Since 1982

Pagliaio 4

Former Monastery Farm near Arezzo: Cottage for 4 with Shared Pool and Helpful Owner : Badia Agnano between Arezzo and Siena

Perfect for

  • Budget-conscious couples or small families (sleeps 4 comfortably, or 6 with sofa beds in the living room) wanting authentic Tuscany without luxury pricing
  • People who value a helpful, knowledgeable owner - Annmarie lives on site, arranges cooking lessons with local chefs, books restaurants, organizes bike rentals and horseback riding, and genuinely looks after her guests
  • Those who don't mind sharing a pool and gardens - there are 3 apartments total on the estate, all with private outdoor dining areas but sharing the large pool (7x15m with diving board) and grounds
  • Cyclists and walkers - the Valdambra valley has excellent routes, and bike rentals can be arranged through Annemarie
  • Horse riders - stables are within walking distance
  • Anyone charmed by the idea of staying on former monastery farmland with occasional wild boar visits in the evenings

Good to know

  • This is one of 3 apartments on the estate sharing a pool and gardens - each has its own private outdoor dining area, but you'll see other guests around the property
  • WiFi works near the main house but not reliably inside the apartment - plan accordingly if you need constant connectivity
  • No air conditioning, just portable fans in bedrooms - the thick stone walls help, but July/August can be warm
  • Heating charged extra based on consumption
  • The access road/drive is gravel and can be bumpy - mentioned in reviews as potentially tricky for low-clearance cars
  • Final cleaning is included in the price
  • Small dogs permitted with advance request

Pagliaio sits on land that once supplied grain to the Benedictine monks of Badia Agnano - the Abbey of St. Mary - a powerful medieval monastery that controlled vast holdings across the Ambra valley from the 11th century until its suppression in 1652. The haybarn for the monks' holdings is now a comfortable two-story cottage for couples or small families.

Annemarie, the British owner who lives on the property, is mentioned in every guest review for her helpfulness with restaurant bookings, local recommendations, and arranging extras like cooking lessons, bike rentals, and horseback riding. The property has two other apartments (three total), all sharing a large 7x15 meter pool with diving board, extensive gardens with hammocks strung between the trees, and outdoor dining areas - each apartment has its own private table and seating.

The Valdambra valley between Arezzo and Siena is excellent for cycling and walking. Horse stables are in easy walking distance. Wild boar occasionally visit the grounds in the evenings. This is a budget-friendly base for exploring eastern Tuscany, not a luxury retreat - but it's clean, spacious, peaceful, and Annemarie makes sure guests feel looked after.

Accommodation

This cottage sits across the drive from the main house and is entered through arched glass doors into a sitting room with two bright sofas, which can double as two single beds, 1 for a child and 1 for an adult.

A short corridor leads past a shower room into an eat-in kitchen with a glass topped table for 4 with wicker chairs.

Up the wrought iron & glass staircase with natural wood steps is an additional shower room and two spacious double bedrooms where light filters through the original brickwork of haybarn windows.

Features

Villa Details

  • Swimming Pool
  • Wifi
  • Free Parking
  • Insect Screens
  • Pets Welcome
  • Barbecue
  • Shared Swimming Pool

Bedrooms and Bathrooms

  • 2 Double Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathroom With Shower On Ground Floor
  • 1 Bathroom With Shower On Top Floor
  • 1 Hair Dryer
  • Insect Screens On Bedroom Windows
  • Portable Fans In The Bedrooms

Kitchen equipment

  • Oven
  • Dishwasher
  • Toaster
  • Italian Coffee Maker
  • Kettle
  • Microwave Available On Request

Amenities

  • Satellite Tv
  • Dvd Player
  • Cd Player/Radio
  • 2 Single Sofa Beds In Living Area
  • Baby Bed And High Chair Available On Request
  • Washing Machine In The Shared Laundry Room
  • Iron And Ironing Board In The Shared Laundry Room

What's included

  • Final Cleaning Included
  • Pool Towels Provided

Extras

  • Arrival Groceries Available On Request
  • Catering Available On Request
  • Cooking Lessons Available On Request
  • Extra Cleaning Available On Request
  • Transport And Tours Can Be Organized
  • Heating: Extra On Consumption
  • Small Dogs Permitted On Prior Request

Outdoors

  • Shared Pool - Dim: 7X15 M, Depth: 1.20-2.20 M, With Diving Board
  • Furnished Private Dining Area And Shared Gardens
  • Shared Webber Bbq Available
  • Ping Pong Table In The Garden
  • Hammocks Strung In The Garden

Nearby Activities

Photos

Click on any photo to enter gallery

Reviews

“ Our stay at Pagliaio was wonderful ”

Our stay at Pagliaio was wonderful. The accommodation was clean, spacious, the grounds and pool areas were beautiful and the visit of the wild boar in the late eveninga made it even more magical. The host, Annmarie was on hand at all times, and her knowledge of the area was really helpful. The information and support before the trip from ‘Invitation to Tuscany’ was perfect and we look forward to booking with them again in the future.

