Villa Bordoni Chianti

Villa Bordoni is a ‘Patrician Villa’ – the former country residence of the Bordonis, a family of wealthy merchants from the city of Florence. Each room is unique in style and decoration, fruit of a loving restoration, with maniacal attention to detail.

The villa was acquired by David and Catherine Gardner in 2002, and lovingly restored over a period of more than 3 years to create a A beautiful country hotel and restaurant in this historic villa, overlooking the valley of Greve and commanding exceptional views of the Chianti landscape.

Villa Bordoni is open from March to November, living through Spring, Summer and Autumn – three seasons that offer the very best of this beautiful Italian region, sometimes in different and unique ways…

THE HISTORY
Villa Bordoni is a ‘Patrician Villa’ – the former country residence of the Bordonis, a family of wealthy merchants from the city of Florence. To understand the history of the Villa, one has to understand the history of the Greve Valley and beyond, to the cluster of city-states that are known today as Italy.

Florence and Siena were separate countries in the middle ages – great rivals, frequently at war with one another. The valley of the river Greve, which gives its name to the nearest town, was of great strategic importance, and all too frequently the battleground of the Florentine and Sienese armies; hence the concentration of castles and fortified villages in the area.

The origins of Villa Bordoni date back to the 11th century, when all that stood there were a stone tower or a keep, with thick walls and arrow slits, attached to a solid dungeon for prisoners of war. Over the centuries a network of fragile alliances brought relative peace to the region, and permitted the structure to evolve into a farmhouse, albeit a fortified one.

During the 17th century, this ‘casa colonica’ was purchased by a wealthy family from Florence, as a form of summer country residence and hunting lodge, and was slowly transformed into a Villa, with its stuccoed façade and Italian garden.

During the 18th century, Giuseppe Bordoni made this Villa his permanent home and invested heavily in the vineyards, producing a renowned Chianti Classico since 1782, taking the name of ‘Mezzuola’ – the hamlet which surrounded his residence. At that time, the entire hamlet and several dozen hectares of excellent farmland belonged to the Bordonis.

During the industrial revolution, and the ensuing process of urbanisation, the region of Chianti became uninhabited, blighted with poverty, and the sons of many farmers fled the countryside to search for a better life in the cities of Italy and abroad.

After the Second World War, the heir to the dwindling family fortune tried her best to defend the family property, but over the years found herself having to sell off parcels of land and entire farmhouses in order to preserve the Villa and the core of the farm.

Being married to an artist of dubious talents did not help, as he helped the fortune to dwindle by paying for exhibitions of his work all over Europe.

During the 1980s and 90s the then widowed, heirless, ageing Mrs. Bordoni became gradually more eccentric. A tiny lady, less than 5 feet tall, she dressed in thick tweeds and hunting capes even in midsummer; one could say a Dickensian character.

That was not to say that she is not lucid even in her dotage, often managing to ’put one over’ on the local farming folk in her wine and olive oil trading.

However, latterly, her eccentricity became too much, as she started to live almost as a tramp in just one room of the villa, with no running water, surrounded by bundles of old newspapers that she refused to throw away, and also by a large collection of stuffed animals (including an alligator) – hunting trophies of her great-grandfather…

With only her many cats and at least 20 tortoises for company, but with little human contact, in 1997, with great difficulty and reluctance, she made the painful decision to leave the spartan conditions of Mezzuola behind her, and retire to an old folk’s home in her native Florence…

ROOMS & SUITES
In each case, the interior design began with the bathroom, where colourful antique tiles characterise the floor, and give the colour palette used in each room – be it in the luxurious fabrics or in the frescoed walls. Comfort is brought to standard by the presence of modern amenities, making Villa Bordoni an ideal home away from home.

FRANTOIO FAMILY SUITE
Once the olive mill of Villa Bordoni, the Family Suite is now a large unit developed on two floors. The ground floor houses a large living room with two distinct areas: one side features a fireplace, a custom-built library and two armchairs, making it ideal for meditative relaxation.

The opposite side is dedicated to our younger guests and to “family time”, featuring a large sofa and two armchairs, a Bluetooth speaker, a large 4K TV, and a PlayStation 4.

A stairway connects to the upper floor, which houses two independent bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom, and completely independent from each other. Each bedroom is 12sqm, bathrooms are 4 and 6sqm, one with bathtub, one with a walk-in shower. The living room area is 35sqm, and also has a small bathroom.

