Testimonials

I really don't know where to begin. We stayed at La Casa Di Marcello from 10/4-10/11. First of all, Laura was the perfect host/owner. She met us in Vinci upon our arrival - we were a little late but she didn't mind. The property is located on a "bluff" that overlooks Vinci and Empoli and MUCH MORE of the Tuscan countryside. The property has endless views of rolling hills with grape vineyards and olive trees - picture perfect. You wake up every morning to the sound of church bells off in the distance - not loud but very comforting. From Laura's place we were able to take easy day trips to Empoli/Vinci, Siena, San Miniato, Cinque Terra and Florence. We didn't make it to San Gimignano but based on a lot of positive feedback I highly recommend making a trip there. Now for what's inside the house. There were 8 of us on vacation and La Casa Di Marcello had more than enough room to accommodate - 4 Bdrms/2 Baths upstairs and Full Kitchen, front room and "greeting" room/hallway downstairs. All the bedrooms were very spacious. Also, each bedroom had a wonderful view of either Vinci, Empoli and/or the Tuscan countryside. And lastly about Laura the owner - she is GREAT! Upon arrival and getting us settled into the house, Laura took the time to tell us about the house, her family and the surrounding area. She is genuine and wants your vacation to be something special. I actually called her 2x during our week there (not related to the house but asking about directions and how to handle an accident - a tourist actually hit my car while in San Miniato). Anyway, she answered the phone both times and graciously helped me out. Our group also did the Italian cooking lesson on our last night - I HIGHLY recommend it. Laura, Maria Grazia and Mikala guided us through a late afternoon/evening cooking lesson and the best Italian food we had during our stay. It was fun, everybody participated and there was great conversation during the whole time we were together. The best testimonial for La Casa Di Marcello is that everyone in our group said "we will be back". This place is truly special and would recommend it to anyone that wants to experience a vacation Under the Tuscan Sun.

October 2014

John F. and family,

Cuando sales de vacaciones a otro lugar, siempre buscas un sitio que cumpla tus expectativas y en el que te sientas cómodo. A todos nos gusta no tener que extrañar esas cosas cotidianas que nos rodean a diario y que en un viaje nos pueden faltar.
Este no es el caso, la casa es espectacular, cada detalle es único y en ningún momento echas nada en falta, las vistas increíbles y sí este viaje lo empece con entusiasmo y sabiendo que me iba a gustar, desde luego que sobrepasó mis expectativas. Mi sueño de revivir la historia de la película de "bajo el sol de la Toscana" lo cumplí con creces!!
Lo mejor, Laura! La dueña de la casa es una mujer fantástica que desde el primer momento que la ves te transmite la alegría y la energía positiva que todo el mundo quiere tener cerca y según la conoces más, más maravillosa te parece.
En conclusión, creo que lo único que se echa en falta de unas vacaciones en la Casa di Marcelo, son días de más. Porque hay tanto que ver y tan bonito, que vayas el tiempo que vayas siempre se hará cortó.
Yo por supuesto, volveré! Y espero volver a tener la suerte de disfrutar de todo aquello. Pero mientras tanto, ánimo a todo el mundo a ir allí, a esa casa, a ese lugar y a ver los atardeceres naranjas preciosos tras los viñedos que sólo allí se ven.
GRAZIE LAURA!! Baci!   Raquel

Julio 2014

Raquel y familia - Spagna,

The house was well equipped, and we had everything we needed to sleep and feed seven of us in comfort. Laura met us in Vinci (once we'd found it!) and showed us the way to the house, which is a genuinely traditional farmhouse set among olive groves, with fantastic views in all directions. She was also an excellent guide to the local area. I'm not keen on driving abroad and you do need a car to enjoy the visit, though we took the train to Florence (best idea!) and the station (Empoli) was only a short drive away. We also visited Sam Gimignano, Certaldo, and the Chianti region. The house is a good base if you're flying to/from Pisa, which is only about an hour away by car. We booked a cookery lesson and all learned how to make pasta - it's not cheap, but the meal was delicious. Walking, which we enjoy, is a little limited from there, but we walked up the road (very quiet) to the next village (Vitolini) one morning to buy fresh home-made bread, which Laura had told us about, and we found a couple of woodland walks not far from the house. Vinci is a charming little place, and worth exploring, but don't expect to be able to shop there late in the evening, or find everything you need. Fortunately, there's a huge supermarket not far away in Empoli. The Leonardo museum is ok, but a bit heavy on his engineering achievements. We had a wonderful week, and this house is highly recommended.

Marc and Nausicaa,

I booked this house as the pictures which Laura had put up for us to see really sold it to me. It was comfortable and spacious for the 10 of us, with plenty of cooking equipment and room at the table to sit and eat and play games late into the night. The setting was amazing with views across the countryside and over to the hills, with a lovely patio to sit out on as well as a hidden pergola type area on the edge of the olive grove. The rooms were light and airy and the beds comfortable. It was a great place to visit many historic sites and having a railway station a few kilometres away made visiting Florence a dream. I am hoping that I can get another family get together organised so we can stay in Laura's lovely house again before too long. This was one of the most memorable holidays I have experienced for years. I keep looking at the photos on my mobile and they give me a wonderful warm feeling.

Fran and Paul - England,