Andrew & family from UK staying in Pagliaio . Aug 2024

“ A wonderful week at Pagliaio ”

We stayed for one week during August and we had a wonderful time. We were so lucky to have the whole property to ourselves and made the most of days relaxing by the pool alternating with trips out to some of the beautiful nearby towns including Arezzo which is stunning. Ann Marie is really helpful and made lots of excellent recommendations and restaurant bookings which we really enjoyed. The property was very clean and the kitchen was well equipped for cooking when we decided to eat in. We found the property perfect for a relaxing stay with lots to explore nearby.

Alison & family, UK staying in Pagliaio . Aug 2023

“ A wonderful getaway ”

We loved our stay at Annemarie's villa, even though it was rainier than we'd prefer! The location is beautiful, tucked away in the Tuscan countryside, very private and peaceful. The villa itself was clean and lovely; it looked exactly like the provided photos. One thing to note, the wifi does not work in the villa itself. You have to be closer to the main house and sit outside in the "wifi chair." This wasn't an issue for us, but would be good to note for future guests. Another thing to note is that the kitchen had only the bare essentials--we had to buy salt and pepper, cooking oil, etc.

The extras we booked through Invitation to Tuscany were great as well. We very easily rented bikes, signed up for a wine tasting, and found restaurants (Annemarie was a great help with those!). One of the highlights of the trip, perhaps even THE highlight, was our cooking class with Martina. She and her cousin brought food and supplies to the villa and taught us the best way to make pasta, sauce, eggplant Parmesan, and tiramisu. It was spectacular! Overall, the villa suited us perfectly and we would love to return--maybe when it's sunnier!

Caroline staying in Pagliaio . May 2023

“ Wonderful Break in Tuscany ”

Annemarie was very friendly and hospitable. The location is stunning, very rural yet within easy commute to Florence, Sienna and all the wonderful little towns and villages around about. Loved having the pool. Plenty of lovely places to eat, especially recommend the little fish restaurant that Annemarie took us too that is open Friday/Sat/Sunday only. Will definitely return one day.

Louise and family from UK staying in Pagliaio . Aug 2022

“ Overall we had a splendid time ”

The property is excellent and we really enjoyed our stay. Very comfortable rooms and bathrooms. Annemarie was very welcoming and helpful with much information to share about the house and locality. The pool is splendid and we would have made more use had the weather been a little brighter. Kitchen is well equipped (once we had traced a coffee maker and some adapters for the plugs - thank you Annemarie!). Could do with a knife sharpener and a decent cook’s knife. We were not troubled as we brought our own. Another chopping board or two would also help. We would definitely revisit - the property lends itself easily to a small group or indeed a large family group. I don’t know how you would broach my final point but the road/drive leading to the property is not well maintained and the actual entrance to the property through the gates can be a little tricky to negotiate due to a poor surface and much gravel. Our large car with low profile tyres found that the surface was catching on the underside at times. This is a minor point but other visitors may find it a problem. Overall we had a splendid time - beds are very comfortable and we all slept very well. Location is great for trips around Tuscany with easy access to Siena and Florence by train.

A.M. staying in Pagliaio . Feb 2017

“ Such a pretty setting and such a pretty house ”

Such a pretty setting and such a pretty house. The estate is very well cared for by Annmarie its welcoming British owner and wandering around the extensive grounds and sitting by the pool, we felt such peace and tranquility. We loved the style, for though the furniture is not typically Tuscan, it all works so well.

L & L. staying in Pagliaio . Dec 2014

“ ...a lovely stay at Pagliao ”

We had a lovely stay at Pagliao in August. The 2-bedroom, 2-storey converted barn was absolutely lovely. The pool was an excellent size, all of us enjoyed it immensely. The owner was very pleasant and friendly and provided us with helpful information about the local area.

Mrs. K.M. and family, UK staying in Pagliaio . Aug 2015

“ We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Pagliaio ”

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Pagliaio and Tuscany overall. Anne-Marie was such a lovely person, very welcoming and incredibly helpful with any questions we had about the property, things to do and general logistics. A couple of minor issues with a few pieces of missing kitchen equipment were quickly sorted out. Anne-Marie was always around but also discreet so we could fully relax. We thought the accommodation was very high quality – very clean and stylish – lovely to have hand soap and kitchen cleaning items included. Also the grounds of the property were beautiful and very well looked after. A lovely place to chill out and get away from the humdrum of London. 2 minor points for improvement · Unfortunately we didn’t have the best of weather and so it was rather chilly in the evenings in the property so we would have appreciated some kind of heating option we could have controlled ourselves. · I would have appreciated an information folder in the “barn” as I like to hear what other guests have to say about the area and read about things to do. Although that said Anne-Marie did help a lot with this – she supplied us with a good road map, a Tuscany guide book (which supplemented the one we had already) and plenty of recommendations about where to go. Thank you for a lovely week – and for sorting this out so quickly for us.

