Il Sole del Sodo Villa in Cortona — Local services in Cortona

On a recent girls’ week trip to Cortona, Italy, seven girlfriends and I stayed at the Il Sole del Sodo Bed and Breakfast (Località il Sodo, 5, 6, 52044 Cortona, Arezzo, Italy.) What a beautiful venue in a beautiful part of Tuscany. We occupied many of the Bed & Breakfast’s rooms; some shared rooms and others had rooms or suites to themselves. Il Sole del Sodo is run by the delightful and ever-helpful Claudia, along with Rose and Paola, her terrific staff. The morning breakfast buffet is terrific with lots of delicious home baked goods. The breakfast bar also includes fresh fruit, cheese, and charcuterie, plus eggs for a little extra by request. Four of our group took a cooking class from Claudia; it was fun and the food we made for their dinner was outstanding and authentic Italian. Claudia cooks dinner only a couple of times per week, so be sure to arrange that in advance. We opted for dinner on the day we arrived, and it was a very relaxing dinner in the beautiful and quiet garden patio. The property includes a pool so bring a swimsuit. Because we didn’t all have a rental car, Claudia even helped us arrange for transportation during the week. The location is at the bottom of the hilltop town of Cortona and it’s a fun hike up to the top of Cortona through the vineyards, horse property, and olive trees. Or you can hike the road but it’s not as fun, especially during heavy traffic times. Try to get a room near the pool toward the back of the property as some in our party had rooms on the second floor and could hear some road noise at night. Claudia was very responsive during our months of planning, giving us recommendations for restaurants and other places in the area. Overall, the experience at Il Sole del Sodo was wonderful and is highly...

A well-placed rustic villa in the Umbrian/Tuscany area just outside of the charming town of Cortona. A great location to make as home base for your time touring all the other charming small towns and villages in Umbria/Tuscany! Situated between Florence and Rome you will not be disappointed with the location unless you are looking for a more 'rural and farm-style' house. This one sits in a small village area close to some main roads. Claudia, the host, and Rosario her assistant were always lovely and responsive. Each room had much needed AC and we enjoyed one of the best meals we had in the area the night Claudia cook her beautiful pici recipe for us alongside many other delights. Lots of attention to detail and accommodating. Special memories were made. Thank...

Charming rustic Tuscan villa which was spacious & housed our party of 3 families easily. The rooms were all air conditioned which was very helpful in the summer heat. The pool was great for chilling out in the afternoon. The house & kitchen were well equipped. Claudia’s cooking was excellent. We booked dinner for our first night & it was so good, we asked her to cook a second time. She was very accommodating with various dietary requests. Breakfast was plentiful with fresh fruit, tart, charcuterie & cheeses. The cooking class with Claudia was great, & the wine tasting was a lovely day out. We thoroughly enjoyed the restaurants that she recommended too. Location was great - 5 min drive up to Cortona, 50 min drive to Sienna, train to Florence from...