The €1.5 million makeover puts luxe modern comfort and convenience into a Tuscan farmhouse while preserving the house’s authentic character
TUSCANY, Italy, Jan. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Christian Scali and Stephen Lewis announce the opening of Villa Ardore (@VillaArdore), a traditional stone farmhouse that retains its Tuscan character while providing all the comfort and convenience that the luxury traveler expects. In Italian, “ardore” means loving passion. Villa Ardore was founded to provide a bespoke Tuscan experience where all people have the luxury to be who they are and to live with ardore.
“We wanted to create a place where everyone has the luxury to be who they are and feel like it could be their own luxury home,” said Lewis.
Scali added, “And we have created that luxury home experience without sacrificing any part of what makes Villa Ardore special—its deep roots as a farmhouse in one of the world’s most storied wine regions.”
Tuscan Tradition meets Modern Luxury
Scali and Lewis—spouses and creators of the vision behind Villa Ardore—have taken advantage of the property’s historic buildings and spectacular location to create what can only be described as a paradise. The villa is behind a regal-looking iron gate and down a gravel path that’s nearly two miles from the main country road, through the Tuscan Forest and past rolling vineyards. Beyond the gate and a short driveway canopied with trees one will find the villa and its sweeping panoramic view over the endless Chianti wine country. The medieval town of San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is visible on the next hill.
The villa itself began as a 15th century lookout tower, but over the 16th century gained the holdings and status of a traditional farmhouse. In typical Tuscan style, the size of the farmhouse grew with the size of the families that occupied it over the centuries, until it reached its current size, allowing for 8-bedroom suites (with an office suite convertible to a 9th.) Seven are in the main villa, with two more in its converted barn. Overall, the layout is large enough to comfortably accommodate at least 18 people.
It’s Villa Ardore’s amenities that truly make it an unusual find in the Tuscan luxury villa market. A previously-existing pool area has been transformed with a large infinity-edge pool, complete with tranquil waterfall and hydro-massage area, surrounded by a large stone patio with handmade deckchairs, an outdoor shower, an ample covered gazebo partly enclosed by flowing drapery, containing a cool, marble-topped, lighted poolside bar with sink, refrigerator, dishwasher and icemaker, and a view, through a row of cypress trees, to rolling, grape-vine covered hills.
The lower level of a converted barn includes a private spa, with a whirlpool built into the stone floor, a steam room, a sauna, and sensory shower. The barn conversion’s lower level also includes a professional kitchen that can be used for large events, such as wedding receptions or other large events. The barn’s upper level, which is on the same level as the villa and sits across a small piazza from it, houses two large, modern bedroom suites with unparalleled views of the Chianti countryside. Like all of the property’s suites, these include climate control, blackout as well as sheer window coverings, USB ports at every bedside, dimmable lights, high-design bathrooms, and spacious beds with custom made French linen sheets and custom mattresses that will make you want to loll in bed until well past sunrise.
In the main villa, whose traditional Tuscan look and feel Scali and Lewis took pains to preserve, those same comforts continue throughout. “It was a challenge to get high-speed Wi-Fi, to say nothing of air conditioning, into an ancient villa with stone walls that in some places are a meter thick,” said Scali, “but the result was well worth the time and expense.” Lewis added that he at first resisted his husband’s insistence on having small pin lights inserted in the walls along every interior walkway and stair, for fear that it would cause too much damage to the walls, but the couple found an artisan who achieved a result that was more beautiful than either of them had imagined.
An Unrivaled Location
While Villa Ardore is ideally situated for those wanting total privacy it is also well placed for those who want to enjoy the many pleasures that Tuscany has to offer. Florence and Siena are just a 40-minute drive away, and you can reach the charming medieval towns of San Donato and Castellina in Chianti in about 15 minutes by car. San Gimignano is only a little more than a half hour’s drive away, even on Tuscany’s famously winding country roads.
Unforgettable Experiences
The villa’s local experience curator, Francesco – a good friend of the owners – can arrange outings for you ranging from tours around the countryside in vintage Fiat 500s or vintage Land Rover Defenders, to guided tours of Florence and surrounding walled medieval towns, to wine tastings at some of Italy’s best wineries that are unknown to most outsiders.
Visit our website at www.VillaArdore.com or on Instagram @VillaArdore.
SOURCE Villa Ardore