There are some places that seem to invite you to slow down the moment you arrive. Villa Barberino in Tuscany was one of those places for us.
We arrived in Tuscany after a long day of travel. Things hadn’t gone exactly according to plan—a missed connection had put us into Florence later than expected, and a few other little travel hiccups had followed. But eventually, we had our rental car, our luggage was loaded, and we were winding our way through the Tuscan countryside toward Villa Barberino.
Villa Barberino was even more beautiful than I had imagined. Cypress trees towered overhead. Gravel paths wound between old stone walls and carefully tended gardens. Olive trees, fountains, arches, and little courtyards seemed to appear around every corner.
It was unmistakably Tuscany, and almost immediately, everything seemed to slow down.
A Little Piece of Tuscan History
One of the things I loved most about Villa Barberino was that it didn’t feel like a traditional hotel.
The property feels more like a tiny historic Tuscan village, with stone buildings, passageways, courtyards, and gardens tucked throughout the grounds.
Some of the accommodations are even located in rooms that were once part of a 17th-century monastery.
Our own room was full of character. Heavy wooden beams stretched across the ceiling, and remnants of old decorative frescoes were still visible on the walls.
Those are exactly the kinds of details I love—the reminders that a place had an entire life long before we arrived.
We hadn’t even closed on our own medieval home in Tuscany yet, and already I found myself studying every beam, stone wall and timeworn surface. I don’t think I will ever get tired of these historical details.
A Morning With Nowhere We Needed to Be
The next morning, we slept in. After the long day of travel we’d just had, that alone felt luxurious. Breakfast was included with our stay, and we enjoyed a leisurely morning before wandering around and exploring more of the property.
This may have been my favorite part of Villa Barberino. It wasn’t one particular thing that made it so special. Instead, it was the dozens of little things that made me want to stop and take it all in. An old stone well surrounded by flowers, perfectly trimmed hedges winding through the gardens, olive trees that looked as though they’d been there forever, and brick arches framing one beautiful view after another.
Everywhere we looked tall, dark cypress trees stood against the blue Italian sky.
It was one of those places where the details were the destination.
And you know I happen to be rather fond of details.
The Pause We Didn’t Know We Needed
Looking back, I think this slow morning was exactly what we needed.
For months, there had been so much planning – house hunting, offers, paperwork, and travel arrangements. I had made lists upon lists of things we would need once we finally had keys to our home in Tuscany, and now we were actually here.
We had arrived in Italy knowing that in just a few days, we would sit down in a notary’s office in Montepulciano and sign the papers that would make us homeowners in Tuscany.
But for this one morning, there was nothing we needed to do.
So we wandered. We noticed the details. We let ourselves enjoy being exactly where we were.
If you’re planning your own Tuscany stay, you can check rates and availability at Villa Barberino here.
Eventually, though, it was time to leave our slow morning behind. We still had a little shopping to do.
Because apparently one of the first things you do when you’re about to buy a home in Tuscany is…
But that story—and the rather enormous mattress we somehow managed to fit into our rental car—is coming next.
To be continued…
Tina
