Short: This was a very special place to stay. It's huge (an old, sturdy farmhouse with solid walls and stone stairs), surrounded by a beautiful garden, vineyards, and a panoramic view of the countryside just outside Florence. Filippo and his family welcomed us enthusiastically and gave helpful suggestions and fascinating information about the region and its history. It's an incredible place to stay when visiting Florence - our best AirBnB experience ever!
---
We had an exceptional experience at Il Sabatino and are already imagining our next visit. It was absolutely magical to eat breakfast and drink nightcaps in the garden patio with a view of the Tuscan countryside. You can see vineyards, farms, other large estates, and old churches and fortress-looking buildings. The living area itself is very spacious. Upstairs are two huge bedrooms, additional sleeping areas, lounge spaces, and downstairs is a full kitchen. It's an authentic old farmhouse with flagstone floors, a library, and Narnia-type wardrobes.
There's plenty of room in the driveway to park if you rent a car. Since the house is a 10-15 minute drive from the main area of Florence, having a car is helpful. If not, there's a bus, or the family can help you get a taxi or possibly give you a ride.
Filippo and his father Antonio speak fluent English and will help with anything you need - restaurants, places to visit in Florence, cities to visit in the greater Tuscany region, art history and political history. Filippo's mother Claudia served us their homemade red and white wines. They have a super friendly dog and cat (kept in a different house, so it should be fine if you have allergies).
We stayed for five days and were able to visit the main churches and museums in Florence, as well as San Gimingnano, Siena, Villa Medici at Pratolino, and Bilancino Lake. When we next visit, we will likely spend more of our time just sitting on the garden patio, looking over the Tuscan countryside, drinking wine, reading and making conversation.
We cannot recommend Il Sabatino highly enough!!!