Lars Korn and Pippa Ward-Smith discovered the beauty of the Casentino valley in Tuscany 12 years ago when we went there on holiday. We had rented a villa in the area and within a couple of days decided that the area would be a perfect spot to buy a property. We first found Casa Ombuto and fell in love with the setting and the magic feel about the place. The secluded spot, the breathtaking views and the building with its different levels and roofs made it very special and we decided to go ahead and buy it. It took two and a half years of renovation to get the villa where it is now, but for us it was imperative to keep the same Tuscan style and charm with addition of modern comforts.
Our passion for Tuscan villas did not end there and close on five years ago we found Torre del Tartufo and have just finalized a complete renovation of this magnificent villa. It is situated close to Arezzo and is on an extensive estate with truffles (hence the name) and apple orchards.
All improvements have taken environmental aspects into consideration; The swimming pools and villa is solar heating and for the pools we also have a special nature 2 pool cleaning system. All wood used in the fireplaces is obtained from our two estates and we only use wood that has been obtained from maintaining our forests.
The villas are now used as our holiday home for our family and friends and when we are not there, we rent it out as a holiday villa for weddings or family reunions and Paola Baccetti runs the Italian cookery course at Casa Ombuto, Franco Palandra at Torre del Tartufo and Laura Guisti the Mediterranean cookery course at Casa Ombuto. The reservations for Tuscookany are handled by Cooking Schools Tuscany Limited and the operation is run by Bella Toscana srl – Italy.
Lars and Pippa live in the Netherlands and have two daughters, Georgina (14)
and Julia (8).
Lars is Dutch and Pippa was born in South Africa.
We wish you a wonderful and enjoyable stay!
Lars Korn and Pippa Ward-Smith