Scott Alario https://www.scottalario.com/

The Castello, villa Ciapaglini is located on top of a hill, above the clouds, amidst scores of silver olive trees. I am in love with this place and planning my return. A 15 minute walk downhill will get you to a quaint village grocery store. Also at the bottom of the hill is a great place for pizza. A 10 minute drive by car will get you to a town with supermarkets and many restaurants. I stayed in the Archway portion of the villa which is built on the ruins of a castle. The apartment however is modern, well equipped very clean, gorgeous. Modern open air kitchen and living room with very high ceilings. It’s furnished with a mix of beautiful antique and contemporary furniture. The garden overlooks the valley and has fruit trees also a hammock if you’re inclined to put your feet up in the garden.

Ingrid Bird from Canada http://saturdaynightslideshow.com/ingrid-bird

I stayed in the Palm Court apartment from May until the end of July 2023.  This Villa is absolutely magical.  From the lemon trees, to the gurgling fountain to the breathtaking views of the Tuscan valley.  There is a stone table where you can sit and eat outside.  I went for walks in the woods and also into the village.  The people were so friendly!  There is a campground nearby which has a fabulous pool, friendly staff, and the yummiest spaghetti carbonara ever.  I had a rental car and drove all over the Tuscan countryside exploring.  Cid was a wealth of knowledge and no enquiry was left unanswered.  The Palm Court apartment was well equipped and comfortable.  I was blown away by the history of the Villa.  I loved getting to know the locals and chatting with them in my very basic Italian.  Going into Florence was easy from here and the train service was wonderful for longer journeys.  I could not recommend this place highly enough!  I had a relaxing, authentic experience in Tuscany that will forever stay in my heart.  I will never forget being lucky enough to stay in this beautiful place.  I would go back again in a heartbeat.

Terri Mc Donald https://www.facebook.com/TeriMcDonaldfineartist/

I spent 6 weeks on sabbatical in the Palm apartment. The villa situated in the Valdarno hosted a beautiful view of the tuscan landscape. The villa contained all the necessities and came with an artists studio which I used regularly. As an oil painter I was constantly inspired by the beauty around me that contained a mixture of the old and the new world. Cid was very generous with her time and extremely helpful with everything, giving directions to off the beaten track locations to renting cars. As you can imagine seeing Italy, especially from the countryside is a magical experience and seeing it from my villa was like a dream. I am happy that I created a collection of paintings during my stay which will serve as a memory of my time there. I had a wonderful stay at the villa and I hope to return one day.

Alanna Dotson https://www.linkedin.com/in/alannadotson

The location made my dream of coming to Italy a reality. The setting is perfect for an artist, writer or anyone wanting to get a real view of the Italian lifestyle. It is off the beaten track which takes you away from the hustle of typical tourist areas. You can access plenty of beautiful places as it is not far at all from Florence. I am an artist and a writer and I even had my own art studio. I not only got a beautifully and typically decorated Tuscan apartment, but beautiful scenery, fruit and nuts to pick right in my back yard, great walks up the hill and fabulous hosts. I came to Tuscany to do a photography course and to begin illustrations for an up coming book. I spent 3 months putting together a collection of artwork.

Erika Lindstrom Dake https://www.thumbprintcellars.com/

We loved our stay at Castello Villa Ciapaglini. Italy is such an amazing place to visit, and it was always a wecome sight to return ‘home’ from a day exploring or a short trip to another part of Italy The tower study apartment is both spacious and cozy at the same time. Plenty of space for our family of three to stretch out in. We loved being able to cook meals in the kitchen (well equipped) and eat at the gorgeous wooden table. The beds are comfortable! The view from the villa- it is astounding to see such an amazing view of Tuscany everyday. Whether looking out the windows or sitting in the yard or even driving down the hill. Cid was brilliant in her assistance from car rentals, a school for our son to finding him a basketball team for him to play on. Really more than you could ask for in landlords.

Lucy Lethbridge https://www.rlf.org.uk/fellowships/lucy-lethbridge/

I found the palm apartment the perfect place to get some serious writing done. It’s quiet with only the sound of birds to disturb the thoughts, and it’s cool and shady in the summer. The stone table in the garden surounded by lemon trees is the perfect spot to step up a laptop. Loved it!!!

Farzaneh Joorabchi http://farzaneh-joorabchi.com/

6 months in the Tower study 23/24 we had a wonderful time. we were spoiled with all the space and light. I used the tower study as my music room and spent many happy hours practising there. We loved th lemon terrace to have coffee in the mornings with the wonderful views. We had 2 days of snow and were able to build a snowman, and the wood stove in the fire place kept us warm and we loved having a fire. Cid was really helpful giving us some local maps with the best bakeries and restaurants to visit. It was 6 months of magic.

Kevin Lynch http://www.nativefoodandwine.com/

I spent 6 months living in Tuscany staying in the Tower study apartment on the south side of the 16th century villa which was charming and full of character. The apartment was very comfortable and full of light and sunshine, I spent many hours at my desk writing and enjoying the views from the study window. The kitchen was well equipped with a huge country table and I spent a lot of time cooking wonderful Tuscan dishes. While I stayed there the owner Cid helped put me in touch with the local truffle hunters and an artisan pecorino cheese farm which were part of my research, I also found the location well placed for visiting vineyards in the Chianti area and Sienna. Living there for such a long time was a great experience and I felt very at home.