By Lysanne Currie

Set in 740 acres of cypress trees, olive groves and rolling hills, the moment I stepped over Castello del Nero’s stone threshold, I felt transported to the romance of medieval Italy, albeit with five star, 21st century luxe.

The castle has belonged to various noble families since the 12th century and has been Tuscany’s most luxurious hotel for the past decade. The Italian Fine Art Commission supervised the restoration as the owners uncovered mosaics and frescoes and gently brought them back to life and today, every room – private and public – unleashes its history and grandeur on the visitor. However there’s no intimidating formality here – we were welcomed into ‘our home’ – and Castello del Nero achieves the holy grail of luxury hotels by being both jaw droppingly beautiful and immediately nurturing with its vaulted ceilings, terracotta floors, huge bathrooms with claw foot tubs and spacious, airy bedrooms decked in sumptuous fabrics and soothing colours.

The panoramic terrace looks over the wonderful 740 acre estate with two levels of vineyards (this is the Chianti region) and one of olive groves – the hotel produces its own fine extra virgin olive oil.

The three different restaurants delight the tastebuds and you can work off its mouthwatering fare without even leaving the grounds – there are kilometres of trails ideal for running, walking or cycling and the spacious air-conditioned fitness suite has Technogym equipment.

COMO Shambhala Retreat

COMO Shambhala Retreat at COMO Castello Del Nero, Tuscany, is an elegant, cocooning sanctuary for therapeutic treatments including massage, yoga and Guinot facials. Thermal suites offer a revitalising experience, with an invigorating ice fountain, gentle sauna, aromatic steam room and heated vitality pool. A 25-metre heated outdoor pool (open only during summer) is ideal for gentle exercise, while a gym provides a space for targeted workouts. A spacious relaxation area offers far-reaching views across the Tuscan umbers and greens of the surrounding hillsides.

To Stay

The beauty of Castello del Nero is that all the rooms are different but all combine authentic opulence with enchanting views and walls that could tell a story or two. I stayed in the Tavarnelle Room 206 and the theme was terracotta red – warm and stately and with high windows set into the centuries’ old stone walls, I felt like a princess. My king sized bed was topped with Egyptian linen – super comfy – and my vista was over the hills. The bathroom was enormous with space to pad around in happily. The claw footed bath was deep enough to sink into and the hotel is generous with those divine smelling toiletries.

The first floor was the noble floor and today houses the suites. The frescoed Heritage Suites are opulent and huge and you will wake up gazing at the painstakingly restored frescoes.

Tip: Suite 102 has a dazzling pretty H shape bathroom with original frescoes on the walls – it has been voted one of the most beautiful bathrooms in the world!

To Eat

Eating in La Torre is an old school, totally Italian glam affair. The dishes are presented theatrically but there are no gimmicks or tricks – just the freshest, local ingredients cooked exquisitely by Michelin starred executive chef Giovanni Luca Di Pirro.

Our starter of a slow poached hen’s egg with zucchini sauce and charcoal flavoured bread was followed by homemade pasta filled with cottage cheese, asparagus and truffle.

The main – melt in the mouth Zeri lamb – was accompanied by a moreish purple mashed potato and the astonishing finale of puddings – Passione Esotica (a custard of chocolate, passion fruit and Matcha Tea) was followed by towers (literally) of macaroons. The experience is topped off with a spellbinding coffee brewing ritual that belongs in Hogwarts.

Facilities and Activities

“And this we call meditation wine.” The sommelier held up a bottle of ruby Brunello, “Perfect for talking with friends.” Meditation wine – I mentally banked this joyful phrase as we sat around a large wooden table in the ancient 12th century cellar. We were participating in the extra virgin olive oil and wine tasting evening, one of at one of the hotel’s many gastro offerings – others include cookery courses with the executive chef Giovanni Luca Di Pirro and, in October and truffle hunting with dogs (pigs sometimes eat the truffles and occasionally fingers!).

We learned how to warm a glass to release the grassy scent of a fine extra virgin olive oil and tasted four wines looking at their hue and understanding the different notes. Any thoughts of emails, devices, to-do lists evaporate – there is no better place to relax than learning about ‘vino’ within these stone walls.

For the Kids

Don’t Miss

Sightseeing. There is so much to see – from Florence which oozes art and culture to the slightly more sedate but beautiful Siena with its shell shaped Piazza di Campo. And, only 20km from Castello del Nero, is the medieval 14-towered hilltop town of San Gimignano – famous for saffron (so expensive because it can only be collected at dawn), white wine Vernaccia and for being one of the most magical places in the world. Pedestrian only, I defy you not to feel like a time traveller as you wander through the narrow streets and gaze from the hilltop over the Tuscan countryside.