A beautiful and immaculate property with a lovely garden and access to extensive grounds - a delight for adults and children alike. Our holiday here was very special. A first visit to Italy for our children, the location was perfect for exploring the wonderful towns and cities of Tuscany. The nearby train station allowed longer-distance trips to Rome and Florence, whilst Assisi and Siena were only an hour's drive. The local town of Castiglion Fiorentino is a place we enjoyed returning to on several occasions with its cobbled streets, cafes and outstanding views across the Tuscan countryside. An added bonus was the nearby restuarant (Attico Pieve), only a short walk down country lanes and offering open air dining with sunset views of nearby towns and castles. Margreth and Arthur were most helpful prior to our visit and looked after us very kindly whilst we were there. Altogether a special and memorable holiday, and a place we will be very happy to recommend to family and friends. Thank you!

It is centrally located to all our favorite places in Tuscany. We are already looking forward to coming back next year. The Edwards’s of Santa Fe, New Mexico

My wife and two of our children stayed a week in Tuscany, all for the first time. La Limonaia, chosen at random one evening while scanning through the HomeAway site, turned out to be a very rare find. Quaint; out of the way; quiet aside from the occasional church bells; perfectly located in terms of day trips; easy accessibility to the train; and finally, an owner that trained in from Germany prior to out arrival just to make sure all was in order and to welcome us to her little piece of paradise. Margreth is obviously very proud of her villa and has very good reason to be. The only unfortunate aspect of our stay was that is went by very quickly. One week in Tuscany is simply too short. We had some of our best meals ever dining at a number of Michelin star restaurants all within an hour of La Limonaia. The four of us would not hesitate to recommend this home to friends and relatives alike. Thank you Margreth for making this a very memorable family get away.

It has taken time to write this review because we (four well-traveled adults from the U.S. and Brazil) wanted to do justice to the beauty of La Limonaia. It is one of the most special places we have stayed in in Europe. Located on a very large tract of land, adjacent to an old villa in Vitiano, La Limonaia, as the name suggests, was used to store lemon trees during the cold months before the building was completely renovated. Now the well-built large house has the look and feel of a villa and is even nicer than the photos on the site. The house is furnished with fine artifacts, paintings and comfortable beds (real ones), sofas and chairs. The kitchen, which looks out onto the spacious dining and living room area, has all of the utensils and spices that you need to prepare simple or gourmet meals (should you also be or have an inspired chef). Given the quality furnishings, the overall décor, and the inviting patio and gardens, La Limonaia would be a dream to live in twelve months a year. Thankfully, we got to spend a week there at the end of June. We spent our evenings on the patio admiring the surroundings and experimenting different wines from the region. During the day, we explored Tuscany. La Limonaia is located on a quiet, two-lane road off a main thoroughfare. It is a convenient base for visits to Castilglion Fiorentino, Cortona, Monte San Savino, Montepulciano and Arezzo. Florence, Siena and Assisi are also easily accessible on well-marked byways. Within a 10- to 15-minute radius by car, which you really do need, there are at least two supermarkets (we preferred the Coop), a small produce market, a great “panetteria” that makes bread without salt, a pharmacy as well as a nice coffee shop at the nearby train station. Margreth, the gracious owner of La Limonaia, compiled an extensive list of towns to visit and places to shop and dine. This list is available for guests along with useful guidebooks and a history-in-progress of the villa being written by her husband. A must restaurant for pasta, meat and fish is the “Antica Pieve,” which is very near (but not walkable from) La Limonaia. Margret was able to get us a last-minute reservation there on a Saturday night, which was lucky for us, because we had arrived late and hungry in the early evening on that same day, and the restaurant was fully booked by locals. We found Margreth to be very generous with her time. She was waiting for us when we got there, as were a welcome bottle of

This lovely property surrounded by beautiful gardens qualifies as a "pinch me I must be dreaming" experience. The location is the perfect home base for exploring many of the lovely Tuscan towns nearby. Cortona, Arezzo, Montelpulciano, Siena, Perugia are all a comfortable drive away. La Limonaia is a beautiful home which is fully equipped with everything you could ever need or wish for-all the comforts of home are at your fingertips in this tastefully decorated and well maintained property. Margreth the owner is delightful and was most helpful as are the neighbours Daniela and Oswaldo. We spent two idyllic weeks in this amazing place and we plan to return to what we now feel is our Tuscany home.

My family stayed for one week and truly enjoyed our time here. We were here during the hottest period of the summer but quickly adopted the Italian style of going out in the morning and coming home after a fabulous Italian lunch. We reemerged in the evening to rejoin families in the evening stroll. This house is ideally situated for exploring Tuscany. Every day we ventured to a different location: Florence, Pisa, Arezzo, Cortona, Perugia, Montepulcino, etc. One week is just not enough time..... The house is very comfortable for our family of four. We cooked in several evenings (after foraging in the markets and fabulous grocery stores!). The owners were in Germany but very helpful and their neighbors were delightful. We'd love to come back again.

