House Tour
The history of the house is really quite special. A trace still remains of the original heart of Montisi Castle and its tower and battlements, circa XII Century. Montisi, as a village, snakes along the narrow spine of the hill, crowned by the old castle and the part of the village called "Castello."
Casa Parva is literally built against the native stone of the mountain, a rough sandstone called tuffa. Striated with a wonderful range of warm yellows, grays and veins of white crystals, this raw stone forms the back wall of Casa Parva, the base of the old castle. The chisel strokes of the ancient masons can clearly be seen as you climb the stairs. Eight centuries of history have passed since those strokes were taken. These rooms originally housed the food and grain stores for the houses along the street – as you can see from the 'loading door' sized window in the kitchen/dining room. Sacks, barrels and baskets were winched into these rooms to pass the winter, until needed.
As you enter from the street you can see the ancient carved stone. A half story up, on your left is the landing for coats and the entrance to the fun and luxurious bath. With a generous stone shower, soaking tub, vanity, necessaries and even a washer and dryer, Casa Parva exceeds your needs and can even indulge you a bit. The house main floor consists of a private bedroom with one of a kind painted antique wardrobe, the large kitchen/dining room with beamed ceiling and large French windows overlooking the street. Beyond, is the living room.
Living room
This room was originally part of a nobleman's palace. A tapestry of different stones were hidden under years of plaster by the painter who used this room as her studio for years. Arched-head French windows overlook the main street.
Kitchen
As you can tell from the size and location of the French doors to the street below, the kitchen was originally a barn. We found an ancient arch in the stones of the back wall and discovered beyond, the raw stone of the mountain.
Bedroom
The bedroom has a beamed ceiling with a little studio level for any business you may need to do. The raw stone of the mountain forms part of the back wall and two windows face south, across the street, to the lovely views over the rooftops to the hills beyond.
Bathroom
To compliment the natural stone of the mountain and the walls, the large shower with bench is paneled with rare Rapolano travertine. The supremely comfortable cast iron tub is indulgent. The charming washbasin is made of Carrara marble in one slab.
- HD TV
- Free Wifi
- Mini-bar
- Breakfast included