Locality & Map

About Tuscany

”Over the valley, down the Siena road, a right turn on to a white road, and then through pastoral countryside, we came on a most amazing sight; the borgo Sogna, brought back from ruin. This idyllic village dosing in the sun………” Frances Mayes Bringing Tuscany Home ©2004

Entirely private, the 11th century medieval hamlet of Sogna consists of 12 unique homes with a swimming pool, sauna and tennis court.

Perched 400mm high atop a hillside sits this stunning medieval borgo, facing the Val d’Ambra and surrounded by wooded terraces with almost a thousand trees; olive, walnut, almond and fruit trees all overlooking the ancient forests of Tuscany.

The borgo of Sogna was restored in 1996, carefully retaining all of its original character. The vestiges of the original fortressed walls still overlook the borgo and its restored 14th century church, which retains its original bell tower. Strolling down from the church, along the cobbled paths, you catch momentary glimpses of the surrounding densely forested hills as you inhale the intoxicating heady scents of the rosemary and lavender bushes growing in abundance throughout Sogna. With its panoramic views of the Val d’Ambra; Sogna offers our guests the chance to relax, sunbathe, swim in the oasis shaped pool, play a game of tennis, eat alfresco under the vine covered pergola or just do nothing at all! With shops, excellent restaurants and banks all within an easy ten minute drive. In season, figs, apricots, plums and grapes grow throughout the borgo and there are few pleasures greater than eating a freshly picked, sun warmed piece of fruit with your morning coffee. And in the cooler months you can snuggle up in front of a roaring wood fire, listen to music, read a book, or just daydream!

“Sogna, instead, looks as if time rolled back, showing the village as it once was. No wires, no shiny bricks, no kitsch, no artificial landscaping. Here is the dignity of simplicity.” Frances Mayes Bringing Tuscany Home ©2004

If you can tear yourself away from the beauty of our medieval borgo, Sogna makes a perfect base for exploring Tuscany. It is just a 30 minute drive to the centres of Siena and Arezzo and an hour’s drive to Florence. The classic Tuscan hill towns of Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano, are all within a short drive and Chianti’s famous villages of Castellina, Greve, Gaiole, Radda are just on our doorstep. Closer to home, you can take a leisurely stroll to Rapale, the next village in the chain of hilltop borgos or discover the beauty of the Valdarno and particularly the Valdambra where the magical medieval towns of Badia a Ruoti, Cennia, Ambra and Bucine, cling to their hilltop perches evoking a sense of timelessness.

When you tire of the natural and historic beauty of Tuscany and find yourself in need of a little “retail therapy”; a quick 25 minute drive will take you to the anonymous grey warehouse called Space, which is the outlet store for Prada, Jill Sander, Mui Mui, and Helmut Lang. A further 15 minute drive brings you to “The Mall”, a huge complex of outlet shops where you can find labels such as Alexander McQueen, Agnona, AJ Armani, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Emanuel Ungaro, Ermenegildo Zenga, Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Hogan, I Pinco Pallino, La Perla, Loro Piana, Marni, Pucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Sergio Rossi, Stella McCartney, Tod’s, Valentino, Yohji Yamamoto and Yves St. Laurent. There is also a Miss Sixty and Diesel outlet at The Mall as well as a stylish café that serves salads, sandwiches and fantastic coffee. Down the road from The Mall you will find the Fendi, Celine, Loewe and the Dolce and Gabbanna outlet shops.

Map

Travel Information

Modes of Transport

The nearest …	Name	Distance (Km)
Airport	Florence	65