COLOGNOLE SUITE
Located on the top floor of the villa, and once the core of this 11th century watchtower, Colognole is now the villa’s full suite – a room that offers more space than any other, but still maintains the same style of ironic, understated luxury.

The interior designer had no trouble creating unique, decorative objects from seemingly useless ones found abandoned in the property. Thus a chicken coop became the central ornament for the living room, and a rusty basket, turned upside down, became a ceiling lamp illuminating the suite’s table, both making the separate living room a perfect reflection of the designer’s unique style.

The suite features a large, 3D HD TV, a BluRay player, in-room telephone, mini bar, safe, air conditioning and heating, Wi-Fi internet access, and a Bluetooth speaker. A second TV is available in the living room. Bedroom with king-sized bed, bathroom with walk-in shower. Total suite area is 37sqm, the bathroom is 6sqm. The separate living room can have a third bed added to it.

LIMONAIA GARDEN ROOM
Once a structure for housing lemon trees during the colder Tuscan Winters, the Limonaia is now a couple’s paradise, offering a private outdoor living area with a retractable roof, facing directly onto a private garden! This room is perfect for those seeking to spend time relaxing and soaking in the Tuscan sun, while enjoying a cold drink in the privacy of their own terrace.

The room’s proximity to the swimming pool makes it effortless to go for a quick dip, to help cope with the Summer heat! In the cooler months of Autumn it is still possible to sit outdoors and enjoy a glass of red wine, while admiring the turning colours of the countryside.

Room amenities include independent heating / air conditioning, a LED HD TV, BluRay player, Bluetooth speaker, mini bar, safe, in-room telephone, and Wi-Fi internet access. The bedroom has a queen sized bed, and the bathroom has a walk-in shower with a seat. Room area is 15sqm, outdoor living room is 22sqm, bathroom is 6sqm.

DINING
From our garden, where in the warmer months guests may have lunch or dinner, the views of the surrounding countryside are nothing short of breathtaking; indoors, seasoned beamed ceilings have been painted cream and preserved in their original form, as have the original stone fireplace and wood oven of what was once the villa’s kitchen… Our restaurant aims to please all the senses, offering a fresh interpretation of regional cuisine in a truly beautiful setting.

THE RESTAURANT
The Villa Bordoni offers a unique opportunity to enjoy the very best of Tuscany, sampling the best wines and maniacally prepared dishes in an ambience that, in itself, is a treat for all the senses. Our location on a hill directly above the town of Greve offers breathtaking views of this world-famous region.

Sitting in our gardens, surrounded by ancient olive groves, vineyards and timeless hamlets dating back to the middle ages – none less than the abbey of San Cresci and the famous Montefioralle, one understands the sense in the widespread reputation of Chianti Classico as one of Italy’s most beautiful and romantic regions.

The intimate fireplace room of our restaurant and its bar open onto an Italian garden. Indoors, seasoned beamed ceilings have been painted cream and preserved in their original form, as have the original stone fireplace and wood oven of what was once the villa’s kitchen.

For those who enjoy dining under the stars, or watching the sun set slowly behind the Chianti hills, candlelit tables are dotted amongst the palms and umbrella pines of the walled garden. In the cooler months, the fireplace is lit to make a crackling fire, thus adding to the indoor ambience and warmth of the restaurant.

The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner, and is a perfect venue for hosting banquets and small wedding receptions – it is a true delight for those with a fine palate.

DINING UNDER THE STARS
…Or watching the sun set slowly behind the Chianti hills, candlelit tables are dotted amongst the palms and umbrella pines of the walled garden. In the cooler months, the fireplace is lit to make a crackling fire, thus adding to the indoor ambience and warmth of the restaurant.

The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner and is a perfect venue for hosting banquets and small wedding receptions – it is a true delight for those with a fine palate.

IL GUERINO TRATTORIA
Il Guerrino Trattoria Storica in Montefioralle, is the highest expression of our vision for a restaurant in this beautiful part of the world. Walking through this fortified hamlet is a step back in time to the XIV century, an invitation to soak in the many centuries of history and architecture that Italians have so avidly preserved.

Whether you sit indoors or outdoors at Il Guerrino, our elevated position perched on the edge of Montefioralle will offer commanding views of the countryside – terraced vineyards and olive groves – often the very same ones that have dotted the surrounding hills throughout history.

