Villa La Nussa

You know what? I almost drove right past Villa La Nussa the first time I visited Capolona – it’s tucked along Via Vittorio Veneto in this quiet stretch where the road curves toward the Arno valley, and honestly, that’s exactly what makes it special. The building itself has this understated elegance that feels authentically Tuscan without trying too hard, if that makes sense. None of those over-the-top Renaissance knockoffs you see everywhere else.

The thing about staying here is that you’re actually in a real Italian town, not some tourist bubble. Capolona sits about 15 minutes from Arezzo (and I mean a proper 15 minutes, not the “Italian 15 minutes” that somehow becomes 30), so you can easily hit the bigger sights, but then you come back to this genuinely peaceful place where locals are walking their dogs and chatting with neighbors. The hotel staff – well, they’re the kind of people who remember you ordered extra espresso at breakfast and just bring it without asking the second day. Small touches like that.

What really impressed me was how they’ve maintained the character of what I’m pretty sure used to be a villa while making it actually comfortable for modern travelers. The rooms have these beautiful old tile floors that stay cool even in summer, and the bathrooms are properly updated (thank goodness – nothing ruins a trip like questionable plumbing). I stayed in one of the rooms facing the hills, and honestly, waking up to that view of the Casentino valley with the morning mist… it’s the kind of thing that makes you want to extend your stay. The Wi-Fi actually works throughout the property too, which – let’s be real – isn’t always a given in these converted historic buildings.

Parking is straightforward, which matters more than you’d think when you’re navigating these narrow Italian streets with a rental car. There’s a little garden area where you can sit with a glass of wine in the evenings, and it’s quiet enough that you can actually hear the church bells from town without any traffic noise drowning them out. The breakfast spread is what you’d hope for – proper Italian coffee, fresh pastries, local cheeses and prosciutto – but they also had options for my vegetarian travel companion, which was thoughtful.

I mean, a 9.1 rating sounds almost too good to be true, but after spending four nights there, I get it. It’s one of those places where everything just works without feeling corporate or impersonal. You’re close enough to explore Arezzo’s antique markets or take day trips to Florence (about an hour by car), but you’re also in this little pocket of Tuscany that most tourists never discover. The kind of place where you end up chatting with the owner about local hiking trails and restaurant recommendations – and actually wanting to follow their advice.