A Luxury Lifestyle at Villa Mangiacane
San Casciano, Tuscany

About the location: Enjoy your stay in Tuscany at the very special and exclusive Villa Mangiacane. Part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Villa Mangiacane is more than a hotel – it is a luxury private home that welcomes a few select guests in 26 opulent and eclectic rooms and suites. The Villa is located 12 kilometers from the magnificent artistic city of Florence, in the legendary winemaking region of Chianti Classico. The estate includes over 500 acres of vineyards and olive groves, producing from their 6000 trees a truly superb extra virgin olive oil, and from their vines a full-bodied Chianti Classico from Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino grape varieties and a marvelous Merlot. Fine modern wines are produced in a setting that offers old-world hospitality to guests.

Villa Mangiacane is a magnificent 16th-century villa bearing the unmistakable hand of Renaissance master Michelangelo and later Vasari. Once the home of the Machiavelli family and centuries later the Mazzei family, it was bought by a South African entrepreneur in 2000 and since brought back to its former splendor. Within the villa you will find restored original Renaissance frescoes together with paintings and sculptures from the 15th century up to and including 20th-century contemporary.

About the cooking lessons: Your classes will be held with Francesca Maria Boni, an engaging, enthusiastic Florentine cook, who brings to the kitchen the knowledge and creativity of three generations of Tuscan cooks. Fluent in five languages, Francesca began her studies in literature and languages, but soon decided to get out of the library and into the kitchen. She has traveled the world learning local cuisines and sharing her love of the simple, healthy dishes served at her grandmother’s table. She returned to Florence with a renewed desire to share her philosophy that fresh and local ingredients treated with respect are the keys to creating flavorful Tuscan dishes.

When cooking with Francesca, you will understand why she says “Among virtually every culture on Earth, anything worth doing is best done over dinner. Bring out a steaming plate of handcrafted pasta cooked al dente, dressed with a savory sauce made from vine-ripened tomatoes and basil, both just picked from the garden, garnished only with a ribbon of extra virgin olive oil, and rifts can be healed, pacts sealed, love revealed.” Francesca teaches that the less you manipulate ingredients, the greater the flavor: “Less is more.” Tuscan cooking depends on the seasons: for example, in the spring, garden-fresh baccelli (fava beans) are tossed with Marzolino (the fresh sheep’s-milk cheese made in the spring) and served with involtini (fresh artichokes wrapped in mortadella and tender veal, simmered in a fresh tomato sauce). In the summer, panzanella (a Tuscan bread salad with tomato, cucumber and onion) pairs with delicate slices of roast pork loin served with a porcini mushroom reduction. In the fall, handcrafted pappardelle noodles are tossed with a hearty wild boar sauce. Francesca enhances your cooking lesson with an in-depth discussion of wine pairing, with the fine Villa Mangiacane wines and grappas. The historic uniqueness and beauty of Villa Mangiacane, combined with attentive service, guarantees that your stay will be a truly memorable and unforgettable experience.