01-08-2018 / Web article
Villa la Strega and its farm jealously guard the local folklore and the passion for the land where it rises, among the Sienese hills. Letizia, the owner of the house, devotes her time to creating an atmosphere of serenity in the external and internal environments and tells of her desire to bring together the guests who stay in the structure to give life to a shared harmony.
The villa is located about 3 km from Siena, its proximity to the city
does not deprive it of a wonderful view of Tuscan nature, made of olive groves
and the surrounding countryside. The primary structure of the villa, the oldest
one dating back to the seventeenth century, is the chapel, still consecrated,
accessible from the nearby square. La Strega is the main residence, part of an
agricultural complex that also includes the adjacent farm, now a Charming Farm.
For over a century it belongs to the same family but only in 2012 the farm was
renovated by Letizia, it was in fact the farmhouse of the villa and it is
thought that originally it was probably the stable. The name Strega that
belongs to the structure is really curious, says the owner: dates back to 1700,
through a search in the State Archives it was possible to recover the curious
and folklore story according to which she was inhabited by a woman considered a
witch because she owned a magic rope that moved by itself. Legend has it that a
blacksmith, the area surrounding the Villa is full of blacksmiths for this is
called Ferraiolo, stole the rope to the witch and when he returned home he
found his wife hanged with the same rope. The buildings have been carefully studied and
furnished according to the taste of the owner, who has always been passionate
about furnishing. The villa is furnished in a traditional way and all the
objects inside the house have been preserved since it was inherited by Letizia.
The farm instead has a more rustic style, inspired by the provincial and the
shabby; the colors are used to differentiate the various interior areas, have
been taken care of by the owner who wanted to dedicate a room to each shade. He
tells how he likes to take care of the breakfasts: jams are produced at home as
well as cakes and many other delicacies, every morning when waking up guests
are greeted with a buffet of continental breakfast that respects local and
international tastes. The vegetable garden near the villa is cultivated by
Letizia itself and the vegetables collected are served to guests during the
meal, so that they can taste fresh products from the Tuscan land. Inside the villa
there are five double rooms, two single rooms and two other very large rooms,
the living room and the kitchen that can accommodate up to 12 guests. These
rooms used for common use are the perfect place to organize parties and
birthdays, the chapel of the farm can be used by guests to celebrate religious
events, and the large outdoor spaces, which include the old lemon house, lend
themselves to moments of conviviality and fun, even from the large size. The
farm has several bedrooms, each of which has its own bathroom, two common rooms
and one for lunch. Breakfast in the winter months is prepared in the dining
room, using a single table to promote socializing among guests, essential for
the owner who sees in their home a place where people are together even without
knowing each other. In the summer, however, is moved outdoors, in the huge
table in the garden can dine up to 20 people and is used by the owner at the
dinner that she organizes for her customers during the weeks of stay in summer.
To these moments of conviviality are added the tastings in the villa of the
Chianti wineries of the territory, to promote local and traditional tastes.
Villa la Strega is a house that should be lived and offers its guests a unique stay made of nature, thanks to the land and its products that surround it, tradition, where the folk side is valued, and sociality, through the promotion of events. The history of a place is also influenced by the legends that are told about it, let us know what was your experience with the local folklore you met during your holidays.