Mrs. S.C. and family, UK staying in Pagliaio . Feb 2014

FAQ about Pagliaio

1. What's the approach road like?

The last section of the road is a well-maintained gravel track that gets slightly steep just before the turn off to the house.

Where is Pagliaio ?

Getting here

  • Florence airport 1 hr
  • Pisa airport 1 hr 45 mins
  • Rome Fiumicino airport 3 hrs
  • Fast train from Montevarchi 16 km. with connections to Florence, Rome and Milan

Around Pagliaio

Pagliaio sits in the Valdambra valley in the comune of Bucine, midway between Arezzo (25km) and Siena (35km). The medieval abbey village of Badia Agnano is immediately nearby - the church of Saints Tiburzio and Susanna (once the Abbey of St. Mary) and the remains of the old monastery walls and gatehouse are worth seeing.

Bucine (7km): Small market town with shops, services, and a tennis court. Saturday morning market for fresh produce. The comune includes several preserved medieval hamlets worth visiting - Capannole and Badia a Ruoti both have narrow alleys and old stone buildings.

Arezzo (25km, 30 mins): One of Tuscany's most underrated cities. Piero della Francesca's Legend of the True Cross fresco cycle in the Church of San Francesco is extraordinary - book ahead. The antiques market fills Piazza Grande on the first Sunday of each month (and preceding Saturday) - over 400 stalls. The Giostra del Saracino jousting tournament runs in June and September. Good train connections to Florence (1 hour).

Siena (35km, 40 mins): Gothic cathedral with striped marble interior and inlaid floors. The Palio horse race around Piazza del Campo on July 2 and August 16 (book a year ahead to attend). Torre del Mangia tower for views. The historic center is pedestrianized - park outside the walls.

Cortona (30km, 35 mins): Hilltop Etruscan town with steep streets, excellent views over the Val di Chiana, and the MAEC museum of Etruscan artifacts. Frances Mayes's Under the Tuscan Sun was set here - expect American tourists in summer.

Horseback riding: Stables within walking distance of the property - ask Annemarie to arrange.

Cycling: The Valdambra valley has quiet roads and gentle hills. Bike rentals arranged through Annemarie.

Cooking lessons: Annmarie arranges lessons with local chefs at the property - popular with guests based on reviews.

Nearby Activities

  • Restaurants, bars and shops in Badia Agnano 1.5 km and Pieva a Presciano 3 km.
  • Supermarkets in Ambra and Bucine 7 km
  • Arezzo 25 km, and Siena 35 km
  • Florence 60 km.

Pagliaio: Sleeps 4
€ 1628 to 2084 per week

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Calendar for Pagliaio

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How to book

Is Pagliaio perfect for you?

For over 40 years, Invitation to Tuscany has personally selected and visited every villa we represent. Our team knows each property and its surroundings intimately - allowing us to help you choose the perfect home for your family or group, and to make your stay as memorable as the place itself.

How to Book

Check availability: View pricing and availability in the calendar above. To book online, click your desired arrival date, then your departure date. The calendar will grey out dates for stay lengths that aren't accepted—most villas book Saturday to Saturday, but many also allow shorter stays or flexible dates.

Need help choosing?

We visit our properties regularly and can provide firsthand advice based on your wishlist. Contact us and we'll help you select the best villa for your holiday. Secure your dates: We can hold your preferred dates for 48 hours while you confirm flights and coordinate with your group. To confirm, simply pay the 30% deposit. Your balance will be due 10 weeks before arrival.

Complimentary Concierge Service

Every booking includes our free concierge service to help make your stay special:

  • Up to 3 activity or restaurant bookings per stay
  • Local recommendations and insider knowledge
  • Standard check-in coordination
  • General travel assistance

Need more support? Our Concierge Plus (€300) provides dedicated planning support for guests requiring more activity bookings, larger group logistics, or special occasions. Please note that weddings and event planning do not fall under this. Request this when booking or as early as possible.

Flexible Booking Options

Easy cancellation: Add XCover to your booking for a full refund if you can't travel. You can add XCover anytime before paying your balance - just ask your agent. See our Booking Conditions and XCover for more information. Need to change dates? Let us know - we can often modify your booking rather than cancelling outright.

Worth Knowing

Tourist Tax: Many local administrations charge a tourist tax for rental accommodation, which varies by town. Charges typically range from €0.50 to €5 per person per night, with a maximum of 5-7 nights. Children are sometimes exempt. These charges are collected by property owners and paid directly to them.

Still Have Questions?

Call us for quick answers - we're here to help. You'll also find lots of useful information in our FAQ page . Haven't found the perfect villa yet? Browse our suggestions below!

CIN: IT051042C24A9WQZW4

Booking Notes

  • Heating costs to be paid directly to the owner