Travel Destinations By Ondine Cohane November 30th 2016
Castello di Ama Gaiole in Chianti, Siena, Italy 8/10
Telegraph expert rating
“This hamlet and its vineyards not only produces some of Chianti’s most impressive wine but it has also become a contemporary art showcase. With four renovated suites in one of their 18th-century villas, it’s the perfect spot to appreciate the wine, art, and 200 acres of beautiful landscape right outside your windows.”
8/10 Location Not far from Siena (about two-and-a-half hours' drive from Rome airport, and an hour-and-a-half from Florence), the property is close to many of Chianti’s best vineyards and picturesque hill towns, but be forewarned that even distances that look short on the map can be quite windy.
9/10 Style & character Castello di Ama is quite unique in its use of original buildings, like an on-site church and cantina, to showcase art installations in a very striking, but never jarring, way. Last year, the owners turned one of the hamlet’s most pretty buildings, called Villa Ricucci, into four suites, with newly-kittedout-bathrooms and plenty of common areas furnished with Edra lamps and Pierre Frey fabrics. Particularly lovely is the kitchen with its roaring fireplace, and the sitting room with art and wine books to browse. And the mirrored piece by Daniel Buren, inspired and created specifically for the property, creates an instant photo opportunity overlooking the vineyards.