Le Nostre Storie

The history of Villa “Antica Fornace”

The history of Villa “Antica Fornace”

Le Nostre Storie

What is a sinking heart ? It is a very strong emotion that shakes the soul. One person, a smell that opens the nostrils, a sound that creeps in your ears, or an enchanted place. Well, all these emotions Pietro Baini has tried in a midsummer afternoon. Once through a thicket, he saw what was left of the old furnace Brolio. “Before me there was only a ruin and many weeds – remember – but the scenery was breathtaking.” We’re in open country Castiglione, a few steps away is Foiano della Chiana. “I was admiring a living – he says – Lying beneath my eyes was the Chiana Valley, on the south by Mount Amiata and Montepulciano to the north by the Pratomagno, near the border with Florence.” Heart skipped a beat, then, that has transformed the lives and the lives of his family.

“I immediately called my wife Cristina – adds excited – and I told her that I found in the middle of a magical, enchanted. The Tuscan countryside.” Only a moment to realize that the place for him was already special. “I stared at him trying to possess the soul” he adds. We are in 2000 and the entrepreneur foianese decided to buy the old furnace of Budini-Gattai, one of the most important Tuscan families owning less than 23 farms including, of course, that of Brolio. It took 5 years, from 2002 to 2007, to complete the restoration. “I tried to comply in all respects the original architecture – Baini precise – in addition to having used all the materials already present in the structure.” The villa dates back to the middle part, to the early 1600s, while the following sections were developed towards the end of 1800. The furnace, which belonged, as mentioned, until 1960 the wealthy and enterprising family Budini-Gattai, was the place where they were produced in the authentic Tuscan bricks as bricks, roofing tiles, used for the maintenance and restoration of the buildings in the many farms owned by the family. Thus, not only the roofs and walls maintained unchanged their shape, thanks to careful research at the Library of Florence, but especially the Ancient Furnace (hence the name) and the old cistern, unique and high-impact , have become the spearheads of the old farmhouse. “There ‘s never wise to dive headlong into a story – precise Baini –

but today enjoying all this I think I have done well. Thanks to my work was also recovered a piece of history of this wonderful and beautiful valley.” L’Antica Fornace has also become the brand of the agricultural society, run by Edward, the son of Pietro Baini. Two brick arches, one inside the other, depicting the life of the inhabitants of the Val di Chiana. The rugged heavy sweat and sacrifices of a multitude of men and women who lived on agriculture. And today, after having given new life to the old furnace you can sit in a singular and charming drawing room where ancient and modern blend together to create a unique environment. L’Antica Fornace is located at the heart of the Tuscan countryside, far from the chaos of the city but mostly sheltered from the wild pace of everyday life and civilization. A huge mediterranean garden surrounded by over 5 acres of land and 400 olive trees. A haven of peace which attracts wealthy tourists from all over the world. “England and the United States then followed by Australia, Japan, Brazil and Germany” explains Baini. The villa is often chosen to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays or weddings. Or there are those who, like colonel australian and his wife, he prefers to spend three weeks to draw beautiful watercolors of the Val di Chiana. But there are those who do not withdraw from the pool, heated with 12 solar panels, or turkish bath nestled in the historical cistern which once served as a water collection for the furnace. “Our guests – adds Baini – coddle them every day!” A welcome basket containing the food and wine of the area. The ability to enjoy both the products of the typical dishes of the Tuscan tradition. Furthermore, the villa is furnished with antique furniture like the piano or the old safe in 1800 with an eye to modern technologies that make the holiday unique and unrepeatable. “I remember that some time ago – think back Baini – a wealthy american family had bought in a travel agency, the package ‘Dolce Vita’ which provided in addition to a stay in Venice and Positano to two weeks in Tuscany. Well instead of Florence preferred to spend 15 days in our facility. For us it was a great recognition that filled us with joy. ” L’Antica Fornace: a perfect retreat for those who love to spend a holiday away from the crowds, the ideal place to reach the most famous and beautiful cities of Tuscany and Umbria.

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