The build up: Our arrival 28th June 2017
Once again we received a really warm welcome from Chiara when we arrived. Although we’d only met on our brief visit last October, we were welcomed with hugs and kisses and it’s obvious that she gets much joy from having couples like us choose to celebrate the biggest day of our lives in her family’s Villa.
We were given the guided tour again. Every room was clean, tidy and ready for our guests to arrive. I gave Chiara my floor plans in case guests arrived and we weren’t there to welcome them and she was happy for me to give her mobile number as a direct contact.
As soon as our guests arrived, their first comment was always ‘What fantastic views. Wow, look at the pool. This is amazing. This is perfect.’
The well equipped kitchen made communal cooking easy and our Pizza night (using the Pizza oven) was the most fun I’ve had cooking in years. Obviously the industrial dishwasher was a massive bonus! I was also able to allocate families with small children to the apartments within the villa so that they could cook for themselves if needed and have their own space. This worked out perfectly for everyone.
The day before the wedding it rained and rained, but the huge dining hall offered a space large enough for everyone to hang out. It would have been a great Plan B has the weather not chirped up for our wedding day.
The big day: 1st July 2017
We were given everything we needed to prepare the area for the wedding so it was to our exact requirements. Ladders so we could put up lights, paint so we could make signs, Rosemary from Chiara’s garden for additional table decorations. Chiara even printed out all my various lists, timetables (and even vows).
Nothing was too much trouble. We were given access to a storage area so we could remove tables and chairs not being used for the wedding from view. Chiara’s mum was even kind enough to let us use her industrial steam iron for all the groomsmen’s shirts and bridesmaids dresses.
The days following the big day
The day after the wedding we were so lucky to be able to celebrate our best man’s 40th birthday. This was obviously celebrated with a pool party and later a BBQ on the terrace.
All our guests had a wonderful time. Some used it as a base to do day trips including Siena, Florence, Rimini, Arezzo and Anghiari. Some used it as a place to relax and chill out. Some went walking on the wonderful grounds and used the local fishing lake. The villa really did offer ‘something for everyone’.
Other things to mention
The Villa really does have everything you need including washing machine, pool towels for hire, pans big enough to cook pasta for 37!
The bins were emptied regularly (which was a blessing we got through quite a few bottles of wine and beer) and the pool was cleaned daily and gravel paths tidied.
Sansepolcro itself is a wonderful little town. It has lots of local amenities and shops. There are a number of lovely bars and restaurants and its well worth a visit on a weekend evening when everything seems to come alive.
We had an amazing time and since returning everyone is already talking about panning a reunion and visiting this wonderful place again. There is something very special about the Villa. It offers a place of calm, tranquillity, peace at the same time as offering community and fun and laughter. It will always hold a piece of my heart.