Our Guestbook: our customers write about us

August 2020

Fabulous stay at this lovely property. Recommend Francesca and Andrea's catering-fantastic. Given the situation in 2020 was delight to manage to get away for 2 weeks. Thoroughly recommend this property.

Great property and very helpful host

We spent 1 week at the property in August 2020 with a large family group. The villa, pool and spa areas were in very good state, comfortable, well appointed and clean. The property has ample green space and beautiful views to the surrounding hills. Quiet and peaceful. The host, Andrea, made sure to answer all of our questions before the trip, helped to arrange everything we needed on site and was always there to help with any issues with pool temperature, jacuzzi, etc We also enjoyed a meal cooked by the hosts at the property that was excellent. It is clear they look after the property with care and experience. Overall, can’t recommend this enough. Top choice

Lovely place in the hills of Tuscany

We were travelling as a group of ten young people and the villa was just perfect for four couples and two singles. There was a nice pool area with a beautiful panorma view. Once we booked a privat cooking from Andrea and his wife - the food was very very delicious! This villa and it‘s quiet area is definitely a visit worth

Totally Exceeded Expectations!

We were a group of 5 couples from Canada, who started planning our trip to Italy and Tuscany 2 years ago. In my search came across Villa Carda - what a find! From the moment I contacted Andrea I knew we would be in for a treat. We stayed for 10 nights in this spectacular Villa. Andrea and Poppa (Antonio) met us on arrival and came every day to ensure all was well. The Villa has been restored and was more than we could have imagined - 6 well-appointed suites await you. The grounds are beautifully maintained and the views out over the mountains just spectacular! A must, if renting this Villa, is to have Andrea and his wife Francesca (an Agri-Chef) come and prepare a 4 course dinner - true Italian delight! We also had Francesca back one evening for a cooking lesson for all the women - homemade pizza and fresh pasta and tiramisu for dessert - a real treat, and a great experience. We did lots of day trips into the Tuscan region, visiting all kinds of medieval stone-walled villages and towns in the mountains, on the recommendations of Andrea and Poppa, who were so helpful - Poppi, Anghiari, Cortonna, Arezzo. The wine tour was organized by Andrea to Collo Bereto, which was an amazing experience, and great wine! We so enjoyed the spa and heated outdoor pool, spending our down-days relaxing poolside and evenings under the pool cabana. This was an amazing trip and an amazing property. Would definitely recommend to friends/family, and would definitely book again! Thanks so much Andrea, Francesca, and Poppa!

Tuscan Perfection

We had a wonderful week at Villa Carda. The villa is simply stunning! It is epitome of Tuscan paradise. Everything you could possibly need is provided, so much thought and care has gone into presenting the house to provide visitors with the perfect holiday. Andrea and his father Antonio took such good care of us, offering lots of helpful tips and assisting us with restaurant bookings. Liaising with Andrea beforehand was also really easy, he was very attentive and showed us extraordinary kindness when we had to adjust our travel plans due to family illness. The pool area is outstanding and so luxurious. And the wellness area is lovely addition. Each bedroom is luxurious but also has an authentic Tuscan feel. The kitchen has everything you could need, it's definitely a "chef's kitchen". And as other reviewers have mentioned, the home cooked meal by Andrea's wife Francesca is an absolute must, we had fine dining in our very own villa. There really aren't any negatives, but do make sure you hire a car as the villa is in somewhat remote, adding to it's beauty. This place is a little slice of paradise, we highly recommend a stay here!

Amazing getaway location with stunning views

We stayed at Villa Carda as a family group of 12 (including 4 children). The house itself was superbly fitted out and the bedrooms comfortable. The kitchen was high end and well equipped. We loved the different areas in the property that we could eat in and enjoy the spectacular views. The pool is a great size and all one depth. We enjoyed the fresh bread that we ordered through Andrea and also took advantage of Francesca coming to cook an authentic tuscan meal for us. Would thoroughly recommend this property and Andrea and Francesca (and also Antonio) were great hosts.

Just perfect!

The chalet was absolutely beautiful and luxury. The house was very clean. Beds comfortable. The huge garden was lovingly laid out. The hosts were very friendly and accommodating. They were extremely helpful for everything we needed. We can’t say enough nice things about them! Thank you Andrea, we are definitely coming back.

