Vineyards in the Chianti Region, Tuscany, Italy. Photograph © CORBIS

La Suvera
By Laurie Werner

Linger among Tuscany's golden hills at a hideaway most elegante: Relais La Suvera.

Even in Tuscany, where the simplest of farmhouses seem like works of art, Relais La Suvera is a standout—though it is closed temporarily and will reopen in April 2002. This villa estate would be worth visiting just for its setting, but when you add in its pedigree, its singular furnishings, and the warmth of its owners, it becomes an experience so special that guests rarely visit just once. With reservations accepted year-round for a brief six-month season, spring to fall, it's no surprise that many guests make their return reservations even before they check out.

Setting Befitting the fortress it was a thousand years ago, Relais La Suvera sits on a gentle hill with a Sienese countryside view of vineyards and poppy fields just above the hamlet of Pievescola. Its location is both remote and convenient: 18 miles west of Siena, 35 miles southwest of Florence, but in an area not overrun by tourists. Still, the high points of Tuscan sightseeing—besides Siena and Florence, hilltop towns like Monteriggioni, Volterra, and San Gimignano—are sprinkled through the surrounding terrain.

First Impression A towering wrought-iron gate affixed with the sign "Suvera XVI" (that's the century, not the address) opens onto a courtyard shaded by chestnut trees, scented by lavender plants, and patrolled by an occasional peacock in full-feather display—one of five resident here. Dominating the square is an ocher-stone villa scalloped with loggias, home in the 16th century to Pope Julius II and now housing La Suvera's most opulent rooms. The other buildings ringing the courtyard—a 16th-century church and farm buildings from the 1700s—are of almond-colored stone and house simpler guest rooms. A formal garden boasts statues carved during the Renaissance.

Telling Details Guest rooms are named after aristocratic ancestors of La Suvera's owners, the Marchese Giuseppe Ricci and his wife, Principessa Eleonora Massimo, and after the styles of the furnishings (many priceless) on display. The Riccis, you'll learn, have a friendly relationship with their antiques—you'll find centuries-old ceramics, paintings, and silver pieces casually propped against the wall of a staircase or resting on a sideboard. They have a similar relationship with animals. Their cats—Napoleone, Cecilia, and Prospero—not only have their own room; they take the elevator instead of climbing stairs. Then there's the large black-mesh structure near the church. "It's a cage," says the marchese. "But we don't put birds in the cage. The cage is to say to the birds, ‘it's so nice to be free.'"

Cast of Characters: The Owners The Rome-based Riccis bought this house in the 1960s as their country estate. "My wife wanted a small house that could be taken care of easily," says the marchese. "When she saw La Suvera, she said ‘That's it.' I thought, ‘What would be a big house, Versailles?'" Twenty years later the Riccis decided to open the estate to guests to generate more money to restore it.

Far from being resentful of guests tromping through their home, they love being hosts. Dignified and warm, knowledgeable and urbane, they're always visible, helping, advising, watching over guests. "I like so much the people, I see them happy, there is such a harmonic connection between us and the people and the place," says the marchese.

Cast of Characters: The Guests Among the habitués who find their way here every season are assorted European princesses and counts, members of the couple's social set. But don't look for tiaras; showy displays aren't tolerated here. And although celebrities—such as film director Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill)—have called on La Suvera, most guests come with a lower profile. And they come from all over; listen to the accents during breakfast on the terrace of the oliviera (the converted olive mill that is now the restaurant), and you'll hear American, Australian, Italian, British, and French, among others.

Rooms The curators of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art would jump through hoops to exhibit the contents of the Papal Villa's 12 bedrooms and expansive halls. The marchese, who previously decorated friends' houses as a hobby, admits he had a lot to work with: priceless antiques "from a few family palaces," he says with puckish humor, and his wife's skills as an artist and restorer of paintings. Each of the rooms has a theme; the Arab Room, for example, reflects the marchese's memories of Morocco with a blue-and-white tented bed. All have one-of-a-kind pieces. Some also come with terraces that gaze out at the undulating Sienese hills, bathed in a sunlight that changes from amber to apricot over the course of one day. What better place to linger over a morning cappuccino or an evening glass of local Sangiovese wine?

The Ultimate: Rooms as Museum Pieces The Majolica Suite, dedicated to the principessa's grandfather, the Duke of Genoa, surrounds its occupants with history—and with family: Check out the resemblance between the bust of the duke on the table with the members of the Savoia clan pictured in the room's oil paintings. The framed kimono on the wall was given to the duke by the last Empress of China. The 17th-century inlaid oak cabinet is said to be represented in one of Rembrandt's paintings. And the collection of porcelain for which the suite is named gives new meaning to the term "family china"; the finely etched plates date from the 1500s.

In the Pope Suite (the name's a family joke: Corpulent Pope Julius II never would have made it up the stairs to this top-floor room), you slumber in a Renaissance-era bed under the Ricci coat of arms. The Napoleon Room surrounds you with French Empire antiques and portraits of the little Emperor. Even the bathroom pays homage, with 33 porcelain statuettes of Napoleon and troops.

Dining The arcaded 18th-century stone olive mill is the setting for La Suvera's formal dinners. Start off with a flute of the sparkling wine produced on the estate. Chef Gigliola Papa, a Pievescola native who combines the hearty Tuscan cooking she learned as a child with her own innovations, changes her menu daily but always spotlights ingredients of the region. You'll get a sense of place immediately when you taste her eggplant flan with tomato and basil, or the local Val di Chiana beef, served with white truffles. Among her more fanciful dishes is the breast of ostrich with glazed pears in a red wine sauce.

Pastimes First, spend a lazy afternoon by the pool, nibbling mozzarella and olives, and comparing your impressions of the region with those of Robert Browning, Percy Bysshe Shelley, or E.M. Forster (to name but three of the scores of writers who've come under the Tuscan spell). Then hit the back roads, for this is sightsee-till-you-drop land.

The towers of San Gimignano are a half-hour drive to the northwest; the less crowded medieval city of Monteriggioni a short hop to the northeast (a highlight here: the earthy pasta dishes at Il Pozzo, a trattoria in the center of town). On Wednesdays, Arezzo, an hour's drive to the northeast, puts on the region's best antiques market. Also in the area is Pienza, an exquisite village of fountains and narrow streets; viewers of The English Patient will recognize the main square. Guests wanting more action have several acres of woods for strolling; and horseback riding is a half-hour's drive away.

Timing a Visit Relais La Suvera reopens its doors in April 2002 just as Tuscany bursts into bloom. The fragrance of lavender fills the air in late June; festivals fill the streets during the summer. Siena's famed Palio horse race takes place twice, in July and again in mid-August. Montepulciano comes alive in August, with a festival of dance, theater, and art; the Bravio delle Botti, where men race uphill pushing heavy barrels of wine; and the heady Baccanale del Vino, a quaffing of local wines.

Summer also brings road-clogging crowds to Tuscany, so seasoned travelers wait till fall, Marchese Ricci's favorite time. "The reds and yellows of the trees are so beautiful," he says. By late October, when the colors fade, La Suvera begins its closing for the season.

The Numbers Relais La Suvera, 53030 Pievescola, Siena, Italy; tel. 011-390-577-960300, fax 011-390-577-960220. For reservations from the U.S., call 800-346-5358. The 35 rooms range from double rooms in the farm buildings to suites in the Papal Villa. Rates in spring and fall: $212-402, including breakfast and dinner for two; rates for July-August, $305-494.

Freelance writer Laurie Werner is a longtime and passionate Italophile.

The information in this story was accurate at the time it was published, but we suggest you confirm all details before making travel plans.