Bed & Breakfast Casali dell'Aiola



Vagliagli (Chianti), Siena - Tuscany - Italy

The Aiola castle has been known since the Middle-Ages being one of the most important Sienese strongholds in Chianti.
It was destroyed in 1554 by the Florentines allied with the French troops and was rebuilt as a villa during the Renaissance but many features of the ancient military castle as the moat (now empty) and the drawbridge are still clearly visible.
In the 1930s Senator Giovanni Malagodi fell in love with these sweet hills, with the charming history of the Castle and the good exposure of the vineyards and bought the large estate with several farm-houses scattered all over the property, building along the years a large and functional cellar to produce Chianti Classico joining the traditional wine-making process together the most advanced and refined techniques.
The Fattoria della Aiola property stretches to about 250 acres between specialized vineyards, olive trees and secular oak and chestnut woods and is now producing well over half a million bottles of premium wines every year.
In 1995 granddaughter Federica and her husband Enrico gave up their careers in Rome to restore two ancient farmhouses just across the street from the villa opening to guests a charming bed & breakfast, an ideal completion to the wine business.
After a time-consuming and fastidious restoration the seven double bedrooms and the cosy junior suite preserve the original architectural features : chestnut wood doors, windows and ceiling beams, stonewalls, terracotta floors, wrought-iron beds and antique armoires. Each room has a separate outside entrance facing the garden and the vineyards come right up to the house with an open view of the surrounding hills. In the former barn next door there is the breakfast room where Federica's fresh-baked cakes are served and the hay-loft upstairs has been tastefully converted in a living room where guests can enjoy the winery products and browse over the Tuscany-dedicated bookshelves.
Federica and Enrico's philosophy of trying to make each guest feel special is evident in the time they dedicate to suggesting itineraries with maps, making reservation at restaurants, museums and
local concerts.
At only 8 miles north of Siena and an easy distance from the highlights of Tuscany, Aiola serves as an excellent touring base. Total silence reigns here, with only the buzz of cicadas breaking it.