar this past February for my birthday so will very happily lend the spare one to our musically inclined guests. We are constantly adding new toys and new touches. Now 8 months on I'm making real progress, barre chords finally working out, many thanks to our guitarist guests this summer for their support and continued encouragement. To those of you who have ever dreamed of playing an instrument, it's never too late, START!! We look forward to meeting you!
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