Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Il Falconiere, near Cortona
Facts in brief
Location The hotel is in the country, 10-minutes' drive from Cortona
Annual opening 23 March to 3 November
Closest airport Florence, Pisa, Rome, Perugia
Distance from airport About 90-minutes' drive from Florence Airport and 2-hours' and 20-minutes' drive from Pisa Airport
Hotel facilities and services
1 Star Michelin Restaurant with panoramic terrace, Winery, 2 Swimming Pools (open May to September), Bar, Terrace, Garden, Lift, Room Service, Babysitting, Complimentary Parking, Cookery Courses and Wine Tours, Thesan Etruscan Spa with complimentary access to the Steam Room, Sauna, Emotional Shower and Hydromassage Pool. Various experiences can be arranged such as Wine Tastings, Hunting, Mountain Biking, Falconry Course, Yoga and Golf. Weddings can be arranged.
Complimentary
Complimentary WiFi, Private Parking, soft drinks in minibar, access to the Thesan Spa's Steam Room, Sauna, Emotional Shower and Hydromassage Pool.
Land sports
Mountain Biking, Trekking, Riding,Yoga, and Golf.
Out and about nearby
The walled Etruscan hilltown of Cortona, Perugia, Arezzo and Lake Trasimeno.
Sports nearby
Walking, Ellera Golf Course (18-hole), Riding, Tennis.
I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Cindy-Marie was simply fantastic and her knowledge, kindness and humour was all that I could have asked for. This was a first class experience. Thank you for making it all happen.Customer on Tuscan wine tour, June 2022
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Classic double room for 7 nights
From about
£1,560
Holiday Code IE89
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Il Falconiere, near Cortona
The delightful Relais Il Falconiere is the result of a true labour of love on the part of the owners Silvia and Riccardo Baracchi. Once the home of the Italian poet Antonio Guadagnoli, the palazzo dates back to the 1600s and many original features have been carefully preserved, such as the frescoed walls in the little private chapel in the grounds and the antique furniture dotted throughout the hotel. Relais Il Falconiere stands in utter peace and tranquillity; surrounded by a garden of cypress trees and horse-chestnuts it faces the countryside of eastern Tuscany and the green valley of Val di Chiana. Its spacious bedrooms are situated either in the main building or in a neighbouring smaller villa about 150 metres away, and each room has beautiful traditional furniture such as wrought iron four-poster beds and ornate lampstands. Each villa has an outdoor swimming pool. A highlight of any stay at the Relais Il Falconiere is the cuisine; the original dishes created here are personally supervised by Silvia Baracchi and served in the elegant restaurant, with one Michelin star, on two floors. Alternatively, guests can dine on the wonderful outside terrace from May to September. The Relais Il Falconiere has its own vineyard and wine tasting tours are available from the end of October until April. The hotel also boasts an elegant and fascinating spa called the Thesan Etruscan Spa using natural products based on olives and grapes. The Relais Il Falconiere is ideally located for trips to both Tuscany and Umbria.
Room descriptions
Hotel Relais Il Falconiere offers 22 rooms with air-conditioning, WiFi, hairdryer, satellite television, safe, telephone and mini-bar. Extra beds can be added to some rooms on request.
I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Cindy-Marie was simply fantastic and her knowledge, kindness and humour was all that I could have asked for. This was a first class experience. Thank you for making it all happen.Customer on Tuscan wine tour, June 2022
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Classic double room for 7 nights
From about
£1,560
Holiday Code IE89
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Il Falconiere, near Cortona
The journey and how you get there
For a holiday to Il Falconiere in Tuscany, our clients usually fly to Pisa or Florence airport or arrive by train at Florence Santa Maria Novella railway station. We recommend the use of a hire-car for a stay at this hotel and we would include it in the price of holiday.
Additional information
Children: Children are welcome and those 11 years or younger stay free on a B&B basis. Babysitting is available on request. The restaurant has a kids' menu, and numerous activities are available at the hotel, including cookery classes, the educational lessons of the Teaching Farm, creative arts and crafts classes, and photography sessions lead by a professional.
Special offers
Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.
