CHECKING-IN TO | CABANA TRAVEL | WORLD OF CABANA
Hotel settings don't get much better than Castelfalfi, where superlative Tuscan views are matched by the warmest of Italian welcomes. The 2000-year-old village and its medieval castle is now the stage for best-in-show hospitality, finds writer and photographer Leela Cyd as she checks-in for a weekend of wellness.
BY LEELA CYD | CABANA TRAVEL | 8 MARCH 2025
Castelfalfi: superlative Tuscan views from a medieval village-turned-hotel © Leela Cyd
Castelfalfi is an expression of Italy quite unique unto itself: historic, truly sublime, cozy, and impeccable in terms of style, ease and hospitality. God is in the details and it’s clear to me that God is Italian. This divine Tuscan village-turned-luxury-hotel has 146 rooms and suites, plus five villas and one two-suite penthouse. And counting.
The first brick was laid over 2,000 years ago when the village, Il Borgo di Castelfalfi, was occupied by Lombardi Prince Faolfo. Its medieval castle has housed many nobles since, high atop a perfect peak surrounded by luscious lands, in the most beautiful corner of Tuscany. Hence the term ‘Castel’ (Castle) ‘Falfi’ (plural of Faolfo).
Castelfalfi today is more a dream state than an exact location, a poem not a sentence, a romance not reality, an experience not a hotel. I’m running out of hyperbole, but the love affair I experienced with this spot was intense, and no-holds-barred immediate.
Castelfalfi Giorgio de Chirico-esque pool and spa © Leela Cyd.
The 'hotel' sits within the original medieval stone village (now owned by the hotel), giving guests the best of both worlds: a superlative hospitality experience and quaint, pretty streets to wander without the need for taxis or trekking. The village has shops, a pizzeria, a trattoria, a church, a castle, and panoramic postcard-perfect Tuscan views.
Deep in the countryside between Pisa and Florence – complete with an ocean view on a clear day – Castelfalfi is ideally situated for a peaceful ending after a non-stop Italian culture adventure. Think of it as respite for post-art viewing: Florence's Uffizi gallery, Michelangelo’s David, the Boboli gardens, Campo piazza of Sienna and the leaning tower of Pisa – all these heavy hitters are within a two-hour drive of Castelfalfi.
When your feet ache from Italy's world-class culture and sightseeing, Castelfalfi’s elegance and generosity of spirit will catch you in a golden embrace – full of freshly shaved truffles in the Fall, and poached asparagus (grown on site) and fresh fig jam crostatas in summer. And hyper local wines and rich coffees to round out each meal.
The level of relaxation I found here, especially at the surrounding countryside trails and swimming pool, can be seen on the expression Botticelli’s Venus emerging on her bubbling sea clouds (painted not far away, about 500 years ago). There’s a totality in her satisfaction and knowing, subtle grin – did Venus go to this spa too? Seems likely.
While the landscape here was made eternal by Da Vinci and the Renaissance greats, the castle (La Rocca, also the name of one of the hotel's excellent restaurants) is a perfect complement to the breathtaking rolling hills and mind boggling vistas you'll see from each window. Even off-season, when I visited, the trees were turning subtle shades of ochre and red while the green grasses still rich and vibrant.
The hotel also offers guided e-bike rides, a world class golf course, three restaurants, childcare, and its own olive and wine vineyards, producing impressive own-brand olive oils and wines, and serving local growers too. The village hosts seasonal festivals too.
I was overwhelmed by beauty as I surfaced from a swim in the perfectly temperature controlled pool that runs indoors and outdoors. And I hadn’t even gotten to the spa. The attendants spoke, in richly-accented English, of picking an aromatherapy scent to match my mood and its connection to the land. All I could say was “si grazie” and collapse into a puddle of chamomile-scented, greased-up heaven at my masseuse’s magic touch.
The raison d'etre of Castelfalfi is not ostentatious luxury. Rather, it purposefully and exquisitely infuses every moment with authentic Italian-ness through every sense. I can breathe easy knowing another little slice of heaven exists on Earth – here in Castelfalfi, where queens mingled with painted angels and great artists alike. And where I was briefly a queen too, receiving facials with local organic oils squeezed from rosemary and cypress and stuffing my gills with panettone doused in dark chocolate and gold leaf.
The medieval village and castle at Castelfalfi, Tuscany © Leela Cyd.
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