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In October, Indagare members Thomas and Eileen Harte spent two weeks exploring the southeast of Italy, the highlight of which was a stay in a villa in the restored hilltop borgo of Fighine, in Tuscany. Here are Tom’s impressions.

“Before our trip to Fighine, I heard the renovation by the Ulfane family was impressive, but this is something of an understatement. What they have done is nothing short of restoring an entire medieval village.

“Sitting on a mountain at about 2,200 feet, with views over two different valleys, Fighine is surrounded by wooded countryside and well-tended olive groves, accessed by gravel roads from the nearest towns. You enter the village through an arched gate connected to the castle on a one-loop road, the stone walls of which have been impeccably restored. There are about 15 buildings in total, including the five rentable villas, houses for the staff and long-term residents, a clubhouse and restaurant, a hall and a small church, which seems to have both new and restored frescoes. The castle itself dates from the 11th-century and was virtually rebuilt from ruins.

“The castle grounds and the two adjacent villas (Casa Vittoria and Villa Melissa) are gated for privacy, but we did see their beautifully landscaped gardens and shared pool. Lower down on the cusp of the hillside are the thick-walled medieval farmhouses with small windows and, in the case of our house, Casa Janine, a turret. The property is outstanding with three-bedrooms, including a master bedroom on the top floor and a study in the turret overlooking the valley below. The grounds are beautiful, too, with sculpted hedges, a pool, grape arbors and magnificent views. If there is one downside at all it is that the windows are very small (as one would expect for that period), so the rooms can be somewhat dark.

“Ristorante di Fighine needs a special mention. It opened a few years ago as a private club for the owner and his friends during the summer season, but is now available to the public. It is an outstanding restaurant with gourmet level food, excellent staff and a beautiful setting. In the summer, there is an outdoor garden for alfresco dining.

“This region is great hiking country, and we saw people walking through the woods with baskets looking for end-of-season truffles and mushrooms. There are also frequent deer and wild boar sightings. The closest town, Palazzone, is not of great interest, but San Casciano dei Bagni is a beautiful gothic town with a nice square and great views of the countryside. Just outside of the old town, there is the Spa Fonteverde, a first-rate thermal spa where we went for exercise and massages. There are also a few very good restaurants (we met Daniella, who appears to own most of the businesses in town and her excellent eponymous restaurant), plus a small fruit shop, a wine store, a butcher shop and a bar. Otherwise it is a residential town with a beautiful church and houses.

“Other nearby towns, including Cetona, have been restored with what my wife called an upscale, ‘East Hampton’ atmosphere—it is clear that the great and the good from Rome spend their summers in private homes here. Siena, Perugia, Montepulciano and Pienza are roughly one hour away, and we also drove down to the west coast and stayed overnight in Porto Ercole, a charming and popular fishing town.

“The beauty of Fighine is its remoteness and solitude, which could also be the downside for some. We were there at the very end of the season when there are few visitors in either Fighine or its surrounding towns. While this was ideal for us, it may seem a bit too remote for others and driving up the hill’s switchbacks is a small challenge after a few glasses of wine! We both felt it would be a lot of fun to go back with friends and rent a few of the houses to really get the best out of this extraordinary place. What the Ulfane family has done is not only remarkable, it is important, and we will certainly recommend it.”

If you are interested in renting a room or villa at Fighine, contact our bookings team

Read three Tuscany Itineraries

Read about an Indagare editor’s road trip through Tuscany

Read Indagare’s destination report on Florence