Villa Tosca

Leave the gorgeous Renaissance city of Florence in your rearview mirror and head for the hills. Drive just thirty minutes or so up into the rolling Tuscan hills, and you'll come across this breathtaking villa with a soaring clock tower. Split into three units, two of which are on offer here, make your home from home in the sleepy village of Cellai where time stands still.

Step inside your apartments, and uncover an enchanting mixture of traditional Tuscan and contemporary touches that blend seamlessly together. Terracotta floors, exposed wood beam ceilings and stunning frescoes sit alongside modern additions, including a stylish farmhouse-style kitchen and monolithic fireplace.

All eight bedrooms blend rustic charm with utmost comfort to create havens of relaxation where you can take a break from socialising and appreciate the peace and quiet of your surroundings. Throughout the spacious interiors, you'll find several seating areas where you can kick back and relax with a podcast. In addition, dining areas can comfortably accommodate the maximum number of each apartment for sociable meals with family and friends in true Italian style. Elsewhere, the bathrooms are fitted with exquisite tiles and gleaming Italian marble that adds a hint of luxury to proceedings.

Discover a lush landscape of immaculate terraced gardens, a vine-covered pergola, a tempting pool and breathtaking views over the surrounding countryside. When your hosts are in town (in the mostly vacant third unit), they've made a ritual of visiting Forno La Chiocciola, where they stock up on fresh schiaccata, a Florentine speciality, and we'd suggest you do the same. Spend your days laid out by the pool, interrupted your sunbathing sessions only for refreshing dips and trips to the kitchen to rip off a chunk of that delicious bread.

For the culture vultures, we'd suggest spending a day (at the very least) wandering the backstreets and alleyways of Florence. In our opinion, getting lost on a self-guided tour is the best way to get to know the artistic, architectural and cultural history of Tuscany.

Home truths:
*We'd recommend a car to explore the area – there's ample on-site parking
*For those who can't drive or fancy doing some solo exploration, there's a bus stop ten minutes' walk away that will take you into Florence
*The gardens and pool are shared with another apartment on the site
*Access the home via a private entrance
*The dining table doubles as a laptop-friendly workspace