Amazing Villa amongst the hills of Tuscany.

Beautiful villa, beautiful country, beautiful weather, beautiful ice cream. Our stay in Villa Carda was delightful. Andreas looked after us throughout attending to any problems we had, even booking a restaurant for us. The Villa is amazing, set amongst the most scenic background and not a house in sight, so much space inside and out. The heated pool and jaccuzzi were a delight in the hot weather. Andreas organised our welcome shopping and a birthday cake which was delicious. Thank you for an amazing holiday which chilled us all out.

Simply perfect

Experiência maravilhosa!!!

Villa Carda é especial. Não só por suas lindas e excelente acomodações mas pelo calor humano que nela existe. A família Franceschini oferece ao hospede um local onde nos sentimos parte da família. O acolhimento é tão caloroso que nos sentimos como em nossas casas. Como está escrito: La famiglia accoglie i propri ospiti com reffinatezza, disponibilià ed amicizia. • A beleza arquitetônica de Villa Carda, seus campos verdes – mesmo quando recepcionista do inverno gelado – nos faz sentir como nativos. Cada pedaço da propriedade nos oferece um detalhe e vai ser difícil esquecer tudo que passou por aqui aliás, nem queremos que o esquecimento venha pois queremos manter vivo em nossa memória e em nosso coração, todos os momentos vividos, disfrutados e amados em Villa Carda. • Saudade será o sentimento que mais aflorará quando amanhã deixarmos este paraíso toscano. Talvez as lágrimas virão aos nossos olhos mas serão lágrimas de felicidade, de alegria e de amor pois aprendemos a amar este pedaço bonito e especial do mundo. E o gostinho do queremos voltar vai permanecer conosco.

An elegant and stylish Tuscan Villa in an idyllic setting

Villa Carda is a beautifully appointed, tasteful property set in magnificent parklands which enjoys spectacular views over lush mountains. The villa is ideally located, either as a complete retreat to enjoy the landscape, the heated pool or the private spa, or as a base to explore the Tuscan countryside. The Medieval towns of Poppi and Arezzo are within a short drive from the villa- and Florence and Cortona are still accessible just being a little further afield. Each room is gracefully decorated, spacious and has individual ensuites; all comforts are carefully considered. Andrea, the owner, is incredibly attentive and helpful; he is always only a phone call away and arranged daily breakfast delivery for our party. One of our highlights was a superb Tuscan meal cooked for us at the Villa- a real treat and absolutely delicious. A wonderful villa, in a glorious setting with great food, good company and helpful hosts- perfect!

Top Ten Reasons To Stay at Villa Carda

1. Villa Carda is in an area of Tuscany that is not overrun with tourists. 2. Villa Carda is exceptionally clean as well as artfully and tastefully decorated. 3. The location is beautiful with impeccably cared for grounds. 4. The host, Andrea, visits in the morning and is available by phone to answer questions and make recommendations and reservations. 5. You can arrange for Andrea's wife, Francesca, to prepare a fabulous, multi-course dinner, a real treat after a long day of sightseeing. 6. You'll have enough leftovers for another delicious meal, making your initial meal cost very reasonable. 7. The kitchen is equipped with all manner of pots, pans, coffee maker, etc. 8. There are good restaurants within a few minutes drive. 9. There are interesting medieval hilltop towns within a few minutes drive. 10. The separate doors for each room allow a lot of privacy.

Elegance and Old World Charm

Wonderful, Warm and Spacious Setting, and attentive owners (Antonio and Andrea). Villa Carda was better than the brochure. Wonderfully situated in the Tuscan Hills

An unforgettable pleasant experience in a gorgeous place with fantastic owners.

I spent one fascinating week with my three children + spouses +seven grandchildren, altogether fourteen people of all ages (2.5-70) at Villa Carda. We all enjoyed it. Everything was perfect!!! The villa is beautiful, big , well equipped, every detail regarding the possible needs of the tenants has been thought of, very very clean with the highest level of maintenance. The outdoors are gorgeous, with a huge garden , a jacuzzi pavllion with a well equipped gym, and a heated swimming pool. On top of this heavenly place , the even best part are the owners. Antonio, the founder, his son Andrea who runs the place and his beautiful wife Francesca, who cooked us (together with Andrea) a 5 star dinner. They are are rare combination of kindness and professional efficiency. It has been a unique experience and I am sure that I will return to Villa Carda in the future.

