A Family Affair – How it all began…
Tuscany Now&More®, think of themselves as a family. Maybe this is because the business grew from an actual family. Their story began in 1966 when Simon’s parents bough a house in the Tuscan countryside outside Florence. The whole family moved there in 1973, and Simon studies art and architecture close to home, in the stunning Renaissance city. There he meets Barbara, a Florentine who later becomes his wife. The seeds of Tuscany Now® are planted… but they didn’t grow just yet. By 1985, Simon and his siblings have moved away from the family home and his parents make a big decision. They’ll rent their house. It makes no sense for such a beautiful place to stand empty when others can enjoy it, too. For five years, agents rent the property to holidaymakers chasing their own slice of the Tuscan good life. Yet, nothing about the deal seemed fair. Agencies took a big chunk — often in return for doing very little. Simon’s parents got less than they deserved. Travellers ended up paying more than they should. This is the final push that Simon, Barbara and the family need to start Tuscany Now®.
So, in 1990, Tuscany Now® begins with one house. Their house. It also begins with an ethos. Our customers should pay a fair price. The owners of these unique Tuscan properties must get a fair rental, much of which they plough right back into preserving their beautiful homes. And as an agency, they never expect something for nothing. They earn their share with the service they provide. This ethos lives on. Over three decades, many Tuscany Now® guests have made a connection with the people, landscapes, food, wine and traditions of Tuscany. But that doesn’t mean they have been 100% traditional. They were the first UK travel company online. They were the first company to advertise the website in the Sunday Times and they were the first UK travel site to try to reach new customers via Google’s AdWords service.
Working in partnership with their owners helps them develop their properties to surprise and delight travellers. Their stones may be old (some are very old), but these villas deliver a 21st-century experience. Everyone has a private swimming pool. You won’t see these properties advertised anywhere else. Every Tuscany Now® villa is exclusive to them. Bedrooms in most are air-conditioned (and believe us, many appreciate that in a Tuscan mid-August). They lead the way in offering fully-staffed villas in Italy, for the ultimate in relaxation.
In 2014, they re-launched as Tuscany Now&More®. The big idea? Simply to offer more: locations beyond Tuscany — in Umbria and Portofino, outside Venice and Verona — and authentic Tuscan experiences. If you like the sound of wine-tasting with a Chianti vintner or truffle hunting in Tuscany’s bountiful chestnut woods, their travel concierges can arrange it. This dedicated English-speaking team is available in Italy, right through your stay, on the phone or via WhatsApp.
What else is different about Tuscany Now&More®? Well, many companies claim to visit every property they promote. They actually do. That’s one of the reasons they keep a small and focused portfolio. If you have a specific question — and we mean really specific — about one of the villas, there will be a team member who can answer, because they’ve seen it with their own eyes. They are all Italian or long-standing Italophiles who know the villas and their surrounds intimately. They have photographers, film-makers, web designers, and even copywriters as guests in the villas. Everyone who works for or with them understands what they are about.
Almost 30 years since Tuscany Now® began, still a family; but one that has grown a little. They have two companies based in London and Barcelona. More than 400 more people help with everything from pool cleaning to paperwork. And of course, there’s the 145 villa owners. Each of the exquisite properties on the website has a story as individual as their own — many of them centuries longer. Every one of the team is devoted to matching you with the perfect property and an ideal setting in the most beautiful country in the world: Italy. Give them a call or send an email to and let them know how they can help.
Tuscany Now® were thrilled to have been voted within the Top 10 Best Villa Rental Companies in the World at the Condé Nast Traveller Readers Choice Awards six years in a row, coming in well ahead of some much bigger operators, making them the leading Tuscany and Umbria villa agency in the Condé Nast list.
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Tuscany Now & More offer the most exquisite and exclusive rental properties, each with their own story to tell, throughout the length and breadth of Italy, in Tuscany and beyond. Guests can experience an old farming estate, a country residence or a charming Venetian villa. For added bespoke touch, the concierge can organise exclusive activities such as Tuscan cooking lessons, golf coaching and private wine tasting with their own professional sommelier. Guests will be captivated as Italian hospitality meets once-in-a-lifetime experiences, available only through Tuscany Now & More.
Villa Clara, Umbria, Tuscany
Nestled in the heart of Umbria just a short distance from the hilltop town Orvieto is the top-level luxury Villa Clara. Ideal for multi-generational getaways, the enchanting eight-bedroom villa and guesthouse offer plenty of space and secluded retreats, as well as staff and an in-house cook. The property unfolds over multiple levels and each room combines modern living with antique holdovers. Guests can expect luminous double-sized living rooms, gourmet kitchens, air-conditioned en-suite bedrooms, and manicured lawns with a fascinating collection of sculptures in the garden. Villa Clara’s exterior houses a terrace blessed with views that run the length of the facade of the villa and an 18-metre mosaic pool surrounded by umbrella pine trees, centuries-old olive groves, and vineyards.
This eight-bedroom property sleeps up to sixteen people and Tuscany Now & More (www.tuscanynowandmore.com, 020 7684 8888) offers Villa Clara from £13,028 per week.
Browse 138 hand-picked Italian villas. Every single one has a private swimming pool, and they are all exclusive to Tuscany Now & More® at – tuscanynowandmore.com
