For a quiet retreat in a grand old mansion amongst the olive trees in the hills outside Prato we recommend VIlla Rucellai. Our room was quiet and spacious with basic room services. There was no aircon but the room did cool sufficiently at night for sleeping. We loved the natural spring swimming pool which was a delight in the extreme summer heat. The breakfast was adequate but not expansive, the Villa does not serve any other meals and there is no tea/coffee facility. If you do not have a car then it is a one and half kilometre walk to the nearest restaurant, or E15 taxi each way to Prato city.

The Villa Rucellai was one of the highlights of our 16-day trip to Italy, and our best accommodations. We spent 6 nights there. We attended as students in a college class studying Art Appreciation and Environmental Biology in Italy, and the hosts made extra accommodations for us since our group filled up all the rooms. They invited local college professors to give us lectures in the evenings, and took us on tours through the lower floors where the olives were pressed into oil, and the grapes turned into wine. We got to go on a tour through the olive groves, and had a lecture on the olive industry, the wine industry, and the cheese industry, getting to sample all those things in the process. Frank, our host, told us all about the history of the family, the house, the Medici , and famous guests, such as Robert Browning.

Our room was a lvery arge room on the first floor off the main corridor. It had no air conditioning, but the windows are kept closed during the day, and opened at night, and the foot-thick walls are insulated enough to keep the heat out.

The brick and stone floors were gorgeous. If you visit, please pick up your suitcases and carry them, don't pull them, even with wheels, across these centuries-old floors.

Breakfast was sweet breads, boiled eggs, coffee, juice, yogurts, cheeses, and warm sweet milk., which could be eaten in the large dining room, or on the balcony overlooking the formal gardens and the city of Prato in the distance.

We also had dinners by special arrangement, but I understand that is not usually offered. Our dinners were delicious four-course meals, and were representative of a different part of Italy each night. Even our meals were a learning experience, and Frank, an interesting teacher.

The villa has three families living there, all related. The rest of the villa is the bed and breakfast and farming operations. The structure itself, is a fortress-turned hotel, with a maze of floors and additions added through the centuries. There are no elevators. Handrails to the upper floors are ropes mounted into the stone walls. The rooms are huge, clean, picturesque, and comfortable, if a bit of an adventure to get to. The tower room, which has a loft, a fireplace, and it's own kitchenette, has a milliion dollar view. No air conditioning needed there. The open windows have enough wind coming through to power a small sailboat.

The grounds are beautiful, and worth taking the time to explore. The pool was a former ancient fish breeding pond, turned swimming pool in the 1970's, with cobblestone patio.

The villa is a ten minute drive from the Prato train station, but the road is a real adventure. It is a single, narrow lane, but two-way. Often, one car, or another has to back up to let the other pass. If you rent a car, be sure it is a very small one.

From the Prato train station, Florence is a quick trip with many trains a day. We stayed at the Villa and went on day trips to other cities, all within an hour by van or train: Pisa, Florence, Lucca, Carrara. The town of Prato, itself, has an impressive cathedral, and a local outdoor market every Monday where one can shop at non-tourist prices.

Frank, Francesca, and Vanessa will make your stay wonderful.

We stayed at the Villa Rucellai while visiting Florence, which is about 45 minutes away by train, and had an absolutely lovely time.
The Villa Rucellai is like staying at grandma’s house. But grandma lives in a Tuscan Villa that was updated in the 1500’s. The rooms are pleasant, air conditioned and furnished with antiques that show some wear. The same family has owned the Villa since the 1700’s, so I think that it is entirely possible that the furniture was originally purchased for the Villa when it was new. It lends an authentic character to the rooms, with walls that are over a foot thick, very Old Italian tiled floors, and narrow twisting corridors and stairways. You almost hope to see a Medici ghost wandering down the hall. I loved the ambiance.
Breakfast was served in the dining room, but you had the option of sitting on the terrazzo which has a nice view of the countryside. The Villa serves a standard European continental breakfast buffet with hard boiled eggs, fresh fruit, breads, juice, coffee & tea.
The family that owns the villa is helpful, but unobtrusive. We arrived later than expected, but they were very accommodating, helping us to get settled and making sure we knew where to find an open restaurant.
Plan on arriving during daylight hours. The directions to the Villa are very good, but you are navigating by landmarks, not street names. The Villa seems way out in the country, which makes it quiet and peaceful, but also makes you think that you have made a wrong turn the first time you drive to it. Actually, the Villa is not that far out of town at all, only about 10 minutes from the Prato train station.
Rent the smallest car that you can. The roads out to the Villa are extremely narrow.
Find time to enjoy their gardens, relax and bask in the Tuscan countryside.

We absolutely fell in love with Villa Rucellai upon our arrival; a lovely (at times nerve-testing) drive from Prato through the hills to the villa. Paolo, Francesca, and Frank could not have been more hospitalble. We loved the unique, spacious rooms--very clean. We only stayed two nights and particularly enjoyed our evening in the living room with Frank (and some vino) hearing the history of the Villa Rucellai--amazing!! My wife, daughter, sister, and brother-in-law universally felt that it was a highlight of our trip to Italia. A must-see!! Be sure to spend some time exploring the vast property and beautiful gardens!