COMO Hotels and Resorts has launched its new farmhouse apartments in the heart of Tuscany, just in time for Australians to escape our wet winter.
And it’s also an ideal time for Aussies of Italian ancestry to explore their home country as 2024 has been declared the year of Roots and Heritage Tourism by the Italian National Tourist Board.
Emanuele Attanasio, the country manager in Australia and New Zealand for the Italian National Tourist Board recently took time to speak to Travel Weekly TV about the promotion.
“One of our goals is to actually target people with Italian background who perhaps maybe even people who have never been to Italy because we are now up to 3rd or 4th or 5th generation Italo-Australians,” he said.
Rather than a trip to well-known destinations and all the crowds, the Italian National Tourist Board is encouraging multi-generational travels to destinations that connect Australians with their Italian heritage.
“It takes them away from the main hotspots and disperses tourism into perhaps small villages where their ancestors came from and also different times of the year as well,” he said.
New villa embodies modern Tuscan luxury
Villa San Luigi, launched this year in March, is a refurbished 18th-century farmhouse at the heart of the 740-acre estate of COMO Castello Del Nero.
The five-bedroom villa embodies modern Tuscan luxury, and offers private check-in. Set within two buildings are five light-filled bedrooms with ensuite, an expansive living area, private wellness annexe with gym, and a 15-metre infinity pool. There is also an outdoor BBQ pit and pizza oven.
Best of all, it sleeps up to 10 adults and two children, enough for several generations. And if toddlers do come there is twice-daily housekeeping and babysitting services.
There are also scheduled shuttle service to Florence or Siena in the unlikely event you run out of relaxation time.
While stays at Villa San Luigi feature privacy, they also have the option of access to all the hotel’s services, experiences, dining and wellness as COMO Castello Del Nero is a 35-minute walk, 15-minute bike ride or a just few minutes’ drive away. Dining at COMO Castello Del Nero’s includes the Michelin-starred La Torre.
Excursions to nearby towns offer some of the best galleries, architecture and shopping. Activities include sunrise hot air balloon rides, truffle hunting and wine tasting in a historic cellar.
