The Tuscan ghost village that became a Tui luxury resort
One year on from his first visit, Peter Ellegard returns to Tui’s Tuscan resort of Castelfalfi to see how it has been updated and enjoy some R&R
“Ghigo! Ghigo!”, my guide Rabab calls out, at which a huge male wild boar trots out of bushes towards us, pushing against the enclosure’s wire fence, grunting in obvious pleasure as Rabab bends forward to greet him.
Immediately, a series of high-pitched squeals erupt from a small pen behind us, where an excitable boar piglet is demanding similar attention. Rabab duly obliges and calms little Franca down by reaching over the shorter fence to give her some welcome back scratching.
I’m not on safari or in a wildlife park but in the extensive grounds of a remarkable leisure project set deep amidst the rolling hills of Italy’s Tuscany region between Pisa, Florence and Siena.
Until 2007 Castelfalfi was a ghost village, having been deserted in the 1960s like many other villages across Italy as hardship in the decades after World War II forced their inhabitants away in search of work.
That was when an unlikely saviour – in the form of Germany-based holiday giant Tui – stepped in and snapped up the ruined medieval hilltop hamlet, complete with its eighth century castle, 15th century church and surrounding 2,700-acre estate of vineyards, olive tree plantations, farmland and a wilderness forest, besides an overgrown golf course from a previous abortive leisure scheme.
Since then, Tui Group has resurrected the entire village and surrounding estate as an upmarket golf and leisure resort – Toscana Resort Castelfalfi.
In the process, a former tobacco factory was converted into the four-star, 31-room La Tabbaccaia hotel and, in 2017, the luxury 120-room Il Castelfalfi hotel that is the flagship property of top-of-the-range Tui Blue Selection brand and a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts LVX Collection, was also built. Tui has also renovated 48 village apartments and turned several farmhouses into villas for people to buy, with rental options as well.
It is actually a year since my encounter with Ghigo and Franca, both adopted by the resort after being orphaned by hunters. Castelfalfi PR specialist Rabab Latrache visits them most days, hence her strong rapport with them, and she introduces me to her porcine pals while taking me on a tour of the resort and grounds.
Sizeable investment
I returned to the resort this month for a weekend celebration marking the grand opening of the new luxury Country Clubhouse and restaurant, converted from a rundown farmhouse alongside its two golf courses below the castle and village, a facility aimed just as much at the local community as it is for resort guests and owners.
Such is the occasion’s importance that in addition to Tui bigwigs, media, tour operators and local entrepreneurs, it is attended by the mayor of the local Montaione municipality and the president of Tuscany region.
Castelfalfi’s acquisition by Tui reportedly stirred up opposition initially, with some locals fearing an influx of hordes of holidaymakers to this tranquil area.
However, Sebastian Ebel, Tui Group’s chief executive for its hotels and resorts, cruises and destination experiences – and who is taking the reins as Tui Group’s chief financial officer from January – highlights the close cooperation with civic authorities.
He recalls that when he first saw Castelfalfi in 2004 its buildings were mostly ruins, adding that it needed “some imagination” as to what could be achieved.
“I remember what I saw 15 years ago and what I see today and for me it’s a miracle,” he says. “It was a very difficult programme with a lot of unexpected costs and delays. And it was always a question of whether we should give up or proceed. Luckily we have had a very supportive municipality. It helped us to find solutions and give us a way to succeed.”
Ebel reveals that Tui Group has invested €200 million into the resort to date and believes the latest investment will help lengthen the tourist season for Castelfalfi and the local area – Tuscany’s season is from April to October – with the additional facilities helping to attract guests into November and as early as February.
While acknowledging that 2020 has been “a nightmare” for Tui, with revenues just 5% of last year’s level, he believes the Covid situation is a big opportunity for Castelfalfi as European travellers will be less inclined to travel far next year.
Safety conscious
Essential information
Flight time: Two hours to Pisa from London. Toscana Resort Castelfalfi can arrange airport transfers for guests not renting their own cars.
Time difference: GMT +1 hour.
Best time to go: October days can still be warm and autumn colours dapple the leaves.
Closure dates: The resort closes each year over winter. This year it is closing on November 9 and will reopen on March 26, 2021.
Visiting Castelfalfi prior to Italy’s new, stricter Covid rules and the UK’s two-week quarantine for returning airline passengers, I find the welcome just as warm as before but with reassuring hygiene measures in place throughout.
Masks must be worn in all indoor common areas and everyone must keep 1.5 metres apart, but I don’t need my mask to play in the golf tournament on the resort’s 18-hole championship Mountain Course or when I tuck into the gala dinner in the classy new clubhouse restaurant.
Sadly, there is no time to see Franca or Ghigo, who Rabab tells me is now fully grown and living in her own spacious enclosure.
I explore the village, where independently owned shops line the curved, cobbled street that leads to the sumptuously restored castle. Steeped in history, the lofty castle has an open courtyard giving glorious views of the beautiful Tuscan countryside. It was once owned by Florence’s rich Medici family and used as a holiday escape from the city, and it was where the musical talents of a young Andrea Bocelli were first discovered during a piano recital in the early 1980s.
Besides golf, resort activities include biking, hiking, horse riding and electric scooter rental on the estate, yoga and Pilates, wildlife spotting, tennis, truffle hunting, wine and olive oil tasting, and cooking with the cookery school in the castle.
The estate’s seven wines (five red, one white and one rose), two beers and extra-virgin olive oil are produced organically, and its restaurants serve farm-to-fork fare with vegetables from its own garden.
The spa, situated in the Il Castelfalfi hotel, features a wellness centre, spiritual treatments and nature-inspired beauty rituals, saunas and indoor and outdoor pools, although some elements are currently closed due to Covid restrictions.
Positive outlook
After my round of golf, I’m just happy to sit back on the lawn in front of the ultra-chic Ecru bar and soak up the stunning surroundings.
As for the future, Tui already has permission to extend the second golf course from nine to 18 holes. That could happen in time for Castelfalfi to capitalise on the expected surge of interest in golf in Italy and bring benefits to the area when Rome hosts golf’s prestigious Ryder Cup in 2023.
In tourism’s most challenging times, this once-derelict ancient village is a shining beacon of optimism.
Book it: A three-night golf short break package at Toscana Resort Castelfalfi, starting from £721pp, includes three-nights’ B&B accommodation in the Il Castelfalfi hotel, a four-course meal for one, two rounds of golf on the Mountain Course and unlimited spa access. Valid for travel in 2021. castelfalfi.com
Castalfalfi: Smarter, Better, Fairer
Smarter: Clients can use Castelfalfi as a base to visit Florence’s Renaissance museums and sights and Pisa, with its famous Leaning Tower, as both are only around an hour’s drive away.
Better: Dog-loving guests don’t have to leave Fido at home as dogs up to 10kg in weight are welcome, for a nightly charge of €11.
Fairer: Sustainability is a key commitment. Rainwater from artificial lakes irrigates Castelfalfi’s vineyards, olive groves and golf courses, agricultural and food waste power a biomass plant that provides all heating and cooling needs while solar panels generate electricity.
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