Who can beat staying in a castle for setting the imagination alight? This tiny 13th-century walled village (borgo) has a Sleeping Beauty ambiance, perched high on a hill above thick Tuscan forest where wild boar and antelopes roam. Surrounded by 500 acres of protected land, it was given as a dowry to the owner's acestors. Now a hotel and collection of apartments, its medieval and Renaissance buildings are clustered around the main house, which the family still uses in summer.
It’s a place of such charm that guests tend to find themselves mingling with day-trippers as they wander the narrow lanes. But by night, when the smattering of non-residents has gone, you’ll have the star- and lamp-lit village to yourself. It’s great for families, with an array of rooms and apartments sleeping 2-5. However, it’d also suit couples, with enough space to guarantee peace and quiet, and a splendid restaurant just outside the walls.
Highs
- A unique tiny hamlet of houses all with beautiful original features - full of character, history and atmosphere
- Accommodation to suit everyone: intimate rooms, triples/quadruple rooms, 1&2-bedroom apartments
- An excellent on-site restaurant (open daily) serving delicious lunches and dinners, plus a choice of self-catering options
- It's feels like a remote, get-away-from-it-all retreat, yet you're within an easy drive of Arezzo, Florence and the Chianti vineyards
- Set outside the walls and surrounded by fragrant flowers, the unheated pool has great views across the Tuscan countryside
Lows
- Interiors are comfortable but old-fashioned; if you’re looking for 5-star style, this isn't the place for you
- The village streets are uneven, have lots of steps and are sometimes slippery - difficult for small children and guests with limited mobility
- Limited in-room WiFi and no TVs, although there is reliable WiFi in the communal lounge
- You’ll need a car for day trips and meals at other restaurants
- A strict cancellation policy and minimum stay
- Cots
- High chairs
Some equipment may need to be requested in advance
Available on request
For self-catering, Superior Apartments have kitchenettes. There’s an on-site shop selling limited ingredients. If you’ve booked B&B, you’ll find some child-friendly breakfast options (cereal, yoghurt, cakes).
- Outdoor pool
- Mountain bikes for hire
- Tailored bread- and pizza-making lessons
- Learning to paint frescoes
- Estate to explore and wildlife to spot such as wild boars and rabbits
- Tree climbing park at Rapolano Terme (18km away)
- Arezzo has a good play park in the centre (28km away)
- Day trips to Siena and Florence
- Towers to climb in San Gimignano (80km away)
- Castle Hotel
- 10 rooms, 12 apartments for 4-10
- Restaurant & bar (open daily); some self-catering
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Outdoor Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Babysitting
- Creche / Kids Club
- Car recommended
- Parking
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Daily Maid Service
- Towels & Bedlinen
- Concierge Service
- Bicycles Available
- Laundry Service
Rooms
The rooms and apartments are dotted around various buildings in the borgo and just outside its walls. They all have plenty of rustic charm, with wood-beamed ceilings and terracotta-tiled floors; many also have working fireplaces (great in winter, when there’s often snow). Beds are large and comfortable, and there are simple wooden dressers, tables and wardrobes. Most of the tiled bathrooms have bathtubs with overhead showers; you get hairdryers and toiletries but no robes.
Starting at the most basic level, the Classic Rooms are surprisingly spacious. The Quadruple Classic Room (Forestia 4) has a lounge and 2 bathrooms (useful if you have an additional guest).
The bigger Comfort Rooms have living areas with sofabeds. Of these, Fattore 23 has wonderful views over woodland, and Cave is located in the old village quarry.
Superior Apartments come with one or two bedrooms and kitchenettes; most have spectacular views, and some have sofabeds. Worthy of special mention are Palle, which has a terrace, and Canapino, whose door is opened by a huge medieval key. Pietrino is accessed via a steep 800-year-old staircase, and inside, a steep wooden ladder links the bedroom and living room.
Features include:
- Fan
- Hairdryer
- In-room treatments available
- Iron
- Minibar
- WiFi
Eating
Castello di Gargonza’s restaurant is open to guests and non-residents for lunch and dinner. Located just outside the borgo walls, its regal dining room sits in a converted tractor shed, with high ceilings and large windows overlooking the woods. You can also dine outside in the gravel garden, underneath white sunshades.
Most of the food is locally sourced or grown on site in the kitchen garden. Tuscan meat is famous all over Italy, and Chef Susi Brogi makes the most of it by cooking delicious Chianina beef over embers. Other options include wild boar, excellent homemade pasta dishes (some gluten-free), traditional ribollita (Tuscan vegetable soup) and fruit-laden desserts. Being on the edge of the Chianti region, the wine list is as inviting as you would expect: over 60 labels, including Chianti Classico and Colli Senesi.
There’s a poolside snack bar for light lunches and drinks, plus a pretty garden bar in the village centre.
If you’ve booked B&B, you’ll find a morning breakfast buffet of homemade cakes, pastries, fruit, yoghurt, juices, cereals and more in the former olive press.
Want to self-cater? Stay in a Superior Apartment to have your own kitchenette: oven or microwave, fridge, kettle, toaster, crockery and cutlery. A few basics are provided (oil, vinegar, salt and pepper). There’s also a little village shop selling pasta, meat, cheese, biscuits, preserves, wine and Castello di Gargonza’s own olive oil. For other supplies, it’s a 6km-drive to Monte San Savino.
There are plenty of local restaurants if you fancy a change - you’ll need to drive or take a taxi.
Features include:
- Bar
- Kids' meals
- Organic produce
- Restaurant
- Vegetarian options
Activities
- Relax next to the unheated swimming pool, with its fantastic views over the surrounding woodland
- Rent a mountain bike or head off on foot to explore the rolling hills and forests of this beautiful corner of Tuscany
- Discover the treasure-trove city of Arezzo, with its breathtaking medieval piazzas, antiques markets and Romanesque churches (35 minutes away)
- Meander around Chianti, stopping at vineyards to taste the very best local wines. The region’s heartland is around the town of Greve (60 minutes away)
- Get to know Siena, with its exquisite medieval townscape, glorious Gothic architecture and distinctive monochrome cathedral (40 minutes away)
- Visit Florence, cradle of the Renaissance and home to the famous Uffizi gallery, the Ponte Vecchio, the beautiful red-roofed Duomo and excellent eateries (70 minutes away)
- Stroll around gorgeous hilltop towns and enjoy long, lazy lunches in the sunshine. We like Montepulciano, Montalcino and San Gimignano
- Back at Castello di Gargonza, take a cookery class and make the local pici pasta, as well as ragout and traditional sauces, before eating it all for lunch
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Cooking classes
- Cycling
- Hiking
- Historical sites
- Mountain biking
- Museums / galleries
- Private guided tours
- Shopping / markets
- Swimming
- Well being
- Wine tasting
Best Time to go
High summer (July-August) is great for lazing by the pool and eating alfresco, but local sights are at their busiest. Spring brings wild flowers and balmy weather; autumn and winter are lovely for cosying up by an open fire and taking frosty walks through the countryside. The hotel is usually closed November through March.
Our Top Tips
It’s worth staying here for a week or two, so you can relax at Gargonza and have time to explore the surrounding countryside and the amazing, art-filled medieval towns.
Location
Castello di Gargonza is set on a hilltop, 6km from Monte San Savino and 28km from Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy. It’s just over an hour’s drive from Florence and 40 minutes from Siena.
By Air:
The nearest airports are Perugia (93km) and Florence Peretola (111km), but you’ll find more flights to Pisa Galileo (195km).
From the Airport
Transfers can be arranged, but you a car is almost essential here, as you’ll need to drive out to sights, shops and restaurants. See our car rental recommendations. On-site parking is available.
By Train:
The nearest train station is Arezzo, 30km away. Transfers can be arranged from there, but it’s best to hire a car.
Detailed directions will be provided when you book through i-escape.com. 
More on getting to Italy and getting around
Airports:
- Perugia 93.0 km PEG
- Florence Peretola 111.0 km FLR
Other:
- Beach 100.0 km
- Shops 6.0 km
- Restaurant 4.0 km
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 2 independent reviews from i-escape guests
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