I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Cindy-Marie was simply fantastic and her knowledge, kindness and humour was all that I could have asked for. This was a first class experience. Thank you for making it all happen.Customer on Tuscan wine tour, June 2022
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Classic double room for 7 nights
From about
£1,560
Holiday Code IE89
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Il Falconiere, near Cortona
About Tuscany
An Expressions tailor-made holiday in Tuscany allows you to appreciate its classical landscape of rolling hills and vineyards dotted with olive and cypress trees, its misty green-grey mountains that are never too far distant, and hill-top towns of rich brown and gold stone houses. This combines with the beauty of the works of art contained in the towns and villages throughout Tuscany to create an inspirational union of the spirit and the senses. There is an intrinsic comfort in the supposed contrast between the delicacy of a Botticelli and the heartiness of Ribollita soup, yet both are typical of this fascinating region. As birthplace of the Renaissance, the impact of Tuscan and particularly Florentine traditions and culture on European heritage is fundamental to our way of life. In addition to the obvious attractions of the scenery of Chianti and the art cities of Florence and Siena, there are the less well-known regions south of Siena with its moon-like landscape of hills, the patchwork vineyards of Montalcino, the coastal marshlands of the Maremma, the spas of Montecatini and Saturnia, the islands of Elba and Giglio, and the Casentino with the source of the Arno and abundant mushroom crops. Wherever you travel on holiday in Tuscany, you will be inspired by the beauty of your surroundings and the way of life, which is quintessentially that of Italy too.
Highlights of Tuscany
Famous vineyards producing wines of Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Alabaster is produced in Volterra. Gold and silver are worked in Florence and the Ponte Vecchio is lined with jewellery shops. Marbled paper and stationery is a speciality of Florence. Ceramics and hand-painted majolica from raw terracotta from Impruneta to the glazed pottery of Siena are to be found throughout Tuscany. Lucca has traditionally produced silk and hand-woven fabrics. Leather goods including shoes, handbags and belts are to be found from market stalls to designer shops such as Gucci and Ferragamo. Interesting markets include the Mercato dell' Antiquariato which sells furniture from antiques to bric-a-brac in Arezzo on the first weekend of every month, in Pisa on the second weekend and in Lucca on the third weekend. The 'wild' Maremma is known for its long-horned white cattle and cowboys (butteri) and natural springs including Saturnia.
Cultural highlights of Tuscany
As birthplace of the Renaissance, Tuscany contains a wealth of treasures: Giotto`s Campanile and Brunelleschi`s Dome in Florence, the Tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo in Florence`s Santa Croce, Botticelli`s `Birth of Venus` and `Primavera` and the portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Piero della Francesca in the Uffizi, Michelangelo`s `David` in the Accademia, the architecture of the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, `The Tuscan Maremma` painting by Giovanni Fattori in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, the Piazza del Campo in Siena, `The Legend of the Cross` frescoes by Piero della Francesco in Arezzo, `The Creation` fresco by Bartolo di Fredi in the Collegiata in San Gimignano, Romanesque church of the Collegiata in San Quirico d`Orcia, 14th Century Fortezza of Montalcino, Renaissance masterpiece of the church of Madonna di San Biagio at Montepulciano, the abbey-church of Sant`Antimo, mediaeval Lucignano and the towers of San Gimignano, the Etruscan Museum in Cortona.
Festivals in Tuscany
Many of Tuscany`s festivals resound with the flamboyance of the Renaissance and keep Tuscans and visitors alike in touch with the region`s rich history. Others are linked to Tuscany`s hearty traditions of eating and drinking. The most famous is Siena`s Palio which takes place on 2 July and 16 August each year. Others include the Sagra del Tordo (Festival of the Thrush) in Montalcino on the last Sunday in October when there is an archery contest and charcoal-grilled thrush are a delicacy. In Florence, Calcio in Costume (a football match played in mediaeval costume) takes place in June. Pisa has the Giocco del Ponte (Game of the Bridge), a mock battle in Renaissance dress also held in June. Viareggio celebrates Carnival on Shrove Tuesday with a huge display of flamboyant floats. In May and August Massa Marittima holds the Falcon Contest.
Gastronomy in Tuscany
Simple country food is at the heart of Tuscan cooking. Regional dishes include Bruschetta (bread or ciabatta toasted and rubbed with garlic, olive oil and salt), Ribollita (bean, cabbage and bread soup), Pasta with hare or wild boar sauce, Porcini mushroom and truffle dishes, Bistecca all Fiorentina (thick cut of sirloin and fillet beef), Cantucci (almond and honey biscuits) served dipped in Vin Santo, Panforte (chocolate, nut and spice cake). Pecorino cheese made from sheep's milk. Local wines include the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano and the Bianco di Pitigliano. Famous reds include Chanti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Vin Santo made from semi-crushed grapes left for several months is an excellent dessert wine.
