the original Casa del Podere San Leo- poldo. Te restaurant overlooks the course and features Tuscan cuisine— and gives Prato’s famous almond bis- cuits, biscotti—for dessert. Te course is 6,464 meters, with a par of 72. Te Cosmopolitan Golf &
Country Club is located in Tirre- nia, near the coast in the Pisa prov- ince. Because it is situated so close to the shore, the course has a sand base and is dotted with dunes. Te nearby Pisan Mountains and numerous local parks offer places to hike and explore. Te course is 6,291 meters, with a par of 72, and an indoor and outdoor
driving range. And of course, no vis- it to this region would be complete without a visit to the legendary Lean- ing Tower of Pisa. Montecatini Golf & Country
Club is just nine miles from the fa- mous spas of Montecatini, frequented by locals. It was designed by Mar- co Croze and winds unobtrusively through the hilly countryside. Te large, attractive clubhouse was origi- nally a settlement of both Etruscan and Roman origins. Both Florence and the coast are roughly an hour’s drive from the club. Te course is 5,857 meters with a par of 72.
No visit to this region would be complete without a visit to the legendary Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Some Accommodations Outside Florence F
ortunately, Tuscany is blessed with some of the most interesting accommodation choic-
es in Italy. These range from the country palazzos of Florentine princes to old inns in hilltop towns. Among them are three of our favorites.
Villa La Massa sits on the banks of the river Arno, just five miles from the center of Florence. It was built in the 16th century by the Landini family, and has since been the residence of numerous aristocratic Italian, English and Russian families. In 1948, it was transformed into a luxury hotel, fre- quented by the likes of Winston Churchill, Clark Gable, and Eliza- beth Taylor and Richard Burton. Purchased in 1998 by the Villa d’Este Group, the entire
property was completely restored to its former glory. The 37 rooms are decorated in the Renaissance style and feature marble baths, air-conditioning, television and Internet access. Il Verrocchio restaurant features Tuscan cuisine and a wine list with more than 300 offerings.
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Borgo San Felice is located in the heart of Chianti Valley. The town is a medieval hamlet featuring quaint, rural architecture, set amidst vineyards and olive groves near the picturesque city of Siena. The four-star hotel offers fashionably elegant suites and double rooms. The restaurant emphasizes regional dining and the fine Chianti pressed from the vineyard surround- ing the hotel. The estate’s wines and olive oil, as well as Chianti’s most famous, are available for sampling in the enoteca (wine repository).
Relais La Suvera’s origins go back to the Middle Ages when it was one of the castles of the Queen of Mon- temaggio. The name Suvera in fact derives from the word “souveraine,” French for sovereign. It was later passed into the hands of Pope Julius II – the Renais- sance Pope – better known as Raphael and Michelan- gelo’s patron – and for having commissioned Braman- te to build St. Peter’s. La Suvera, located in Pievescola, is now owned by the family of the Marquis Ricci. The Ricci family has turned it into an extraordinary five-star country hotel. From the Papal Villa to the Old Stables, the Farm and the Olive Mill, each room or suite, filled with antiques, is a world unto itself. The grounds and the setting of La Suvera are spectacular.
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