From the beginning, Francesca answered every question and was an exceptional host. Her penthouse was clean, bright and expertly decorated. It was clear to us upon arriving that she cared about her property and took time to make sure her guests were comfortable! There are 4 nicely decorated bedrooms (2 bedrooms contain bathrooms; and there are two bedrooms that will share a very nice bathroom on the hallway).
Her husband picked us up from Fiumicino airport and drove us to the property. He certainly did not have to do that but we greatly appreciated
There are 2 food markets near the house, and from one of them, you can park underneath the mall and walk thru the mall and take a series of escalators up and out and walk through the city to get to the area where the Palio horse races take place. we had just missed it by a few days...along the walk are shopping stores and restaurants...great distance for kids to walk (just watch out for the random cars that drive thru).
Back to the house, there are about 3 separate balconies to enjoy the spectacular spacial views across the street (2 are off bedrooms and the largest is off the dining area).Francesca makes sure that you lack nothing inside the house...there’s a washer and dryer there too.
She cares about her guests too, so when my son (9) developed stomach pain and fever, she was able to schedule and drive us to the pediatrician (all within 30 minutes)! I am truly grateful for that. After we left the doctor’s office, she took us to get the prescription filled, and without missing a beat, she came and gave the rest of the group cooking lessons. They made 4 different types of pasta, by hand, and we ate it all for dinner, while Francesca cleaned the kitchen and left us to enjoy the food.
From the penthouse in Siena, you can take a scenic drive to Montalcino (oh! Francesca rented to us a 9-seater van for our group of 8 - it is a manual though, so be sure someone in the group can drive that)....or just be lazy and let Francesca take you on the tours through wine country, Tuscany. There were very few tourists in Montalcino, so if you want to avoid the crowds, visit and see a beautiful castle, shop for wine, eat gelato and just walk. There are beautiful scenic views along your stroll. We had a wonder 6 day stay in Francesca’s penthouse and I would love for everyone to get a taste of Italy. Stay at her house, you will love it!
Thank you Francesca!!
