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One of the most beautiful places we have ever stayed. It felt like our own home in no time and we were very sorry to leave. Will definitely be looking to return soon. Karli and Richard were very helpful and attentive making sure our holiday was a good as it could possibly be. Thank you so much!!
Beautiful house, huge and fabulous garden, large pool with various depths and the area around us is very quiet. Great crostini and wine are offered to have an aperitif on the outdoor sofas with an amazing view, especially at sunset
Richard's house is a magical place, with a breathtaking view that can be seen from every window, terrace, and garden corner. The photos don't fully describe the spaces, the light, the renovation, the furnishings, and the atmosphere. The park is Richard's masterpiece, dotted with trails, trees, aromatic shrubs, stones and scenic areas, in an apparently spontaneous and random order but actually meticulously studied and developed over the years. The pool, very nice, is nestled among olive trees, cypresses and bushes; it is connected to the house by a bridge, which continues in a very scenic loft. Every single detail of the house and park shows the love with which Richard built this place. One last thought of two visits that made us feel at home: Karli, the very kind House manager, always efficient and smiling. And Missy, the owner's beautiful cat, who discreetly supervises her property and, if you like, gives company.
Having only recently moved from Australia to London, it was a perfect place to breathe, away from the hustle of the big city. Richard and India are tremendous and really do make you feel at home. 11 stars!
Elegant bright and soaring decor, large gourmet kitchen, charming spacious bedrooms, exquisite meandering gardens, intimate terraces with breathtaking views of the gorgeous Umbrian Hills, a generous, atmospheric swimming pool...the villa is equivalent of a fine Relais & Chateau with much more privacy. It is an easy, scenic drive to Florence, Siena, Assisi, Arezzo, Anghiari but you are loathe to leave the quiet, spectacular, enveloping space for touristy crowds. A superb retreat, a perfect romantic haven or accommodating place for family and friends. We had a meal prepared on the premises by an expert chef, nicely served by his assistant that was as fine as any Michelin-starred restaurant. Villa La Buia is heavenly and unique.
La Buia was the perfect setting for a delightful holiday. On the border of Umbria and Tuscany, the surrounding countryside is gorgeous and the house is near-perfect. My in-laws booked a one week holiday for them, their two adult children, spouses and one teenager (7 total). The house is spacious, clean, and beautifully decorated. The grounds are exquisite and enjoyable to stroll through. The pool is quite nice, although we relaxed by it rather than swim since the Fall chill had started by the time we arrived. Richard and Lucie are welcoming, but low-key, hosts who strive to provide a beautiful retreat while not being intrusive. There is a basket filled with tourism brochures, menus, guidebooks, etc. My favorite local tip was Lucie's "Circular Walk," which is a 5K loop around the surrounding countryside. Several of us are runners and we ran the loop on several days. It is a beautiful challenge! It's very hilly, which provides beautiful views and the sensation that your heart will explode (from the cardiovascular effort, although perhaps from the beauty too). I highly recommend the arrival dinner cooked by a local Italian couple. The house is filled with amazing smells upon your arrival and they cook a true feast- antipasti, pasta, meat, and dessert. There was so much food leftover! They were also quite kind in 100% accommodating a person's dairy allergy with separate portions, which allowed the rest of us to feast with butter and cheese! In addition, they brought a fantastic sparkler candle for the teenager's birthday celebration. Although the house would be perfect to lounge around in all week, we are a very active group and made several day trips. The house is set back from the main road and the backroads are in fair condition so while completely navigable, can add time to any road trips. We also tripped the breaker a few times early on before we figured out how to time appliance usage. Richard was very responsive in helping us reset it.
Magnificent views, wonderful walks, the most romantic setting, steeped in history.
