The otherworldly La Rocca di Castelfalfi restaurant and a state-of-the-art spa are just two reasons to visit Castelfalfi in Tuscany
Words: Bridget Arsenault
Sitting atop rolling Tuscan fields and cinematic landscapes, Castelfalfi is a 2,700-acre working estate steeped in history. A 50-minute drive from Pisa and Florence, it’s a stretch of Italy surprisingly free from crowds. Over the course of Castelfalfi’s some 2,000-year history, the land has been owned by, among others, Etruscans, Romans and Florentine nobility. Most recently it was bought in 2021 by the Indonesian entrepreneur Sri Prakash Lohia, who has reportedly invested more than £200 million into the region. Castelfalfi has been reimagined and restored.
Built on a hill overlooking 40 hectares of olive groves and 25 hectares of ancient vines, so much life converges. Centred on a terracotta-roofed medieval village, Castelfalfi occupies about 20 per cent of the town of Montaione, with more than 40 on-site experiences including archery, falconry, axe throwing, olive picking and truffle hunting.
Elsewhere, travellers can explore the organic kitchen garden or pause for a wine tasting at the vineyard. The new state-of-the-art RAKxa spa (a Thai wellness brand building a serious following) is served alongside views thick with cypress trees and a kaleidoscope of blue sky. RAKxa has upped the ante with its holistic offering and its facilities include a spectacular indoor-to-outdoor heated pool, two saunas, a Turkish bath and a hydrotherapy suite. For tired, overindulged minds and bodies, the spa offers an extensive menu of treatments featuring ESPA and Maria Galland products.
Despite the estate’s considerable size, Castelfalfi is remarkably easy to navigate. There are 146 rooms including 20 suites and four signature suites, alongside a series of private Tuscan-style villas that blend with the surroundings. The interiors are best described as traditional meets au courant, where craggy beams and rustic furniture are paired with polished marble bathrooms and arresting aerial photographs of Castelfalfi.
In the land of wine and pasta, the team grows or raises much of what is used. Yet each of the three key restaurants has a distinct point of view. La Rocca di Castelfalfi is otherworldly. Located inside a medieval castle, it’s a fine-dinning blend of Tuscan and Mediterranean cuisine. Think handmade orecchiette pasta, or whole salt-crusted branzino and spoonfuls of just-plucked tomatoes. Il Rosmarino is a smart trattoria, bar and pizzeria, while Olivina is the elegant all-rounder serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. With so much to take in, it’s hard to think of a reason not to visit Castelfalfi.
