Villas in Tuscany - Toscana Villa Rental

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Tuscany Villas

Villas have their origins back in time, ever since the Romans built their summer residences outside of the city to escape from the summer heat. The tradition continued through the ages to today, where many families still possess a home in the city and one in the countryside.

Today, many villas are offered as holiday rentals by their owners. Generally rented as a whole suitable for families or larger groups, there are many that have been divided up into several apartments or flats for couple or smaller families. Many villas have permanently been converted into hotels or bed and breakfasts, offering guests the possibility to feel as if they were visiting the country estate of a distant friend of the family.

A little bit of history...

During the Middle Ages, when there were frequent clashes between factions and political upheavals in towns, prudent families had a country estate in which to take refuge. Villas in Tuscany were generally built outside of a village and had no military function; that is, the house itself needed no particular defenses such as those a castle or fortress.

So the old design of the fortress with towers, thick walls and slit windows was toned down and decorative details were added, blending well with smooth plastered walls, internal courtyards with a well and arches. The architecture of these "domestic castles" became an example to copy and improve on, the results of which we see in the classic and elegant forms Tuscan villas have taken across time across all of Tuscany, and Italy, for that matter.