Bed & Breakfast Villa Astreo - La Casa di Rompicollo - Vagliagli Castelnuovo Berardenga

9.3

Very friendly family, intresting historical villa and fantastic view all over the Tuscany.

8.2

The location was fantastic! Views overlooking the valley, you could see all the way to Sienna. Only had a choice of 2 restaurants to eat dinner at in the very small town. Good food but poor service. Breakfast @ the B & B was very plain. Owner was very friendly. Nice chianti winery close by.

4.2

When we arrived at Villa Astreo we were greeted by our host, Francesco, with a glass of wine. He provided information on the area with suggestions of places to visit and maps with the places marked. He later gave us a tour of the villa along with a history of his family. However, the amenities did not live up to our expectations. We visited the Villa Astreo in the middle of April when the weather was wet and cold. Heat was only provided for about three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening but was inadequate to heat the room so it was cold and musty most of the time. Francesco, our host, was overly friendly but, in the end, not very accommodating about the heat. More heat was "impossible." Do not stay at the Villa Astreo unless the weather is warm. The room itself was relatively large but with worn furniture and linens. The towels felt like sandpaper on a cold morning! The bath was adequate with a very small shower. Breakfast was minimal with cold cereal, yogurt, apples and oranges, toast, and a little pastry provided at first and some ham and cheese later when we asked. The grounds of the old estate have potential and are being worked on but not very useful when it is cold and wet.

9.2

Fantastic stay! The host (and family) were just fantastic. The area is beautiful and access to surrounding sites convenient. You definitely need a car here as it is in the middle of wine country. There are a few good restaurants within walking distance. Francesco is just a marvelous host - probably the best so far in our many trips to Italy. My family felt right at home here. Can't wait to return!

9.9

One of the best B&B we staid during our trip! Francesco and family are FANTASTIC! the region is great and the little town very cosy. This is a "must-go-back-sometime" tipe of hotel!!!

8.2

If you read the other reviews about this place you'll know it has quite a reputation. And there's a lot to like about it. Located in the quiet village of Vagliagli it is an excellent change from the cities if you are travelling in Italy for four weeks as we were. Don't expect four or five star service, that's not what it's about. The villa has always been in the same family, so there's history a plenty and some real down to earth people to meet. While it's not on the normal Tuscan tourist trail make sure you have a walk around the little historical centre in Vagliagli, about 10 minutes walk from the villa. You'll also find essentials such as a cafe, shop, post office and two restaurants. Soemthing else you may want to consider if you're doing some driving is a GPS sat nav from your car rental agency.

9.9

What a place indeed! Francesco, the owner of the villa is one of the nicest most helpful people we met in Italy. He showed us a number of places to visit, gave us restaurant recommendations as well as a welcoming glass of wine! We could not have asked for a more in depth welcome! One evening after returning from dinner we were treated to a video about Sienna and the Paleo (a horse race, dear to many Tuscan hearts) where we learned about his family and their part in the races as well as the true meaning of the Paleo. It was a history lesson you could not learn anywhere else! We stayed in the tower room with an absolutely stunning view. The gigantic windows opened up to one of the most beautiful Tuscan landscapes we have ever seen. It was incredible. The room itself was very spacious and although it did not have it's own ensuite, the bathroom was private to us and was just accross the hall. Some of the other rooms have their own bathrooms, but the view was worth the seperate bathroom! I would suggest anyone looking to meet real Italians in a real medevil village to try this villa out - it is magnificent! With two great restaurants within a 5 minute walk. My only concern was that the owner and his mother smoked in their section of the house and it seemed to creep into the rest of the house except the actual rooms, so if there is a concern with allergies or small children then I might hesitate, but as one will find out quickly in Italy - people smoke everywhere and anywhere! The room we stayed in was very clean and did not have any smoke smell at all.

9.4

Perfect place to stay if you wish to learn the culture of the region and actually live it. This is not a luxury hotel, so do not come here if that's what you're looking for. Instead, you will be staying in a home with a wonderful family. They have a lot of local history attached to them (mostly related to the Palio races) and their stories are a delight. We stayed in the tower room, which has the only real view of the whole house which overlooks the beautifully scenic valley, filled with olive trees and grapevines. The only sounds you will hear are the sounds of the wind rustling in the trees and the birds.

9.4

It was a wonderful holiday at one of the most beautiful places in the Chianti Classico.

9.8

Villa Astreo is superb base to any break in the Chianti area of Tuscany. Francesco could not do enough to make our stay a real plasure. There are two restaurants in the small village of Vagliagli and it was a real bonus to be able to stroll 10 minutes and forget the car. The view across the valley towards Siena (12km) makes the Villa and gardens a place I would recommend to anybody looking for a real Tuscan experience.

10

Francesco and his sister were the most welcoming hosts. Location is lovely and quiet.The view from the pool area is gorgeous. Francesco welcomes you in to his home and it was lovely hearing his family history. Only two tavernas in Vagliagli, Paolo's, the second one, is very nice, you will receive a warm welcome and great food there.

9.6

This B&B is great -- it's the personal family home of Francesco, and has hand-painted frescos and walls, wonderful family history etc. and a pool and view overlooking the Chianti valley facing westward. Francesco and his sister are fantastic hosts and made our stay very relaxing. The Villa and village it is in are a bit tricky to find but Francesco has good English skills and guided us in when we called him via our mobile phone.

