Vanity Fair, April 2007
Viva Siena Senza Piscina
 ...Not a pool in sight. An elegant Renaissance fountain, yes, but it looks unsuitable for swimming. The swallows are practising aerobatics as I stare out across the Campo, the great shell-shaped space at the heart of Siena: “The most beautiful piazza in the world”, says the Contessa d’Elci. I have been allowed to make my base in her family’s palazzo, and this is the view from my window. A pool would be superfluous. I do not want one…
…those glimpses of a green world outside Siena’s walls must be tempting you to go out and explore it. Here you are in the epicentre of a wine-growing terrain that ranks with the world’s finest… It might take you to Brolio, the frowning castle, built - or rebuilt – by the “Iron Baron” Ricasoli, whose descendants are restoring their wine’s reputation from the ravages left by conglomerate owners; or to Badia a Coltibuono, a former monastery on a hillside looking out across the Arno valley, nowadays making distinctively Merlot-free wines, and home to a restaurant and a cookery school. At Le Capezzine, among the prized Avignonesi vineyards, Elena Falvo applauds my idea of pool-free travel. “Senza piscina!” she cries – No pool!”
Sleep: The Palazzo d’Elci apartment, which has two bedrooms, is available to rent through Bellini Travel… The fridge can be amply stocked by Bellini, which is welcoming.
The Insiders: Bellini Travel can arrange tailor-made holidays and fabulous parties in Italy… Managing Director Emily FitzRoy has known Italy since childhood and can work miracles. She can also put you in touch with local experts, such as Rita Ceccarelli, whose knowledge of the city will uncover otherwise hidden corners, and Camilla Baines, who will bring fresh insight to Florence and Tuscany....
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