After sifting through literally thousands of possible places to stay, we came upon La Limonaia. Everything fit: the location, the size, the 21st century bath and kitchen in a 19th century lovingly restored property, and the villa garden. We were right about all of it. What we didn't anticipate was how amazing our hosts would be. Happily, Margreth was on hand to meet us and someone we would befriend at home were we lucky enough to meet her. She took a whole day to show us the basics: coffee shop, grocery (which she went through with us), the bank, and Castiglion Fiorentino. And then we were introduced to Daniela and Oswaldo who would look after us in this new adventure. Little did we understand that looking after us meant being unbelievably kind, and helpful and engaging. Whenever we needed anything that we couldn't figure out on our own, they came to the rescue with good cheer. We miss them still. We also hadn't quite grasped how perfect our location was. Everything we wanted to see and do -- and those we didn't know were on our list but which astounded us -- were within an hour at the most; 20 minutes more often. If we neglected to turn at Cortona, we'd just say what the heck and end up in Perugia. No big deal. Amazing. We spent four weeks at La Limonaia. When life permits, we will be back. And we hope it permits often. Our life was lived every moment of every day while there. And in my happiest memories I am in the garden under a white umbrella drinking wine with my friends and eating the most spectacular food I have ever known.

It was a pleasure to stay at La Limonaia. The drive in was impressive and the house was stunning. Margreth was there to greet us and spent time with us describing the layout and facilities and provided a bottle of wine and some home made olive oil. The grounds are beautiful and we had our breakfasts and dinners outside. The property was very clean and had some magnificent art and antiques. A car is necessary and La Limonaia is a good base to visit place in Tuscany. We travelled by train to Florence, visited Siena, Arezzo, Montelcino(Brunello wine), Cortona, Pienza, Monte S. Savino, Lucignano, Citta di Castello, Greve in Chianti and the wonderful scenery south of San Quirico. A highlight was having lunch at the Antica Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano in Chianti. A two hour feast of meat and Tuscan fare. Highly recommended. We spent a wonderful week at La Limonaia and have raved about our stay to all our friends.

La Limonaia is beautifully furnished and incredibly comfortable. Margareth made sure we were very welcome. The grounds are amazing and great for a morning stroll before breakfast. The house is very close to Cortona, Montepulciano and Arezzo - the forgotten gem of Tuscany.

We loved our two month stay at La Limonaia. While there were just the two of us for most of July and August, the house had space for us to enjoy our guests who visited for a week here or there during the summer. The owner, Margreth was wonderful! She welcomed us as weary travelers (from the U.S.) with a beautiful cold dinner platter and wine when we dragged in our first evening. The following day she generously oriented us to the area, including taking us to the grocery store, butcher, baker, fruit and vegetable stand, etc. She was easy to reach via phone or email and quick to respond when we had questions or a problem. The local caretakers, Daniella and Osvaldo were tasked with checking in with us to be sure all was well, and they did so weekly, often bearing a gift of fresh eggs from their chickens, or tomatoes, eggplants etc from their garden. The location in Vitiano is ideal for exploring Tuscany and Umbria via day trips. The house was charming and private, and the gardens beautiful, providing fresh flowers for our vases. A nice bonus for us was the sweet black and white cat, who, if encouraged (and fed) will become a regular part of your vacation. We couldn't imagine a better base for our 2 months of exploration, and highly recommend La Limonaia.

We have always fantasized about an extended stay in Tuscany. Although we have been to Italy a number a times, we have never been to Tuscany so our wish list was long and our expectations were high. This trip met and exceeded everything on our list. This was the first house we saw when starting to explore online and I said why should we look any further? This place was beautiful and had everything we had envisioned for our stay. We began our day with prliminary coffee in the outdoor sunshine and ended it usually by preparing a simple antipasto platter, and enjoying a wonderful glass of wine by the fire. The house was beautiful, unique, typically Tuscan, very clean, cozy and extremely efficient, Everything had been thought out and we were lacking for nothing. And the grounds were magnificicent. We enjoyed watching many of the spring floweres come to bloom. The charming owner met us as we arrived, greeting us with homemade olive oil, marmelade and a wonderful bottle of vino. She spent time going over everything with us and introducing us to the neighbors Daniela and Oswaldo, who gave us asparagus that they foraged in the woods and told us how to use to for risotto. We found the location to be perfect. We loved early morning walks in the neighborhood, noting the cypress, olive, wild fig trees, wild poppies growning by the side of the road, little streams, ducks rushing over to squack at us, perfect gardens maintained by neighbors, the well maintained houses and streets and we were especially delighted by the the antiquity of some houses, one had a date of 1700 indicated, and the Alborgotto villa, I understand is 600 years old. Everyone was very friendly and helpful, especially the owners of the local Bar where we walked to each morning for capoccino and our neighbors whose company we enjoyed with the help of Google Translator. We much preferred this central location with the very easy to use and efficient train station, and easy drives to all other Tuscan areas to the more popular and crowded areas further north. We had everything we needed, and had plenty to explore within 15 minutes of the home including Castiglione Fiorentino, Cortona, Arezzo and even a private castle tour! We would love to go again and stay at LaLimonaia.

