Parker Villas Exclusive - A private pocket listing available nowhere else

For easy access to Siena and Florence within an hour's drive, Monarca is the place to be. As a bonus, many alluring hill towns are easily reached: Montepulciano with its tantalizing red wines is within a 15 minute; Cortona, Tuscany's highest hill town is 30 minutes away; magical Orvieto or the tranquility of St. Francis's Assisi are both just about an hour's drive. As a double bonus, mighty Rome is two hours away.

Located a few miles from the juncture of the A1 highway heading north to south and the Siena-Perugia roadway running east to west, this is a fantastic base for guests on the move. The villa is easily reached by turning off of a paved secondary road and continuing on for one third of a mile passing by office complexes.

Conveniently enough, there is a restaurant at the turning point that's within walking distance of the villa. Closed on Mondays and for a couple of weeks in August, this eatery is a favorite among local residents for their simple yet hearty pasta dishes.

Monarca's gated entrance opens to the well-manicured and level grounds bordering the villa. The gardener tends to the estate on Saturdays.

Large furnished patios are at the front and rear entrances. However, the preferred setting for al fresco dining is a covered portico that houses the wood fired barbecue and a pizza oven, just a few feet from the villa. From here, the vista overlooks the pool on a level below and spans across neighboring vineyards to the hill town of Sinalunga and beyond to the Chiana valley.

Turning to the details of the villa, it was built in the 1600s in the Leopoldina style with spacious rooms framed by large brick arches, thick stone walls and an impressive vaulted, brick ceiling on the ground floor.

Comfortable and relaxed furnishings are placed throughout this welcoming Tuscan home along with a few antique accent pieces. A double-sided brick fireplace separates the living and dining rooms on the entry level.

Air conditioning is present in all the bedrooms and in the billiard room on the lower level. Window screens are present in the bedrooms and at least one window in each of the living and dining areas. The main kitchen is on the ground floor and offers easy access to the three furnished patios.

Why not enrich your Tuscan experience by ordering a traditional Tuscan dinner, a pizza night or a cooking class at the time of booking. A mid-week refresh cleaning is included and more cleaning may be ordered.

At Monarca, take your pick of small towns to visit with the nearest being Torrita di Siena in five minutes by car or Sinalunga in ten and both offer a few restaurants and cafes. Access to the A1 autostrada is an easy 10 minute drive and leads to the many wonders of Tuscany and Umbria: the jewels of Montepulciano, Pienza or Bettolle: 15 minutes; Cortona, the Roman bath at Bagno Vignoni or non-touristy San Quirico d'Orcia: 30; Lake Trasimeno or Arezzo: 40; Montalcino: 45; Perugia or Siena: 50; Orvieto: 60; Florence or Assisi: 70; San Gimignano or Castellina in Chianti: 80; Rome: two hours.

Technical Description
Ground floor: Two steps into an entry foyer. Living room with fireplace, TV, CD player and doors to a large, furnished patio. Dining room with door to the garden. Main kitchen with stovetop, oven, microwave, fridge, dishwasher, US-Style coffee maker, toaster, and door to the garden. One air conditioned bedroom with two single, joinable beds. One adjacent bathroom with tub and shower.

Lower level: Air conditioned billiard room with doors opening to the outside. One bathroom with shower. Outdoor access to laundry room with washing machine.

First floor: Large living room with fireplace. One large air conditioned bedroom with two single, joinable beds and en suite bathroom with two sinks, tub and hand shower. Three air conditioned bedrooms each with two single, joinable beds and its own en suite bathroom with shower.

For 11 to 14 guests, the following rooms are unlocked and made available:

Ground floor: One air conditioned bedroom with a queen size bed.

Cottage: One bedroom with two single, joinable beds and doors opening to the dining patio. One bathroom with shower.