S
eptember is the perfect time to visit
Tuscany,” says interior designer Tamsin
Johnson, who, with her longtime friend
and creative collaborator, accessories
designer Lucy Folk, took time out from
recent work trips spanning London, Paris and
Morocco to holiday with friends and family in the
Italian locale famed for its idyllic rolling landscape,
heritage hilltop villages and insanely good food and
wine. “Tuscany is about spending quality time with
dear friends and eating our way through the day,”
says Folk. “Tam and I love to challenge each other
creatively and talk business while drinking spritzes,
making pasta and walking through the historic towns
of Tuscany. It’s the ultimate work-life balance.” Here,
the creative duo share their favourite finds from this
quintessential of Italian regions.SLEEP IN THE VILLA OF YOUR DREAMS
Ex Convento di San Francesco We were lucky
enough to stay at a restored convent just outside
the town of Pitigliano. One of the most beautiful
villas we’ve ever seen, it was a monastery for monks
until 1910. Mother-daughter design team Holly
Lueders and Venetia Sacret Young transformed
the interior in 2005, introducing special touches
such as handpainted walls and carefully curated
furniture. You can feel how much love has been
injected into the interiors, and it’s beyond charming.
exconventodisanfrancesco.comINDULGE LIKE A LOCAL
Cascate del Mulino hot springs
Fed by 37.5-degrees Celsius water, these natural,
pale-blue springs in the Maremma region of
Tuscany cascade down the hills in a series of
waterfalls. It’s a scene straight out of a Massimo
Vitali photograph: very local and very entertaining.
Via della Follonata, 58014 SaturniaAgriturismo Aia del Tufo An organic farmhouse
stay with an incredible farm-to-table restaurant.
On our visit we frolicked in the fields and picked
vegetables, which we then ate in the restaurant
for lunch. aiadeltufo.comSHOP ANTIQUES IN A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE
Perched atop dramatic cliffs, Sorano is a small
medieval village and on the outskirts are antique shops
filled with ceramics, art and furniture. Casa Antica
di Becagli Alessandro was a favourite — we found an
amazing wall sconce and an abstract still-life painting.
Rich in history and visually stunning, this town was
a highlight of the trip. Casa Antica di Becagli
Alessandro, Piazza Municipio 27, 58010 SoranoPitigliano One of the most incredible towns we have
ever visited, Pitigliano sits high up on an ancient
plateau and appears as if it were carved from the
rocky outcrop. Surrounded by cascading green hills
and hidden caves, it’s located only 10 minutes from
our villa and for one week was our local town.
Providores from the area sell meats, cheese and
wines and craftspeople peddle hand-woven wares.
On our stay we got to know the wine and fresh pasta
store very well. Pitigliano’s beautiful at any time but
truly magic at night when illuminated by spotlights.
58017 Province of GrossetoEAT FRESH FROM THE FARM
L’Ottava Rima A fantastic little restaurant with a
cave-like feel, L’Ottava Rima specialises in seasonal
and regional produce with farm-to-table principles.
The menu is small but the flavours are powerful. The
service is very friendly and the staff are happy to
recommend good local wines and explain where all
of the produce is sourced. cantinaottavarima.comTrattoria Il Nibbio A family-run restaurant,
Il Nibbio grills everything on hot stones, which
makes the food incredibly delicious. We recommend
the tagliata [sliced steak]. ristoranteilnibbio.itDISCOVER THE PARK OF THE MONSTERS AND
THE BIRTHPLACE OF ARTE POVERA
Gardens of Bomarzo Known locally as the Park
of the Monsters, this 16th-century garden in the
town of Bomarzo just outside the borders of Tuscany
sits in a valley close to the castle of Orsini. Huge,
stone monster-like sculptures are dotted throughout
the park. Commissioned by Prince Pier Francesco
Orsini, it’s believed the gardens were designed to
help the prince cope with his grief after his wife’s
death. The detail and scale in each sculpture is
dramatic. It’s places like this that lend inspiration to
many things, whether it’s jewellery collections,
shapes, lines, anything. Località Giardino,
01020 BomarzoRes Antiqva Just a hop and a skip from Pitigliano,
this farmhouse estate is the birthplace of the Arte
Povera movement of the early 20th century. It also
produces 100 per cent organic extra virgin olive oil.
We’ve never had olive oil as good as this. Unfiltered
and single-origin, it’s best used raw to taste the
richness. resantiqva.com/home-eng VL
tamsinjohnson.com @tamsinjohnson
lucyfolk.com @lucyfolkTHIS PAGE
At Agriturismo
Aia del Tufo, an
organic farmstay
and restaurant in
San Valentino,
visitors can stroll
among the animals
and pick their own
fruit and vegetables.
OPPOSITE PAGE
inside the
atmospheric
Ex Convento
di San Francesco
near Pitigliano.
Jan/Feb 2019 149VList