A Stay at Villa Marsili in Cortona
Last year for our first wedding anniversary and my 25th birthday my husband and I traveled to Italy for seven days. Five of those days were spent in the majestic hills of Tuscany in the charming town of Cortona.
Cortona is perhaps best known for its legendary city walls, historic square and as Frances Mayes’ inspiration for her book, Under The Tuscan Sun. But Cortona also boasts what is hands down, some of the best scenery in all of Tuscany. Situated on top of a hill, you can see for miles in any direction, including the picturesque Lake Trasimeno.
Located northeast of Rome, Cortona is three hours by train from the city. Two train stations service Cortona, each requiring a bus or taxi ride to town. We took the train to the station at Camucia and found a bartender who was willing to drive us the 20 minutes to our hotel which was located at the bottom of the entrance to Cortona.
When planning this trip, accommodations were high on our list of importance. Through recommendations by our fantastic travel agent, Angie, we picked Villa Marsili. Having received amazing recommendations online as well as several important awards in the industry, this hotel is unlike any other I have ever been to. Built on the property of what was once a 14th-century church, the property has changed little since it was built as a private residence in 1786
Highlights of our stay included the stunning views and the hospitable and knowledgeable staff. The rooms were large with full baths and beautifully decorated. As one would expect from a hotel of this caliber, the staff were well-versed in the special details of the area, making reservations at Cortona restaurants and arranging for wine tours that best suited our needs.
Breakfast was served every morning in the bistro area, where we could sit inside or out in the courtyard. The courtyard quickly became one of our favorite spots on the hotel grounds. Most mornings, we bought a bottle of wine and some cheese at the market to share in the afternoon in our little oasis.
When looking for a truly special place to stay in Tuscany, I highly recommend Villa Marsili whether it is for a week or just one night. Information about what to do in Cortona.
* All photos by Cailin Szczesiul © All rights reserved
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What a special place! Cortona is really beautiful and looks like you had an amazing time at Villa Marsili – looks like a place I might never want to leave 🙂 Great post Cailin!
This looks amazing! I really need to get back to Italy and your photos are a huge reminder of that!
Cailin! What an amazing sounding place! I would love to stay there someday. Sounds like a wonderful trip! Yay!
Dear Margo,
You captured such a beautiful view from your window! What a lovely way to start each morning… I also love the courtyard area for breakfast. Heavenly!
Those photos are gorgeous. I feel like I’m there!
Oh, what beautiful, glorious views you’ve captured!! Sigh, now I’m missing Italy like mad. 🙂
Caitlin, I just read your blog about Cortona and villa marsili. I am looking at a pkg on luxury link for our 25th wedding anniversary stay in Italy. Of course, we want our stay to be perfect. I would love to hear what type of room did you reserve? We plan to stay in Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi coast also, but have about 5 days in the Tuscany town area. I would love to have any input you can offer. I have never been to Italy, but we have traveled to Europe before…I can’t wait.
Thanks so much,
vickie
By the way…we live on St. Simons Island, GA…are you in Myrtle Beach?
We will be in Italy May 6th – May 19th if that helps!
Can’t wait to hear from you!!!!
Hi Vicki, This is Margo. I will be sure to tell the writer of this piece, Cailin, about your comment and get her to email you directly! I’m sure she would love to fill you in on all the details and answer any questions. I, Margo, do live in MB – I love St.Simon’s! We just celebrated my parent’s 50th anniversary last September at the King and Prince, where they went on their honeymoon. I’m sure your trip will be wonderful!!