Tuscan villas to rent - what are they? For architects, the villas of Tuscany are patrician residences set in a garden and integrated visually into the wider Tuscan landscape, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, and derived during the Renaissance from a concept of country life in Augustan Rome. For many tourists visiting Tuscany, however, a Tuscan villa seems to equate with any free-standing house - hence the many advertisements for "Tuscan villa vacation rentals". Both usages are common practice and perfectly acceptable, but tourists should be sure not to narrow their search too much by over-reliance on the expression "Tuscan villa". Most houses and, indeed, most free-standing vacation rental accommodations in Tuscany are in fact farm houses - case coloniche - and not villas. For a small family, a farmhouse or a farm apartment (both are referred to as "agriturismi") provides more than enough space. Several families travelling together or a wedding party, for example, might reasonably seek a genuine Tuscan villa - not a Renaissance villa, but one of the many 19th century villas that dot the Tuscan landscape.
When is a Tuscan villa not a Tuscan villa?
What is the difference between a Tuscan villa and a Tuscan farmhouse?
Villa Podere Felceto is a typical and beautiful Tuscan villa available as a self-catering holiday home.
If you prefer a truly deluxe Tuscan villa, try Villa Vitigliano.
Corte di Valle, in contrast, is a Bed and Breakfast accommodation located in a magnificent villa in Chianti - an opportunity for a couple or a family to experience villa living.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini