Casalena Villa, Cortona, Tuscany
Carlo and Sioban’s dream of purchasing a traditional Tuscan Villa, and incorporating it into their accommodation business of Wildwood Valley has finally come to fruition.
"Cantalena" is a small Tuscan hamlet comprising 9 separate villas, situated at the end of a 3 km mountain road. Surrounded by groves of chestnuts and gently sloping woodland, it boasts spectacular views over the whole of the Val di Chiana and to the Appennino mountains.
The hamlet of Cantalena has a unique history. A thriving village from the 1800's, the families lived off the land, surviving on chestnuts, live stock, wild animals and timber cutting. By the 1950's this subsistence living was no longer sustainable and the residents migrated to larger towns leaving the village abandoned.
In 1991, the entire hamlet was bought by three gentlemen. As a heritage listed village, they were given a grant and the services of architectural students on work experience, to help restore the village to it's original authentic condition.
One of the great pleasures while at Casalena was taking long walks, where we discovered many signs of this earlier life: the walled cemetry beautifully maintained with the graves of the original five families; a Roman well still full of water; many crumbling stone walls; the original church in Cantelena Bassa still standing despite a fire rendering it unusable; another abandoned hamlet about 1 km away.
Having spent September, October and November at Casalena last year, we had the joy of experiencing the changing seasons. The end of summer ensured us the opportunity to pick grapes, wild blackberries and porcini mushrooms. October heralded the chestnut season and the hunting of wild boar and pheasants, all of which we sampled courtesy of our neighbours.
By November the woodlands completed their glorious changes of colour, through green, gold, musket, deep red and purple, finally dropping their leaves as the cold set in. We even had a sprinkling of snow.
No wonder we love our new home "Casalena". Walking through this place of timeless beauty at the end of a busy day and sitting with a glass of wine watching the magnificent sunsets and twinkling lights of Cortona, while waiting for the sight and sounds of the wild horses who regularly visit is something very special that nourishes and rejuvenates one's body and soul.
"What a beautiful place - just the rest we needed after 3 countries in 48 hrs! We enjoyed the peace and quiet and loved Cortona. It's a great place to recharge and get back in sync with oneself. Had a fantastic time and I'm sure you will save many people's sanity over the years". Rob & Teresa Gibellini, Yallingup Western Australia
