Homes in Tuscany

This large region in sunny central Italy needs little introduction. Home of visionaries Michelangelo and Da Vinci, site of exquisite cities Florence and Siena, it also boasts some of Italy’s most iconic countryside. Think round, rolling hills striped with vineyards or punctuated with the dark exclamation marks of cypress trees, perhaps with a honey-gold farmhouse in the near distance and a clutch of terracotta rooftops spiralling round a pretty campanile on a nearby hill. Add wonderful food, wine and lifestyle into the mix and it’s no wonder Tuscany has been adored for decades by international visitors and homebuyers.

In fact, you could say that this gilded region was where the modern passion for having in home in Italy all began. A little over forty years ago, pioneering Brits and other northern European nationalities began snapping up cheap old farmhouses in the gorgeous Chianti Hills north of Siena and converting them into chic rustic retreats. The area soon became extremely fashionable, its rising prices prompting subsequent waves of buyers to explore areas further afield – in Umbria, Le Marche and so on. Thus Tuscany acted as a lure, opening the eyes of the world to the delights of owning a home in rural Italy.

Since it first found favour, Tuscany has lost almost none of its charm. Sure, there are a few localities that can be unpleasantly crowded at certain times of the year