First impressions are important. My wife and I and our two young sons arrived late in the afternoon and immediately found this house and surrounding gardens to be quite special. Detailed instructions provided by the lovely owners made it very easy to locate the house and we were met by Daniela who lives close by. She was helpful and friendly. On the table were bottles of wine, olive oil and a jar of marmelade with a welcoming note. The spacious home is very tastefully decorated with all the necessary amenities one would need. It was spotlessly clean and certainly retains plenty of charm. The formal gardens and serene hilly and rural setting encapsulated the experience. My sons really enjoyed playing in the enlosed lawns and garden area. Plenty of flowers to admire whilst sitting in various spots outside the home. As other reviewers have mentioned, this was situated in an area that made it a very useful base from which to explore the nearby towns and cities. The proximity of the train station and free parking at the station made it very easy to reach Florence and avoid the hassles of dealing with car traffic. We availed ourselves of some of the good eating establishments recommended by the owners who made every effort to ensure that our stay would be problem free and very enjoyable. Thank you Margreth and Arthur for letting us stay at this true gem in Tuscany !

A group of 5 of us (Australians 30-60 years) stayed at la Limonaia over the 2 weeks of the Christmas-New Year period, 2013/4. There was great joy when, despite arriving late, we found waiting for us a little, tubbed lemon tree decorated with Christmas lights and bottles of local wines and cheeses (fantastic). We had a romanticised vision of a villa in Tuscany and la Limonaia met all expectations. The price was most reasonable for what we got, so that moderated our bemusement at the fact that the gas meter was read in and out and we had to pay extra for our gas heating (the alternative was that we would have been a tad chilly). The open fire made our nights, and again wood was a extra, but there was plenty of it, supplied and stacked and topped-up as necessary. La Limonaia was clean and tidy, well furnished, and everything worked easily - it had a welcoming charm. The gardens were ours alone as the main house was vacant at the time. We used la Limonaia as hub for day trips to Cortona (close), Arezzo (close), Sienna, Florence (couple of hours), Pisa and we had New Year's Eve in Rome (fantastic). Overall, driving was no problem (but with GPS), even in central Rome. Although winter had its charm, and Christmas-New Year in Italy is special, we must see Tuscany in all its summertime colours. We would stay at la Limonaia again.

This is a great place. Fully renovated yet they mantained nice original details. Comfortable, completely clean and good details. The beds were nice and firm. The location is convenient yet totally peaceful. Beautiful grounds. We got to meet the owners and they are very nice. We were invited by someone who was visiting who has visited stayed six times. Our first visit was extremely enjoyable and we can understand returning to often. Highly recommended!

On two occasions I have had the pleasure of staying at La Limonaia for a three month period, the first being in the year 2000 and again in 2011. Clearly, the experience was so magical that I had to return for a second visit. My goal was to use la Limonaia as the base for exploring Tuscany and Umbria with ample opportunity to enjoy the village life of Vitiano and its nearby hilltowns of Arezzo and Castiglion Fiorentino as well as the better known Cortona. Just mentioning them makes me homesick. My travelling companion and i became very attached to the villagers in Vitiano who welcomed us into their homes, provided us with scrumptious meals and returned the favor by allowing us to practice our culinary skills on them. We loved the local village church, St. Martin's and its members, and enjoyed a Cappaccino after mass at the nearby bar/cafe perfectly made by Emelio who was the proprietor when I first visited in 2000 and was still there on my return in 2011. Our walks through the exquisitely designed gardens of the estate and through the olive orchards always restored us on our return from exploring the many attractions in Tuscany and Umbria. One of the great features of staying at la Limonaia is the ease of travel on the local train at the nearby town of Castigione Fiorentino which provides the rare luxury of free parking for your rental car - a definite plus when visiting Rome and many of the great sites enroute to Rome. The design, architecture, and frunishings of La Limonaia fit perfectly within the Tuscan landscape of olive orchards, vineyards and pines. The owners, Margreth and Arthur, invited us to join them in the harvest of their olive trees. There is nothing in the world that can compare with the taste of the first press of their olives. While the owners spend most of their time in Munich they were always available to us if we had a question or needed some assistance with a minor maintenance issue. I cannot imagine a more perfect place to experience Tuscany and the warmth of the Italians. Enjoy La Limonaia as we did Coyla Anderson Beth McPherson Long Beach, Ca

The Limonaia is well decorated and the garden enchanting. We enjoyed every moment in this well maintained house. The location of the property is ideal for visiting many cities of great interest that you can reach by car in less than one hour, or for relaxing in an Italian garden before walking uphill in beautiful landscapes and watching birds. Even shopping freaks will find great places with easy access. Besides, it is more than just a holiday accomodation, it is a lovely family home telling a story with antique furniture,books,paintings and CD's . It has the charm and whatever you hope to find when opting for Tuscany ,excepted a dishwasher but including a splendid bathroom. The description is accurate and we received beforehand useful informations about the house and the surroundings. The keys were handed over by the efficient neighbour and we found welcoming bottles of wine and oil on the table. We recommend the place to people wishing to alternate sightseeing with seclusion.