Sunshine Village
Listing Description
SUNSHINE VILLAGE is an old farmhouse rentals situated in the Valdarno, one of the most beautiful and historically important areas of Tuscany. About 35 km from Florence, it is a place of prestige and enchantment, surrounded by olive trees and hectares of pristine nature. It offers to a discriminating clientele the opportunity to experience the best of a vacation in Tuscany at the villas and residences that comprise its ancient village.
The SUNSHINE VILLAGE estate covers an area of 1,000 hectares (about 2,500 acres). It is situated at an altitude of 400 meters, ranging up to 900 meters on the crest of the Pratomagno mountains. The residential part, a convent dating back to the late 17th century and subsequently transformed into a farm, is surrounded by extensive olive groves. Woodlands, also part of the property, are characterized by the presence of springs and varied flora and fauna.
The original 17th century convent, later converted into a farmhouse, has been carefully redesigned to offer today’s guests both traditional charm and modern comfort. It is tastefully appointed with both antique furniture and contemporary pieces. A large swimming pool, a theater, and a library, along with furnished outdoor areas, offer the vacationer everything required to relax and enjoy the celebrated pleasures of Tuscan country living.
Your holiday experience will be complete with a visit to the farming areas which produce Zolfini beans, Valdarno chickens, and a brand of extra virgin olive oil which has received some of the olive oil industry’s most important international awards.
In addition to hosting individual groups, SUNSHINE VILLAGE can be reserved for business incentive programs and company conventions. The living units of SUNSHINE VILLAGE have undergone careful renovation which has imbued the old areas of the farm with captivating charm and maximum comfort.
Features
Situated between the apartments and the olive press, the library and theatre represent an opportunity for the guests of SUNSHINE VILLAGE to meet, enjoy a cultural life and relax among a wide range of books and magazines, together with the areas for reading, talking, games and shows. The theatre and indoor areas are set up to host artistic and musical events, meetings and conferences. Outdoors, in the stunning scenario of the Pratomagno, among the olive groves and dry stone terraces, a number of paths lead through the wonderful private nature reserve, along the river Resco with its waterfalls, among the chestnut and beech woods. In the areas closer to SUNSHINE VILLAGE are a pavilion, on the borders of a small lake, where lunch can be had, or a moonlit dinner, and the tennis and football fields.
The library
The beauty of the original architectural elements of the old carpenter’s workshop, the five trusses, the stone walls, the round arches, the spaciousness, are all elements which made it the ideal site for a library. The library, planned in full respect of the 1994 UNESCO programme, which sees this place as a symbol of easy access to multimedia information, offers the guests of SUNSHINE VILLAGE an opportunity to consult books, magazines, Italian and foreign newspapers, to follow recent events or get to know more about the history and culture of the area and of Italy. On the gallery floor of the library is the multimedia area: apart from giving free access to internet, the computers may be used for access to on-line information. The library therefore represents the successful union of tradition and computer science. The library space will be used for organizing art exhibitions, conferences and meetings.
The theatre
Situated between the two courtyards of the SUNSHINE VILLAGE, the Theatre, which maintains its ancient charm, is used as an entertainment area for guests, or for cultural activities and conferences. The most advanced technology of modern installations and equipment for the shows live alongside the old architecture of the room, endowing the place with a new charm.
the woodland paths
SUNSHINE VILLAGE is surrounded by eight hundred hectares of woodland, going from 600 to 1000 metres of altitude up to the crests of the Pratomagno mountains. When walking along the paths of the estate, the guests of SUNSHINE VILLAGE are surrounded by beech and chestnut trees, and the waters of the Resco river add further sound and colour to the scene. The estate is populated by many different species, such as wild boars, deer, pheasants and hares. One of the future plans of the estate is to rear animals in a natural state, such as the cinta senese pig and chianina cows, in the areas near the Pratomagno.
The restaurant
The old stables at the SUNSHINE VILLAGE have been completely redesigned and renovated to house our restaurant, whilst retaining the original character of the place: three octagonal chestnut pillars, plain brick barrel vaults, three large windows. This is the setting for the over 20-foot long showcase, in light-coloured wood, a generous pantry loaded with the products of the Fattoria, wine, vinsanto, oil, honey, marmalade, chestnut flour, potatoes, chickpeas, lentils, zolfino beans from Pratomagno: these old flavours will lend their zest, in the different seasons of the year, to our house recipes and to the local cuisine of the Valdarno. Five sculptures in wood, representing a “cane thicket”, are placed around the room to separate each of the ten tables, to ensure atmosphere and charm, whilst the old family prints on the walls – horses and riders – bring back to mind the original use of the building. The yellow linen tablecloths, the elegant armchairs, the tables and ivory porcelain tableware bring warmth and light into the picture. Under the arches of the portico opposite the Restaurant we will serve breakfast or candle-lit dinner in summer, among stone capitals and rounded boxwood hedges.
The swimming-pool
The area of the large swimming-pool of SUNSHINE VILLAGE (m 10×20) marks the border between the olive grove and the old town square, in an ideal orographic and morphological condition for the creation of a pool. The areas around the swimming-pool, planted with olive trees, offer separate private areas of varying relation to the water, sun and nature. A pavilion with stone columns and wooden beams provides a pleasant spot of shade, reflecting in the water an ancient rural image, that of the wash-tubs, where the women use to go to rinse their clothes and talk amiably. The sound of the water lapping the sides of the pool mingles with the words of the guests.
The wine
bar
Biliard hall
The square room underneath the huge cross vault is dominated by a large Renaissance open fireplace: on one side of the room we find the precious family billiard, a 1914 “Della Chiesa”, in another corner a wonderful French gaming table, and six antique pictures on the wall. An ideal room dedicated to games, conversation and entertainment.
Connectivity
A wi-fi switchboard guarantees full connectivity with Internet in the indoor areas of the Fattoria: it is therefore possible to check one’s e-mails in one of the reading areas of the library, as well as download multimedia material during a conference in the theatre. All the apartments are supplied with telephone connections for those who don’t have Bluetooth in their laptop.
Business incentives
The SUNSHINE VILLAGE’s facilities are available to companies interested in organising conventions and events in a prestigious and refined setting surrounded by olive trees and hectares of pristine nature. The management of the reception services, offering the same attention to detail that distinguishes every interior space, can also organise important events, destined to satisfy the most demanding expectations and to guarantee an unforgettable experience for all participants. The theatre, the library, the swimming pool, the tasting room and the outdoor areas can be prepared to suit the requirements of any team-building programme or company meeting.
Availability
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