Relais Borgo Santo Pietro

Relais Borgo Santo Pietro

Borgo Santo Pietro sits in the Val di Merse, roughly halfway between Siena and the coast, on a 300-acre working estate that the owners have been farming organically for decades. The building is a 13th-century villa that was once a rest stop on the Via Francigena pilgrimage route, and it has the bones and the proportions that come with that kind of history. Each of the 22 rooms is individually designed with hand-painted frescoes, silk tapestries, and antique pieces sourced specifically for the space, which means no two are the same. The spa is housed in a converted 800-year-old bakery, with the original stonework still visible. The food is the main reason to come. Meo Modo, the Michelin-starred restaurant, is run by chef Andrea Mattei and works almost entirely with produce from the estate: vegetables from the kitchen gardens, cheese made on site, meat from the farm. The wine list runs to nearly 1,500 labels. For something more relaxed, Trattoria Sull'Albero is built around a large oak tree and serves classic Tuscan dishes from the same organic kitchen. Note that Meo Modo is closed on Mondays. The estate also runs experiences that go well beyond what most hotels offer in this category: cheesemaking, beekeeping, bread baking, foraging, cooking classes. The spa uses Seed to Skin, the hotel's own organic skincare line made from ingredients grown on the property. The 13-acre formal gardens are immaculate and worth a proper walk. The ruined Abbey of San Galgano is about 30 minutes on foot from the hotel and worth building time around. The short version: One of the most complete estate hotels in Tuscany. The kind of place where three days becomes five without much discussion.