THE FACTS ABOUT LUCIGNANELLO BANDINI

Italy

Lucignano d'Asso is a lovingly maintained hilltop hamlet of cream, gold and rose-hued stone, comprising two churches, two chapels and two tiny piazzas set among neat olive groves and vineyards. Since the 15th century it has belonged to the Piccolomini family which counts Pope Pius II, who rebuilt nearby Pienza and named it after himself, among its ancestors, and it was a thriving estate village until after World War II, when the population dwindled drastically. Those who remained include the 80-year-old accordion-playing owner of the grocery shop/osteria (which sells freshly laid eggs, local hams and cheeses) and his wife. When the village was renovated in the 1990s they were joined by the estate manager and his wife. There is no traffic in Lucignano d'Asso, so the only sounds are birdsong and a cock crowing. Accommodation includes a house and five apartments. The former, Sarageto, is a tastefully restored farmhouse just outside the hamlet, with a large garden, swimming pool and four bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. Kitchens have long dining tables, stone work surfaces and sinks and antique majolica tiles. The apartments share a terrace around the swimming pool just up the hill. It is surrounded by olive and almond trees, and rosemary and lavender bushes, with 360-degree views of the surrounding hills. A long wooden table and barbecue for outside dining are placed below the pool. SUITABLE FOR Families with young children, walkers, or anyone wanting to do nothing for a week. A tranquil base for exploring Montalcino, Montepulciano and Pienza. Or take over the entire village for a family wedding or reunion ACTIVITIES Hunting, truffle and mushroom gathering in winter. Informal cooking classes are given by local housewives ACCOMMODATION Casa Remo sleeps four (€1,700 per week); Casa Clementina sleeps four (€1,700); Casa Amedeo sleeps four to six (€1,700); Sarageto sleeps seven (€4,000) LOCATION 40km south of Siena; exit the S2 (also known as via Cassia, the main Florence/Siena road) at Torrenieri CONTACT Lucignanello Bandini. Lucignano d' Asso, 53020 San Giovanni d'Asso, Siena (00 39 0577 803068; email: info@piccolomini.it; www.piccolomini.it)