Our Story
This Tuscan holiday home was not born from a plan on paper, but from the hands and breath of a family. Among rows of vines, olive trees, and slow sunsets, the farmstead grew alongside us. Every stone, every beam, every plant tells a small piece of a life shared with those who make their way up here.
1990 — Mario’s Dream
In 1990, grandfather Mario arrived here, stood before a tired and slightly neglected farmstead, and immediately saw a home full of voices, suitcases propped by the door, and guests sitting in the shade watching the hills. He bought the property with the stubborn confidence of someone who truly knows the land, and began restoring it piece by piece. With his own hands he helped build Casa Sara and the pool: cement, bricks, hard work and laughter, with the fixed idea that one day someone would swim there watching the sunset over the Maremma.
As long as his strength allowed, he remained present in every corner of the farmstead: with his cap pulled down, a word for everyone, and that stubborn attention to every vine, every olive tree, every wall that needed fixing. Even today, when we walk among the trees or pass in front of Casa Sara, we feel as though we can hear him grumbling quietly and smiling with satisfaction at the same time.
The Farmstead
The heart of Madrechiesa is the olive trees and vineyards that surround the house. Each year the harvest is a slow ritual: hands reaching between branches, crates filling up, conversations mingling with the rustling of leaves. Once picked, the olives don’t travel far: we bring them to our own oil press, right here on the property, where the oil takes on a flavour all its own — unlike any commercial olive oil. It is dense, fragrant, and a little rough, like the earth it comes from.
Alongside the olive trees, the vineyard follows the rhythm of the seasons. The wine we produce is simple and honest, made to sit on the everyday table alongside bread, fresh oil, and the stories told in the evening. Working the land is never easy, but it is what keeps us rooted to this place — and to those who choose it for a few days of breathing space.
Who We Are Today
Today Madrechiesa is in the hands of Sara and her partner Riccardo, who carry Mario’s dream forward with a fresh perspective but the same respect for the land and for people. By their side are Monica and Giovanni, Sara’s parents, who live here and do what they have always done: they are simply there, the way only parents know how to be. A hand in the kitchen, a dash across the fields, a chat with guests who arrive weary and leave a little lighter.
The house lives through small daily acts of care: a tip on where to go for a walk, a taste of freshly pressed oil, the time to sit together on the low wall and watch the sky change colour. We don’t promise perfection, but sincerity: this is our life, and if you pass through here, for a while it becomes yours too.