My words cannot do justice to La Buia. I fell in love the moment I woke up to the blue skies and spectacular views from my room. The tobacco tower and grounds are simply stunning - not to mention the wonderful Umbrian backdrop. Lucie and Richard have created the perfect holiday home for families and friends alike. It has been one of my most favourite holidays, with the best memories, and I would recommend anyone and any age to explore the area. Take me back! Thank you for the most amazing stay. xx
Where do i start . There is so much to say. We are couple from Montreal Canada in their 40's. Traveled a lot, all over the world expect for Asia so far. I also micro manage ALL our vacation , and we do vacation a lot. But, everytime, there is always a certain apprehension to booking with owners versus booking a chain hotel. Let me start by saying that Lucy will become your friend after a few emails. She and her husband are the kindest people we have ever met doing vacation rentals. To make a long story shirt, getting to the villa was not easy for us, and not speaking Italian made it impossible to get help. One email later, Lucy was calling me, telling us where to go and to stay there, she would come get us. She hugged us like we were old friends coming back home. It just felt amazing ! About the villa itself, being just my husband and I, we used the downstairs bedroom and push the 2 beds together. Linens were so comfortable, mattress also, i am not the kids of person that easily sleeps ( a get about 5 to 6 hours sleep per night ) and believe it or not, first night i slept for 13 hours ! My husband was wondering at some point if i was still breathing , lol ! I woke up so refresh. It was amazing. Writing about it makes me miss that bed and ! It was chilly when we went and even had to close windows at some point. Not enough to use the fireplace, which i would have loved to do. We had done a grocery prior to checking in and cooked ourself the most delicious breakfast,lunch & diner there could be ! We didn't move from the villa for the 4 days we were there. It was THAT perfect. Almost all lunch were taken outside. We would go walk outside everyday on the property. We are so remote from everyone that just walking on their ground is an activity. I am not a pet lover that much, but believe me , her dog became my husband's friend right away and i was always looking to have him over with us when we were sitting outside. He was so adorable. Always wanted to be pet. We truly missed him the day he didn't come. We didn't use the pool because of the weather but, could easily imagine ourself in it with our family. Views from anywhere is just amazing. I could visualized ourself there any months of the year. We really wish we will go back and bring my parents as well as our 2 kids. It is secure, clean, spacious, remote, quiet, comfortable, it is pretty much all you can ask for. I have shared a lot of pictures on their Facebook page and i would be ready to talk or email to anyone who is having doughts about renting this property. You could not ask for better host then Lucy !
It would be very hard - if not impossible - to find a nicer property than this. The owners go out of their way to be helpful and friendly (without being intrusive). The house has been painstakingly and stunningly restored. Everything possible has been thought about in terms of the comfort of the guests. Lucie and Richard's taste is impeccable. We cannot recommend this property too highly.
We began our search for something special back on a dismal January evening. Having found La Buia we quickly realised that we had stumbled upon a gem and had very high hopes that the property would be all we wanted for a family holiday. From the moment of contact with Lucie and Richard we knew this was going to be a very special place. Pre holiday arrangements and communication - along with excellent road directions - were all fantastic. Lucie and her daughter went out of their way to organise a special Father's Day gift for my husband - a private pasta making lesson - which we all had the pleasure of enjoying! We arrived at La Buia, after driving through a torrential downpour, somewhat jaded. However, any post travel grumpiness was banished as we turned the corner of the house to witness the beautiful gardens and valley stretching before us. We had arranged for a home cooked meal to be awaiting us on our arrival - cooked by Lucie. Within an hour of our arrival we were seated outside, prosecco open and eating a delicious three course meal! La Buia is situated in a stunning rural location, only 10 minutes by car from local amenities and the seclusion and tranquility it provides is truly wonderful. Set in extensive grounds with beautiful gardens abound, including herb gardens that we had the pleasure of using, it is the perfect place to relax. The covered dining area outside is ideal for every mealtime and the terraces perfect for an apperativo! The pool was great for both of our children, 4 and 9 years old - one swimmer and one non-swimmer. The pool steps gave our younger one an ideal place to grow in confidence as the weeks progressed. The sun loungers and umbrellas gave welcome shade as did the grape vine pergolas - you know what they say about mad dogs and Englishmen! All three bedrooms - with en-sites - were very comfortable and well appointed with beautiful furnishings providing home from home touches. The shutters were fantastic at keeping out the heat from the day and in the evening the large windows captured the valley breezes perfectly. The kitchen was spacious and very well equipped in all ways. We certainly made the most of home dining during our stay - although the 8 seater dining table was rather under used as we dined al fresco every evening. The house provides great space and room for everyone to be in their own place. We didn't use the main sitting room very much as the weather was so glorious in the evenings but on the few occasions that we did, it was very comfortable. The whole house has a feeling of light and calm. It is very obvious that Lucie and Richard have invested a great deal time and love into making this a home for their guests to share. There is lovely attention to detail in all the rooms such as Lucie's fantastic paintings - along with thoughtful touches such as jigsaws and books for children along with local information leaflets and booklets. Lucie and Richard were fantastic at giving us ideas of things to do - while I have to say that we were rather lazy - enjoying the house and pool surroundings so much, that we spent more time just relaxing than we have ever done on a holiday before. The location of the house is an ideal spot for day trips - here are just a few of the things that we saw while we were there Citta di Castello - markets Anghiari - ice cream! Sansepolcro Cortona Monte Santa Maria Tiberina - amazing pizza Castello di Sorci - Italian Sunday lunch and many, many more! Our holiday at La Buia has been all that we had hoped for and more. We are glad that we haven't dashed around 'seeing and doing' every day as it gives us the perfect reason to return and I can't imagine anywhere I'd rather come back to. Simply breathtaking - and that's before the stars come out. Thank you Lucie, Richard and family.