Our stay at Villa Carda was magnificent!

We spent a week at this property and didn't want to leave! The villa is superb, Andrea and has family were a pure delight, and the setting in the hills of Tuscany are like a real life dream come true. I strongly urge you to have them cook for you at least one night. It was a gourmet's paradise. The small villages only minutes away gives you a real feel for Tuscan life. All in all a spectacular trip and our entire group wants to go back and do it again.

Amazing and unforgettable holiday

After reading all of the reviews on Trip Advisor myself and my family (eight of us in total), decided that Villa Carda would be the destination to celebrate two milestone birthdays. After a 1300 mile trip from Stafford to Castel Focognano we were not disappointed! Andrea, Antonio and Francesca were a delight and extremely welcoming. The pictures simply do not do the Villa justice and we were all fighting over which rooms to snap up! You simply have to arrange for Andrea and Francesca to cook you a meal, we did for one of the group's birthday and it was simply fantastic. Location wise there is plenty to see and do around the Villa. We visited a local winery 'colle Bereto', which is owned by a friend of Andrea's. we had a tour of the winery and a lunch with tasting - lovely. We visited several of the local historical towns and villages including Cortona, Montepulciano and Anghiari. The local bakery delivered to us every day which was fantastic. If you call Andrea in the evening or text him, he will place the order for you. We made use of the pizza oven one night and this was also great. There are a couple of supermarkets in the local town of Rassina (about 10 mins drive away), we bought groceries here. The 'wellness' centre is great - we spent almost every morning lazing in the hot tub before breakfast, watching the mist rise and the sun break through over the mountains in the distance. All in all I would recommend this villa to anyone and everyone, we had a fantastic time and Andrea couldn't do enough for us. Thanks to them for an extremely pleasant holiday, one which we would not hesitate to repeat.

Holiday Highlight

Villa Carda was a holiday highlight. Various members of the group stayed at the Villa because it was so beautiful. The owners have thought of everything to make your stay comfortable and relaxing. From the swimming pool to the wellnes centre to the large property there are lots of things to do. The property is gorgeous with the lemon, orange and cherry trees & the view of the mountains to the east. I can also highly recommend having Francesco & Andrea cook a meal for your group. You will not be disappointed by either the quality or the quantity of the food. Andrea was extremely helpful whenever we asked for his help. I can't recommend this place enough. You will not be disappointed.

Beautiful holiday

Villa Carda is a great villa. Very spacy, suitable layout of bedrooms, each of them with bathroom, lovely bedroom on the ground floor with small library and amazing view to the valley (just appeals to you to sit down and write some book there). In addition to the swimming pool and sport facilities, there is also small golf pitching practice area. Overall, we had great and unforgettable holiday week in Villa Carda.

A Dream Holiday Vacation - Thank you

If looking for an Italian getaway...look no further. Villa Carda exceed our high expectations. Everything was perfect. 14 of our family stayed at Villa Carda for the week and we all had our own space. The view was amazing. There was even an area to hit the golf balls.  The villa's ground were immaculate. Don't bring too much wine with you as they have a wine cellar with a great selection with local wines. Take the opportunity to experience Francesca and Andrea's home cooked meal which includes hand cooked pasta and a range of traditional Italian cuisine. You will not be disappointed. They also have bikes for use to explore the surroundings. The pool, sauna and spa were either better than we thought. We only wished we could have stayed longer. Thank you Andrea and family for making our holiday so special. From

Marvelous, fantastic staying at VIlla Carda

It was our second time to visit Villa Carda. It was a perfect holiday, again. Andrea and Antonio are so friendly and they can give you nice tips which places, restaurants and villages are worth to visit in the neighbourhood. I can honestly recommend the Villa Carda for everyone who like the beautiful tuscan view.

Heaven on earth

Villa Carda is a Tuscan diamond! The house, the rooms, the pool, the garden, the view, the soap in the bathrooms, the pillows in the bedroom, the smell of figues, the wine in the cellar, the hammam, the jacuzzi, the lavazzo coffee in the morning, the bakery delivered at the door, the friendly 24/7 assistance of Andrea