Overall: This was an amazing villa dating back to the 1200s. It is beautifully maintained, offers a great central meeting space and living area, and large, private bedroom and bathrooms. The grounds and views are stunningly beautiful. We ended our days outside, watching the sunset and drinking wonderful Italian wines. Heaven! Enjoyed Most: Its history, the views, the fabulous gardens, and the comfort. It truly felt like a home away from home. Enjoyed Least: The parking access, but that's Cortona! And no WiFi. But everything else was perfect. Surrounding Area: We loved being able to walk down the hill into Cortona ... and since it was a very steep hill, we certainly got our exercise. There were a number of restaurants and wine shops available. The retail shops were also great. We loved watching the children play soccer in the piazza, all the people walking with their dogs, and the atmosphere in general. We walked through the town, sightseeing, visiting the churches and the Duomo, and also walked the "flat street," visiting the parks frequented by the natives. It also served as a good central location for trips to Orvieto, Florence, Siena, Banfi, and a number of other small towns we visited. Nearby Events or Locales: Our villa was located on the top of the hill in Cortona. Tips or Restaurants: We rented a WiFi enhancer so we could access email and the internet.GREAT FINDS Stop at Molesini's Enoteca Wineshop and do a wine tasting with Marco. Fabulous! They make it very easy to purchase and ship wine home.We had dinner our first night in Cortona at Locanda al Pozzo Antico Ristorante, which was outstanding. We sat in a courtyard area that was beautifully lit. The steak was wonderful, as was the veal.We had a lunch experience on Sunday at Trattoria Dardano. Paolo Castelli, the owner, makes everyone feel welcome. Many of the people at lunch spoke only Italian. They are regulars who come every Sunday after church. It was lively, we shared wine with the locals, and the food was extraordinary.But the highlight of our trip was when we had the Personal Chef of Cortona come to our villa to cook dinner for my husband's 60th birthday. We booked it through RentVillas. The appetizers included zucchini soup with parmesan crisps, caprese salad, and bruschetta. The gnocchi in duck sauce was wonderful. And their own version of tiramusu was delicious. The main course, veal, was also wonderfully seasoned. Directions: We were met by the owner and taken to the villa. So obviously there was nothing you could do to improve that experience! Check In Out: The process was very easy and everyone was warm and welcoming.