La Foce — Hotel in Unione dei Comuni Valdichiana Senese

La Foce and Chiarentana are so much more than a magnificently beautiful estate with diverse options in which to stay in the World Heritage Val d'Orcia. The books and especially the published diary(ies!) of founder (with husband Antonio) Iris Origo enliven these hills along the 1200+ year old pilgrims' path to Rome from England. ||||Last week, with friends, my wife and I stayed again in the aptly named but very spacious Belvedere Piccolo (there is an even larger "Grande") with its magnificent view over the valley to the Fuji-like Mount Amiata and including the artistic, winding Cypress path planted by Antonio that is now Tuscany's international logo.||||We took another tour of La Foce's wonderful, formal gardens and enjoyed an enchanting olive-tasting dinner in Chiarentana's courtyard under the ancient Linden tree. We ate fresh figs and pears off the trees in Belvedere's yard all week and one of our friends braved the cool weather for an occasional dip in our beautifully maintained swimming pool. We made breakfast most mornings in the spacious, well-equipped kitchen, partly as an excuse to linger over our coffee and enjoyment of the panoramic view of the valley. And after fabulous, nearby dinners out, in the evenings we built a wood fire in one of the two fireplaces to enjoy bottles and bottles of good Brunello and Vino Nobile and occasionally wandered outside to enjoy the spectacular show of stars.||||Our farmhouse was spotlessly clean and very well maintained with all furniture of good quality and maid service mid-week.||||Yet, there are so many historic and beautiful sights and activities nearby to La Foce that we always pack every day full with familiar and new adventures. This was our sixth week-long stay and already we are...

Last week we stayed at the Belvedere at LaFoce. Had returned to LaFoce after a 13 year absence when we stayed at Castelluccio which has been sold and is under renovation. The views and property layout at the Belvedere are breathtaking. On one side, there are views of the Orca valley with the mountain in the background; on the other side is a well tended garden with a large yard covered with white wild flowers. Behind is a hedge and a swimming pool with views of the valley and the castle. There are innumerable walking paths in the surrounding area which is very natural. Benedetta is a tremendous source of local information including restaurants and ancient towns and sites which are not in the tour books. There are endless activities to fill your day if you can tear yourself away from the views at the Belvedere. The food in the area restaurants is incredible and is a bargain when compared to the United States. Don't miss the garden tour at LaFoce. I have never seen wisteria in bloom like in the LaFoce garden. Finally, the literary history of LaFoce and the role that Iris and Anthony Origos played in reclaiming the land and during WW II provides adds even more texture to the experience. The nearby LaFoce restaurant called Dopolavoro is within a half a mile from the Belvedere and a great place to stop for a coffee, lunch or dinner. Don't miss the garden and olive trees in the back of Dopolavoro. I could go on and on. We would be very fortunate to...

The history of La Foce and the Marchesa, Iris Origo, is remarkable on many levels. Knowing that history gives greater depth to touring the gardens and general surroundings. That said - we had a very weak English speaking guide and a shortened tour. The guide: did not speak loudly enough for the group to hear; had a superficial understanding of the plants and garden; and generally lost the interest of the group after the first few minutes. So we wandered around a bit on our own. The tour: it was raining very lightly off and on and we were informed that this would prevent us from taking the woods walk and visiting the family cemetery, due to “safety reasons.” Inexplicable. I think one of the tour visitors with whom I struck up a conversation, a professional photographer from the UK, summed it up best - “So far, I am not impressed.” The garden is, of course, enjoyable to see. And the second level up the hill seemed to have virtually everything we plant in our Maryland garden, so that was fun to compare climates and what would grow ... but overall, the experience of La Foce was a let down. Also, it would enhance the experience greatly if the house was open for a tour. It is not. If you want to see one of the most extraodinary gardens in the world, try Ninfa in Latina province and stay at Lelive B&B in nearby Sermoneta. We visited Ninfa prior to La Foce - maybe that made it harder for La Foce to live up to...