Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Villa Rentals FREE”
Surely, you’ve heard or read about what might be the most famous villa in Italy: Bramasole. The one that Frances Mayes wrote about in her memoir, Under the Tuscan Sun. With husband Ed, Frances transformed a forgotten ruin into a thrilling second act in life. “The house protects the dreamer, the houses that are important to us are the ones …
This article originally appeared in the February/March 2023 issue of Dream of Italy. If you have read Frances Mayes’ bestselling memoir or watched the movie Under the Tuscan Sun like me, you’ve probably dreamed of visiting the magical town of Cortona and wondered about that villa called Bramasole, which means “to yearn for the sun,” that plays center stage. [You can …
This Editor’s Note originally appeared in the February/March 2023 Issue of Dream of Italy. Members receive access to more than 190 back issues—if you’re not a member, join here. I was very randomly led to re-visit Lago di Garda just a few weeks ago and I couldn’t be more grateful. In this issue, you will read my review of Lefay …
Transcript with Show Notes Embedded: Lisa Byrne: The idea of fractional ownership is that you own a share in a property. Now, it’s not a timeshare, but you actually have deeded ownership in a property where you can stay for a month a year and enjoy feeling like a local. Kathy McCabe: This is Kathy McCabe. Welcome to the …
When my friend Madonna Finney (yes, that’s her name, combining my two favorite things – including the name of my dog Finney) and her husband shared a link to the Airbnb in Florence where they stayed this fall, I thought to myself, my gosh there are so many great vacation rentals in Italy that I don’t know about!! So now I am on a quest, …
I came up with the concept for the PBS special Dream of Italy: Travel, Transform and Thrive in 2019 before a pandemic was anywhere on the horizon. The TV special of course premiered this year and though I had no idea what would hit the world in between, I think the topic was right on time. I am more convinced than ever …
After 17 years, Steve Brenner and Linda Martinez are selling their vacation rental website, Cross-Pollinate. The couple started Cross-Pollinate in 2000 as a way to manage the requests from guests they couldn’t accommodate in their hostel, The Beehive, in Rome. Over the years, Brenner and Martinez grew the business to include 500 private apartments, B&Bs and guesthouses in eight European …
If you’re thinking of renting an apartment or villa in Italy, if you’ve already started looking for a villa rental, you know all of the choices can be daunting. Here are five quick tips for renting an Italian villa: 1. Make sure there’s someone available nearby 24/7 in case something goes wrong. I learned the importance of this first-hand when …
A charming villa rental in Tuscany provides the base for a week of Tuscan adventures, from teeing up on a Tuscany golf course to meeting Cinta Senese pigs to making ravioli.
This article originally appeared in the June/July 2012 issue of Dream of Italy. Find the main article here. Updated 2018. Few visitors to the area around Alberobello in Puglia haven’t dreamed of spending the night in one of the trulli, historic conical limestone huts, that dot the landscape here and are now protected by UNESCO World Heritage status. At Masseria Gelso Bianco, 11 …
