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Boutique Italy
Sybaritic Pleasures at Lake Iseo
The little brother to Lake Como and Lake Garda has a very appetising proposition
S
etamongvineyardsdeep intheLombardy
countryside,
L’Albereta
is a former
hunting lodge now dedicated to hunters
of the five c’s:
courtesy, character, charm, calm
and
most importantly,
cuisine
. L’Albereta scores on
every count. This ivy-clad retreat is the ancestral
villa of the Morettii family and packed with
antiques andmuseumquality art. Huge sculptures
adorn themanicured grounds and you can almost
pluck the fruit of the vines from your room with
Lake Iseo glinting in the distance.
This really is one of the hidden treasures of Italy’s
stunning northern lakes, and with the inspiration
of nearby Lake Iseo, and within easy striking
distance of Milan, Lake Garda and Lake Como it is
the idealplacetoexploretheregion.Butbewareof
local temptations, because the airy restaurant is a
temple to gourmet cuisine from Italian chef Fabio
Abbattista. His dishes alone are reason enough to
make the pilgrimage here whilst the award-
winning Espace Chenot Health Wellness SPA will
complete the sybaritic experience.
T
uscany is the rich heartland of Medieval Italy, a region
where wine has flowed for Millenia, and where, atop
its picture-postcard rolling hills, glorious walled
towns and villages remind us of a time when Italy was split
into a myriad of local kingdoms and duchies. The noble
cities of Florence, Pisa and Siena provide wonderful artistic
reservoirs, but the countryside of Tuscany is a natural
masterpiece. Whilst every inch of the region is a joy to the
senses, it is perhaps as you delve into the south of the
region that Tuscany both delivers its finest countryside and
some exceptional country retreats.
Take a glorious 500 acre estate stuffed with olive-clad hills
and vineyards, and the former residence of the Grand Duke
of Tuscany. Then rev up the neo-classical interiors with chic
design by Ettore Mochetti, director of Architectural Digest.
Now stamp the cuisine with the imprint of one of Italy’s
finest masterchefs and it is obvious that
L’Andana
, in the
Maremma region of southern Tuscany, delivers treat after
treat. The coast lies a short distance away, so do not be
fooled by its remote location - it is an ideal marriage of
elegant country living and sophisticated Mediterranean.
Grand Designs in Southern Tuscany
Tuscan country living on a ducal estate