Our cuisine is fresh, simple, glorifying the quality and diversity of seasonal ingredients available in this part of Tuscany; our selection of wines is a faithful representation of the many small, quality winemakers that dot these breathtaking hills…

In our view, there is only one way to savour them: perched directly over the unspoilt Chianti countryside, able to reach out and touch it – and feel the passion that led us here…

Located in Montefioralle, a medieval hamlet unspoiled by time and once the home of Amerigo Vespucci, Il Guerrino lies in a setting that is nothing short of spectacular, with stunning views of the surrounding countryside.

THE WINERY
Tenuta di Monte-Ficali was the dream and aspiration of Scottish emigrés David Gardner and Catherine Storrar, together with their dear friend Christopher Meyer (originally from the Engadine Valley of Switzerland, but now resident in Miami).

David and Catherine have been resident in Tuscany for nearly 3 decades and have always been involved in the world of hospitality between Florence and the Florentine Chianti Classico wine region.

They started their Italian lives as restaurateurs and wine merchants in the capital of Tuscany, but moved out into the idyllic Chianti hills in 2005 (with their 2 then young daughters in tow), having purchased several years previously a very run-down noble Villa with the accompanying small agricultural estate in the high hills above Greve in Chianti.

It had taken several years to transform the former hunting lodge and renaissance villa of the aristocratic Bordoni family into an intimate, luxurious country house hotel and restaurant (www.villabordoni.com).

Villa Bordoni, surrounded by the small hamlet of Mezzuola, had been a thriving wine farm producing Chianti classico wine since 1782. Sadly, by the time David and Catherine found the well-hidden estate, the vineyards had long since been sold off in the lean post-war years, and only parkland and terraced olive groves remained as a core of the formerly large estate.

It had always been their dream to one day make their own wines and to not limit themselves to selling the wines of others. When the opportunity eventually presented itself to buy back some of the vineyards several years later – land that they had been walking through daily – they easily convinced their longtime friend Christopher to make a leap of faith and join them on their journey.

Bound together by a shared love of great wine and the hypnotizing, beautiful landscape and terroir of the area, Christopher lept with them hand-in-hand, and the Tenuta di Monte-Ficali was born!

We are a small boutique winery with humility but ambition. At the helm of our wine making project is our supervising enologist, Paolo Salvi, a renowned Sangiovese expert who carries the torch of the legendary Giulio Gambelli – a.k.a. ‘il bicchierino’ (1926-2012).

Paolo has been part of the adventure from the outset, channeling our passion and enthusiasm into a reality in the cellar and quality in the bottle. Being at the blending table with Paolo is a truly magical (and enormously entertaining) experience… part chemistry and part wizardry, all washed down with copious quantities of humanity and hilarity!

Fundamental to the work in the cellar is, of course, the work in the vineyard and all this is carried out by our internal winemaker and agronomist Ruggiero Tupputi. He personally undertakes all work in the vineyards and cellars, and is the protagonist in the harvest which is done exclusively by hand and micro-managed to achieve the best possible results.

TENUTA DI MONTE-FICALI
Tenuta di Monte-Ficali was the dream and aspiration of Scottish emigrés David Gardner and Catherine Storrar, together with their dear friend Christopher Meyer (originally from the Engadine Valley of Switzerland, but now resident in Miami).

Three friends, Catherine, David and Chris, bound together by a shared love of great wines and the beautiful landscape and terroir of Chianti, took a leap of faith to achieve their lifelong dream of making their own wines in Tuscany. Thus, Tenuta di Monte-Ficali was born – a small, boutique winery – charged with the ambition of making wonderful wines.

MAIN Tenuta di Monte-Ficali was the dream and aspiration of Scottish emigrés David Gardner and Catherine Storrar, together with their dear friend Christopher Meyer (originally from the Engadine Valley of Switzerland, but now resident in Miami).

COOKING SCHOOL
The Chianti cooking school, which is run and operated by us and our professional cooking staff, offers cooking classes in different forms, and with content spanning from traditional and rustic – such as Cucina Povera – to contemporary and sophisticated, fruit of our long experience in Tuscan and Italian cuisine through our restaurants in Chianti and in Florence.

Our in-house cooking class at Villa Bordoni is held in the hotel’s open kitchen, centred around our beautiful, custom built Molténi range. This class is open to both residents and non-residents.

