Badia di Pomaio

Arriving in Florence and stepping out onto the tarmac, the heat of midday June wrapping around us, myself and Mr Smith jump into our rented Fiat 500 and make our way to Arezzo – and past it, up through the labyrinth turns of the Tuscan hills, framed by forests either side to arrive at our final stop.

A monastery in the 17th century, Badia di Pomaio is now a 14-roomed boutique hotel that sits high in the hills, 15 minutes up from the town. There’s a bit of that monastic serenity still there: the moment we step out the car, myself and Mr Smith are enveloped in an otherworldly calm. Making our way to the hotel – accompanied by a louche cat named Leopold, one of the hotel’s full-time residents – we are greeted by friendly staff and taken to our room.

A jug of freshly made lemonade and welcome treats are laid out and are so quickly eaten, I have no recollection of what they were, other than ‘delicious’. The birdsong outside invites us to open our shutters. We booked a Superior room with a view: a painterly one which extends out beyond the manicured garden and sweeps down into the valley. 

Badia di Pomaio’s design feels connected to the nature that surrounds it; renovated using only natural materials and local craftsmen. Our room is beautifully furnished in calm neutral hues accented with Italian cotton bedding, high vaulted ceilings, clean modern pieces, and a vase of Dahlias from the garden. Every item feels considered and with purpose. 

For our first evening we decide to dine at the hotel’s restaurant which is led by a Michelin-starred chef. Sitting under an awning enclosed by wrappings of wisteria and jasmine vines, lively Italian chatter acts as the backdrop to the menu of locally sourced, seasonal produce. 

There are a few guests who aren’t staying at the hotel but have travelled here just for the food, which Mr Smith and I agree is always a good sign. We survey the menu of inventive Tuscan fare, excited for our first Italian meal. 

Spring salad from the garden, so fresh and flavourful (no wonder, given the ingredients had only travelled around 20 meters to my plate). A starter of smoked burrata follows, arriving hiding under a glass bell jar, which, when removed reveals a hazy plume of smoke that evaporates into the evening’s air. 

We order gnudi with yellowtail carpaccio, I mean pasta is a must in Tuscany, no? It is so good that Mr Smith ends up ordering it again the next day. I opt for the all’aneto – a pastrami of wild red tuna, so beautifully presented it looks like a work of art.

For a nightcap we order Americanos and walk through the gardens to laze in some lounge chairs that overlook the city below, entranced by the dancing lights of Arezzo gleaming in the distance. 

The gardens themselves are beautiful but not just for show, flowers, berries, tomatoes, all are waiting to be picked and used in the kitchen. At breakfast in the morning, Mr Smith seems to have a new found love of condiments, perhaps it's because they are made from their ingredients. The honey comes from the beehives kept in the grounds who share their land with the hotel’s goats and chickens. 

We wander down to the pool, where visiting butterflies are flitting in and out of lavender bushes that outline the sun-bathed slope. The infinity edged pool sits in prime location with wrap-around valley views. After a hearty swim and a few chapters of my book I decide to order a spritz and, looking out at the view, feel utterly at peace. 

Hard as it is to leave such tranquillity, we decide to head down into Arezzo and see what the city has to offer, exploring the vaulted ceilings of Arezzo’s cathedral with its 15th-century fresco of Mary Magdalene by Piero della Francesca. 

We stroll through the piazza grande, an iconic backdrop in the film Life is Beautiful. Arezzo is also home to the oldest antiques fair in Italy (which, sadly, does not coincide with our stay). I peer through a number of beautiful stores closed during our visit and vow to come back again to see the market in full swing. 

After a lunch of wine and pasta at the delightful Antica Osteria L’Agania we make our way back to our tranquil hideaway. Sad to depart the next morning, we leave with a gift of honey left by our hosts: a sweet reminder of our time in the clouds.