9.9

When we arrived in Siena via the train from Rome we were expecting, based on some really bad maps that Siena was going to be a very small town. We were very surprised to find a big town. Though Francesco, the BB owner had e mailed us directions for some reason we decided to trust our own Map Quest maps. Our maps gave us directions to get to Vagliagli. But it either we could not connect the map to the surroundings or we were very nervous. We ended up going south instead of North of Siena. After a while we ended up at very nice house like many we found afterwards in Tuscany. The owner of the property tried very patiently to make us understand that we needed to head north. Somehow between his little English and our bad Italian we understood and headed back to Siena. Frustrated, Mary my wife started looking through our Tuscany papers and found Francesco’s directions. After getting our bearings straight we finally found Via Astreo according to the directions Francesco gave us. Francesco and Rosanna, his mom, received us as if we were long last family members. They were very polite and very accommodating to make our visit as pleasant as possible. We had the Tower room. This is a very large and spacious room with beautiful vistas of the area. In a clear day or night we could see Siena. We found out from Rosanna that the inn, during the German occupation, was used by the Germans and later by the Americans. We could not help to wonder if the German Generals had slept in the same bed or used the same furniture we used. It was definitely a great experience to go to a place, like Tuscany, where history not only by WWII was written but by people throughout the creation of the Roman Empire. We even found out that Rosanna was a very famous person during her youth. She was the first woman to run the Palio. Francesco was very nice to give us directions to some of the many Tuscan points of interest and places to eat. He recommended us to a ver

10

We had a wonderful stay at Villa Astreo. We only wished we had allotted more time there! Francesco was one of the most welcoming hosts we have ever met; he took the time to share with us various information about the Chianti region and where to go for dinner, wine and day trips. The B&B is filled with Francesco's family history; what a rich history (some of which Franceso shared with us over a night cap). We ended up taking an afternoon trip into Siena, which was a very short drive from the B&B. When we take our next trip to Tuscany, we will definitely make plans to stay here again. We loved every moment of it!

10

What a wonderful stay. The owner is most gracious and friendly to travelers. The Villa is lovely. The view is extraordinary. There are vineyards and olive trees all around the property. The room was beautiful. We hope to one day go back. The small village that the vila is near is charming. The people are so warm and friendly to travellers. This is Tuscany at its best! We did have a diffficult time finding the villa, though. It's in the village of Vagliali and that is not on the information from Venere.com.

7.0

The people at Villa Astreo are wonderful and have a fabulous family history, but the property is gloomy and dark. The owners do not turn on lights in the public areas, so you are "stuck in your room" and we had no heat during a very cold and rainy three days. The directions were awful, we found it purely by accident mainly because we were familiar with the general Vagliagli area. In general it all sounds better than it is.

9.9

This was undoubtedly the highlight of our trip. The Villa is a beautiful old building with an amazing family history and views across the valley. We got a bit lost going there the first time but the situation is ideal - far enough away from Sienna to escape the masses, but close enough to just pop in if you need to. It is an ideal starting point to visit all the old villages surrounding Sienna. Francesco was a great host and spent a lot of time with us which really added to our stay. I would definitely go back, only next time it would be for longer.

10

This is a great Tuscan family villa with wonderful people in a quaint village outside of the hustle and bustle of Siena. I did not want to leave and definately hope to return to Villa Astreo. And do not forget to ask for the story behind "La Casa di Rompicollo"!

10

Superb! A littel gem of a hotel hidden away in the quiet Tuscan countryside yet only about 15 minutes from Siena. You won't find a warmer welcome, more interesting & unsual romms, or as stunning views, anywhere in the area. The pool is a welcome bonus after a hard day's sightseeing. Definitely recommended.

10

My best stay in Italy. The house has a beautiful view and the host gave us valueable information to enjoy our stay in Tuscany even more. It was very easy to find with Fransesco's directions. The rooms are exceptionally big and is beautifull and very clean. I wil most defenitely return and strongly recommend this bed and breackfast.

9.8

The history of the facility and the related family history of the owners really added to the experaince of our stay. The help we recieved with local knowledge made a big differance in the how enjoyable our stay was.

9.9

We had a wonderful stay. When we picked up our rental car, the agent suggested we hire a taxi to follow to the house. With my wife as the navigator we decided to make the journey on our own. The directions given by Francesco were fine and we arrived without any difficulty. Upon driving up to Rompicollo, we were surprised by one of the most amazing views of the Chianti region. Rompicollo is atop a hill with views of Siena and the surrounding countryside. Our room was as shown in the photos and provided us with another spectacular view of the area. We were able to sleep with our windows open every night and woke to the sound of birds in the trees. Breakfast was good with the lady of the house’s pastries, coffee and juice. The location is a wonderful place for a vacation in Tuscany because it is close to all the sites but still gives the possibility to enjoy “country” living. Our stay ended with a lovely dinner with the family of the house. Whenever we plan to be back in Tuscany, we will stay at La Casa de Rompicollo. Mission Viejo CA – USA May 2004

9.3

The hosts were wonderful and without them we would have been disappointed. Weather had a big part to play as they don't have any heating as such so we were quite cold and spent time sitting in our car to keep warm or going out. The house a lots of character, but you really are staying in someone's house rather than a dedicated holiday accommodation. This is great in one respect as you get to know the owners, but a couple of things such as having to be home on time because they lock the place and using their own old towels wasn't ideal. We loved the place and the people, however I only mention these small details because some future guests might be expecting a more polished place based on the very wonderful brochure. The owners a always making improvements and the place is getting better all the time. Their guest book was full of satisfied visitors so I would recommend this place to anyone.