The setting is an historic Villa dating back to the renaissance, nestled amongst its own Vineyards and Olive groves in the high valley of the Greve river, close to the medieval village of Montefioralle. These experiences culminate in dinner based entirely on what was prepared during the lesson.

All of our lessons can be personalized on request, and we are used to catering for very specific needs – be they dietary restrictions or preferences, requests for lessons appropriate for children, or closed groups and different levels of expertise.

SPRING IN TUSCANY
Tuscany is simply glorious in Spring. The crisp mornings of early March give way to warmer currents of air and shafts of sunlight, unfurling leaves and blossoms and the uplifting chirrups of birdsong. After the unforgiving rains of Winter, the sweet, undulating hills of the Chianti Classico are at their greenest, and the light at its most enchanting.

There is energy everywhere as the wineries, restaurants, shops and indeed entire towns come out of hibernation. The delicate, new flavours of Spring are celebrated everywhere. This is the time to savour the sublime combination of young pecorino cheese and fava beans drizzled with olive oil pressed just a few months earlier.

Local cuisine is as colourful as the season itself, as wild asparagus, artichokes and many other fresh ingredients find their way to the table. It is the perfect moment to indulge in Tuscany’s healthy and rich gastronomy – or even learn more about it by taking part in a cooking program.

The delicate, new flavours of Spring are celebrated everywhere. This is the time to savour the sublime combination of young pecorino cheese and fava beans drizzled with olive oil pressed just a few months earlier. Local cuisine is as colourful as the season itself, as wild asparagus, artichokes and many other fresh ingredients find their way to the table.

SUMMER IN TUSCANY
Make no mistake – Summer in Tuscany is hot! But daytime gives way to balmy evenings, soporific afternoons by the pool culminate in lazy, sumptuous dinners in the garden. The heady scents of pine needles and baking loam soil set to a hypnotic soundtrack of humming cicadas. This is the time of year to get out early and explore, take in a local winery, or visit one of the beautiful walled towns in the vicinity.

Alternatively, do absolutely nothing but drag yourself from bed via the breakfast buffet to the pool, and baste yourself slowly whilst admiring one of the prettiest views in the region from a recumbent position.

Make time to eat though, as this is tomato time! The perfect moment to eat this succulent fruit in every possible way… Caprese salad with molten buffalo milk mozzarella, bruschetta, chilled soups, pappa al pomodoro – all washed down with a crisp, aromatic white wine – or why not, a local rosato.

Then as the heat recedes in early September and the cooler evenings descend, the region starts preparing for the wine harvest. By late September the winding roads are postcard scenes with tractors brimming over with grapes.

The vineyards are buzzing and wine festivals thronging with enthusiastic imbibers. This is an emotional and evocative time, and it is exciting to be around, even for those who, if truth be told, actually prefer a chilled beer! But daytime gives way to balmy evenings, and soporific afternoons by the pool culminate in lazy, sumptuous dinners in the garden.

AUTUMN IN TUSCANY
After the wine harvest, the land seems to take pause as the light softens and colours begin to turn. The cooler climate encourages the rich plethora of autumn flavours. The hearty meat and game dishes, the wholesome soups, pumpkin risottos and perhaps the most redolent of all ingredients, the porcini mushrooms and luxurious, earthy truffles.

As Fall advances through Chianti and the crowds lessen, it is the ideal time to bask in the rich enogastronomic culture of the area. It is the perfect time to visit some of the exceptional wineries of the region, to take a cooking lesson and learn how to make fresh pasta, or to go truffle hunting and, with some luck, have your own truffle shaved on your evening meal!

This is also the time when Italy’s single, most important ingredient is made. Fresh, spicey new olive oil begins to flow starting in November, adding a unique signature to local dishes and breads.

If food and wine aren’t your thing, this is also a great time of the year to visit the museums and churches in Tuscany’s now relatively calm tourist magnets – Florence, Siena, Lucca, Arezzo to name but a few – or explore the beautifully preserved medieval towns.

For the more energetic types, the mild weather and spectacular colours lend themselves to enchanting walks in the countryside. Whatever your daytime activity, it is always lovely come back home to relax and enjoy an open log fire, some jazz, a fine glass of red wine, and often the personal – and personalized – attention of our staff.

Whatever your daytime activity, it is always lovely come back home to relax and enjoy an open log fire, some jazz, a fine glass of red wine, and often the personal – and personalized – attention of our staff.

Rooms: 10

Price: from 185 EUR per night

Source: www.villabordoni.com