Villa Rental Overview
Greve, Tuscany-Toscana, Italy
5 Bedrooms 2.5 Bathrooms Sleeps 10
Beds Setup: King Bed (3), Queen Bed,Twin/Single Bed(2), Crib |
Pets are Allowed
Wheelchair Accessible
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Property Information
The Canonica was my dad’s obsession.
My father, Dino Levi, was at his retirement the foremost antique dealer in Italy. Yet, I don’t remember him ever putting his heart into any endeavor as he did for the Canonica. Only his kids were more important to him. Perhaps that is why he took years to lovingly restore and decorate the place. It was to be his legacy to us.
Ancient Italian architecture would have to co-exist with his new-found American love of modern convenience. A useless, original antique kitchen would be okay, just as long as a modern American style kitchen could be hidden in the pantry. Walk-in fireplaces would be nice and cozy, but a modern boiler and hidden radiators would take the chill off those cold February nights. In short, the Italian side of him loved the antique splendor of medieval Tuscany, but his American side insisted on all the modern comforts of home.
Our Canonica, the monastery of the town of Greve in Chianti, sits high on Monte San Michele, overlooking the town of Greve, the seat of the Chianti agricultural region, situated halfway between Florence and Siena. Rebuilt as a Canonica in the mid-800’s on the ruins of a Roman fortress, we have now been informed by Italian archeologists that the original Roman fortress was built on the foundations of an Etruscan outpost. Given its commanding views of the surrounding countryside and the wide Tuscan sky with its legendary light, one can easily imagine that the origins of the site's spiritual significance predate the arrival of the Catholic Church.
The Canonica was an active Roman Catholic monastery until the middle of the 20th century. With the movement away from traditional agrarian society, the monastery was abandoned and fell into disrepair. My dad purchased the ruins in the 1960’s and began the slow process of restoration. Every piece of iron on the building had been ripped away during the German occupation to be melted for armaments. Among these were the bells in the tower and the knockers on the front door, which must have been hundreds of years old and virtually irreplaceable.
Over the years, all such metal pieces were replaced with original-era antiques. Even the cracked tiles on the roof were replaced with ancient Tuscan tiles. My family is absolutely committed to preserving the rustic soul of the building, though my father, in particular, allowed himself a few personal flourishes with his 1970s-modern master bathroom and his African room, filled with artifacts from that continent and featuring an enormous window looking up toward the summit of Monte San Michele. Note the ancient Levi family crest, a hand pouring a pitcher of water, displayed in several locations throughout the Canonica, including the center of the large, Renaissance-style ceramic table in the living room.
The centerpiece of the Canonica is the courtyard, with its marble fountain in bass-relief, its cut limestone tables, its hutch of firewood, its multi-colored vines covering the walls, its geraniums hanging from the second story cortile, its cast iron cistern, its well, its scattered busts of heroes and goddesses among brass pots for ash and cinders, its lichen marked stone floor, its staircase descending to a wine cellar complete with ancient barrels, its rondini (swifts, the quintessential birds of Tuscany), its hummingbird moths, its scurrying geckos, its sun, its silent serenity, its pitch black night with bright stars and, in early-mid August, its front row seats on the phenomenal Perseid meteor showers.
The thick stone walls of the Canonica maintain an even and rather cool temperature during the sun-drenched Tuscan summers. Summer nights that remain distinctly hot in Florence will likely warrant a sweater and jeans on Monte San Michele. For the occasional chilly night, there are electric warmers on most of the beds. The house is equipped with a washing machine and dryer, and stereos for both the living room and the courtyard. There are a couple of TVs with VCRs and DVD players on which one may watch any of the hundreds of videos in the house collection (including over one hundred operas). The house has six bedrooms that sleep up to thirteen people, although we limit occupancy to ten in order to preserve the structure. There is a spacious formal dining room with the courtyard on one side and the garden on the other. And my dad’s personal library remains directly below his African room.
The Canonica is not so much a house as it is a living entity, a part of the land rather than an imposition upon it. It welcomes all who wish to appreciate its peace and timeless beauty in the heart of rural Tuscany.
Please come and enjoy the experience. There is none other like it!
Additional Rate Information
4 Guests...............€300/night
Additional Guests......€50/night each
Cleaning Fee...........€75
* Four (4) Night Minimum.
* Maximum occupancy 10 adults.
* Security deposit required.
Vacation Rental Policies
| Required Stay: Minimum stay four nights |
| Deposits: We request a 50% deposit paid by credit card at the time of confirmation of your reservation, the balance payable 30 days prior to arrival date. A full refund will be made for cancellations made more than 30 days prior to arrival date. For cancellations made less than 30 days before arrival date, any refund will depend on the extent to which we can re-rent. Your credit card will serve as a security deposit for any damage incurred during your stay.
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| Other Policies: How to reach La Canonica di Greve
From Florence or Sienna, take Highway 222 to Greve in Chianti, and turn off on the road leading to the cemetary. Continue onwards for 2 km and your will see La Canonica sign-posted to the left. As for most country properties in Chianti, the last part of the access road is dirt-surfaced and drivers of low-slung cars should pay attention.
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Other Availability
The Canonica Di Greve - Entire 9th Century Tuscan Monastery sits high on Monte San Michele - Year Round - La Canonica di Greve in Tuscany, Italy
Property Amenities
Furnishings/Luxuries Balcony | Deck | Linens Provided | | Mountain View | Patio |
Appliances| Dryer | Full Refrigerator | Microwave | | Washer |
Electronics| CD Player | DVD Player | Stereo | | TV | VCR |
Recreation/Activities| Corporate and Executive Lodging | Group & Family Reunions | Honeymoon | | Restaurant Nearby | Weddings | Wineries and Vineyards | |
Other Unlisted Amenities
Linens Provided: All linens are luxurious 600 Thread Count 100% cotton.GarageOff Street ParkingWood Fireplace (3): Multiple thousand year old fireplaces, some "walk-in". Deck/Patio: Large, beautiful, private walled-in courtyard. There is also a separate walled-in garden.
Mountain View: We are situated high on a plateau in the famous Tuscan Hills overlooking the town of Greve in Chianti. We have breathtaking views as far away as the Abbetone, a snow covered mountain in the Appenines open for skiing year round. In addition, we have tremendous views of Monte San Michele, an Italian State Park to the east.
A twelve hundred year old monastery in the fabled Tuscan Hills of Italy. |
 Reservation Information
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Lloyd
Day Phone: 518-304-1328
Evening Phone: 518-789-4762
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