Casa Maria

43.0000° N, 11.8600° E · Tuscany, Italy

Casa Maria lies in the middle of open farmland, surrounded by fields of wheat and sunflowers on one side and a small wood and the strange shapes of the distinctive clay hillocks and scrub which characterize the local landscape on the other. A winding gravel road lined with oak trees running along a little stream anticipates the peaceful bucolic spirit that pervades the house. Casa Maria is a large sunny house built in the local stone, overgrown with rambling roses, honeysuckle and ivy, and surrounded by a garden where Mediterranean aromatic plants such as rosemary, sage, lavender and thyme flourish. The pool is set against a backdrop of the typical Siena clay hillocks; wild rose and broom bushes growing in the garden blend into the surrounding countryside. Indoors and outdoors On one side of the house lies the pool house, which also contains a garden kitchen for outdoor meals.