Villa Gallo Nero

4 ^/5 Very Good   Villa Review Rating Details

The villa is very comfortable and well furnished. The kitchen and patio make it fun to cook at home several nights. Villa del Gallo Nero is centrally located to a lot of the areas in Tuscany that we wanted to visit. The walk into Lecchi is beautiful and watching the sunrise and set from the upstairs den is wonderful. The management company and the owner were very helpful in giving information about the local area for eating and sightseeing. I would definitely book this villa again. It is a wonderful vacation spot.

Would you recommend this property to a friend?  Yes

Rental Week: 17 Sep 2011

5 ^/5 Excellent   Villa Review Rating Details

Villa Del Gallo Nero was ideal for our party of 8 celebrating an important birthday. The choice of rooms and levels meant we could all find space to read or relax quietly, whilst the main rooms and outside terrace are spacious enough to accommodate us all comfortably. Future guests need to bear in mind that the 2 first floor bedrooms are adjoined and one is only accessible through the other.
The villa is fairly remote and the views from the first floor lounge are stunning. The nearest bar and restaurant are not within easy walking distance but the terrace provides a perfect spot for barbequeing and evening drinks.
On our first night we had booked Chef Matisse (www.chiantichef.com) to cook for us at the villa. This was an excellent decision after a days travelling, and he provided us with sumptuous Tuscan fare, sparkling conversation and was a fabulous host for our first night.
Guests should also ensure they visit Daniela Bencini's vineyard (directly opposite the villa) for winetasting and warm hospitality. The crisp, white Mattutino is especially welcome after a days sightseeing!
One evening we visited the Barone Ricasoli Vineyard and sampled the tasting menu in the forest outside the castle. (Osteria de castello at Brolio) The food and the wine which accompanied it was amazing - quite an experience!
Finally all visitors must eat at least one meal at Marlboghetto in Lecchi. Simone is a fantastic host and the food is incredible. It was a great way to end our holiday! Lynn J.- North Shropshire, UK.

Would you recommend this property to a friend?  Yes

Rental Week: 25 Jun 2011

5 ^/5 Excellent   Villa Review Rating Details

The villa met all expectations. I would not hesitate to stay there again. Wonderful location.

Would you recommend this property to a friend?  Yes

Rental Week: 07 May 2011

5 ^/5 Excellent   Villa Review Rating Details

My family and I truly enjoyed our stay at Villa Del Gallo Nero. The accomodations were very nice and very comfortable. The surrounding area was breathtaking. The nearby villages were small buy lovely. We especially enjoyed our conversations with Mrs. Bencini, whose family owns the vineyard. We would love to come back here.
Terry S. - Saratoga Springs, NY USA

Would you recommend this property to a friend?  Yes

Rental Week: 02 Oct 2010

4 ^/5 Very Good   Villa Review Rating Details

We truly enjoyed our stay at Villa Del Gallo Nero. The layout worked perfectly for our party as both couples had a dedicated floor all to ourselves. The villa is centrally located to all the Tuscan hotspots. It is about 2 hrs from Lucca, 1.5 hrs to Cortona, 1 hr from Florence, San Gimingiano and Volterra, and 40 mins. to Siena. We enjoyed starting our mornings in Lecchi, a 5 minute ride down the road for croissants, fruit pizza, fresh fruits and vegetables and coffee. We also would HIGHLY recommend a cooking class at the Malborghetto Ristorante also in Lecchi. Not only was the food we prepared delicious, the chef Simone is warm, welcoming and extremely funny. This was one of our highlights of the entire trip.
The villa is located in a very small hamlet where a few locals reside and carry out their wine and oil business. The villa itself has a nice flow and is in good working order. The huge kitchen table or the terrace was often our meeting place after a long day of excursions. The kitchen is modernized and utensils, cookware and dishes were more than adequate for making meals. One thing to note however is that there are only a few very basic supplies provided. (salt, pepper, and a few rolls of toilet paper) You will need to supply anything else you may need for the week, paper towels, spices, garbage bags, and more TP, etc.
The property management company is very helpful but not intrusive. It is nice to know that there is someone right around the corner to assist you or just offer suggestions if need be.
We enjoyed opening up our shutters each morning to the sounds of birds and the endless view of bountiful and fertile land. One evening we saw a family of chinghali (wild boar)and a HUGE porcupine down near the parking area. Another suggestion, pack a small flashlight so you can find your way in the dark if you like to go exploring or walking at night. The pool was nice to have for a quick dip to cool off after a day of touring. Although it was extremely hot during our week the fans in the villa were more than adequate and the night air often dipped into the 50's. (we had wished we had brought a sweatshirt) All of the bathrooms were in good working order and water pressure and hot water were plentiful. The beds were comfortable, there were extra pillows and blankets, and the villa was spotless. The furniture is not particularly comfortable but quite honestly we aren't the type to sit for a long period of time whilst on vacation. You can opt for the internet for approx. 35 euros a week if you feel the need to stay connected. We brought our Droid phone and that was all we needed to make necessary calls back home or look up information or weather reports. Reception is much better outside or down the road a bit. We rented a GPS from the car rental kiosk. Quite frankly it was more trouble than it was worth. The roads throughout Tuscany are SO winding and steep that by the time the GPS could reconfigure where we were we had already missed a few crucial turns. Not to mention it had instructed us on numerous occasions to take a turn OFF a cliff. Perhaps this is the natives not so subtle way of reducing the number of tourists impeding on their territory during the summer months. :) The only drawback we feel the need to comment on are the lack of mosquito screens. There were only two rooms that had them and only one of them worked. We were hesitant to leave the windows open all night due to insects and yet we would have been able to conserve a lot of energy if we could have. The night air would've been refreshing instead of the re-circulating air of the fans.
The villa is a beautiful 14th century structure which has all modern amenities. We would definitely stay here again on our next trip to Tuscany.

[Please note, from on 2014 the pool is no longer available for guests]

Would you recommend this property to a friend?  Yes

Rental Week: 24 Jul 2010

5 ^/5 Excellent   Villa Review Rating Details

Villa Del Nero was the perefect place for our 2 families Tuscan vacation. The villa was clean and well cared for and easly accomadated our two families totaling 4 adults and 5 children. Everyone enjoyed the pool. The location was prefect for visiting Florence and Siena as well as several other local towns. We hope to return again in the Future.

Would you recommend this property to a friend?  Yes

Rental Week: 17 Jul 2010

5 ^/5 Excellent   Villa Review Rating Details

We very much enjoyed our stay at Villa Del Gallo Nero. There were 10 of us staying for 5 days over the Thanksgiving time period. The service/info we received from the owner and management company was excellent. We had many questions/requests ahead of time and each one was addressed and worked out. The villa is well equipped and comfortable. There were a few minor bathroom issues (slow drains, broken shower head in one B.R.) but all in all, it was in good working order. A highlight of our stay was when the winemaker across the road came over to give us a personal wine tasting. Fantastic! We also had a chef come in one day (recommended by property manager) to cook. Awesome! We would definitely go back.

Would you recommend this property to a friend?  Yes

Rental Week: 25 Nov 2009

5 ^/5 Excellent   Villa Review Rating Details

The villa was fabulous, confortable and extremely well

Would you recommend this property to a friend?  Yes

Rental Week: 25 Jul 2009