Photos courtesy of Chapter Chianti.
WHY I CHOSE IT
Chapter Chianti is a five-star resort inside a restored Tuscan village, Borgo di Fontebussi, where old stone lanes meet contemporary design, a proper spa and a bar that feels more New York than farmhouse.
It opened in summer 2026, from the team behind the famous Chapter Roma, and it does something most Tuscan country hotels don’t even try: it skips the antique-furniture formula. The medieval borgo is all still there, with its stone lanes, vaulted rooms and little chapel, but the interiors by designer Tristan du Plessis are clean, tactile and modern, in warm neutrals and muted greens that take their cue from the olive groves outside.
The thing to know before you book is its personality. Chapter Chianti has a playful streak: sunset DJ sets on selected evenings, cocktails after dinner and bathrobes embroidered with “Mi scusi, Jacuzzi?”. If you want a traditional aristocratic villa, this isn’t it. If you love the countryside but want it with good design and a little life, it’s exactly it... with plenty of room for quiet when you want it.
BEST FOR
A few slow days after Florence: countryside calm, a serious spa, and good company at the bar if you want it.
AT A GLANCE
Where
Borgo di Fontebussi, Cavriglia, in the Tuscan countryside (province of Arezzo)
To Florence and Siena
About one hour by car to each
Rooms
Around 82 rooms and suites, plus The Mansion: five bedrooms and a private pool for up to ten
Eat and drink
Osso restaurant, the Main Bar and Parasole by the pool, with a Mexican restaurant, Hey Güey, coming in 2027
Pool
Panoramic outdoor pool with a mosaic floor, open seasonally
Spa
F.A.R.M. Social, around 500 m²: saltwater, hot and cold pools, hammam, sauna, treatments
Also
Gym, padel court, library with a fireplace, free parking
Getting there
The easiest way to get here is by car. Florence is about one hour away, and having your own wheels means you can explore the area properly, from Chianti wineries to hilltop towns and villages. If you’d rather not drive, the hotel can organise a private transfer.
Check-in and check-out
Check-in from 3.00pm, check-out by 11am
LIFE ON THE ESTATE
The hardest decision is whether to leave
Chapter Chianti is a whole Tuscan hamlet brought back to life, wrapped in around 40 hectares of land and more than 3,000 olive trees. Days here find their own slow rhythm... a swim in the morning quiet, a long lunch by the pool that drifts into the afternoon, an hour in the warm water of the spa, then a walk among the olives as the heat goes out of the day and the hills turn soft and blue.
And when you do wander out, you’re in one of the loveliest corners of Tuscany that most visitors never find. On one side lie Chianti’s castles and vineyards. On the other, villages built over rocky gorges, quiet Romanesque churches full of carved saints and monsters, and frescoes people cross the world to see, usually without the crowds. Fontebussi sits right between them, halfway between Florence and Siena.
My advice... pair it with Florence. A few nights in the city for the art, then come here and let Tuscany slow you down. Wake up without a plan, and when the mood takes you, drive out for a May morning among the roses or an afternoon with Piero della Francesca in Arezzo.
Osso
The main restaurant, a Tuscan grill and chophouse led by Executive Chef Daniele Auricchio. Chianina beef over embers, hand-rolled pasta and local wines.
Main Bar
A New York-inspired bar for aperitivo and late cocktails, with aperitivo lessons and wine tastings.
Parasole
The pool bar, for cold drinks, light bites and long Mediterranean lunches.
F.A.R.M. Social spa
"Forever A Relaxed Mood": travertine, saltwater and different-temperature pools, a hammam, a sauna and private treatment rooms.
Experiences
Sunrise yoga, padel, horse riding through the vineyards, truffle hunting, ceramics, falconry and, in season, the olive harvest. Some are seasonal or charged separately.
The Mansion
250 m², five bedrooms, five bathrooms and a private pool in the olive garden. Made for families and groups of friends, up to ten.
WORTH THE DRIVE
Villages, frescoes and castles, an easy drive away
Florence and Siena get all the attention, but some of the loveliest outings from Chapter Chianti are much closer to home... quiet Valdarno villages, a Romanesque church you won't forget, and one of the great fresco cycles of the Renaissance.
ABOUT 12 MINUTES BY CAR
Carla Fineschi Rose Garden
One of the largest private rose collections in the world, with some 6,500 varieties, cared for with real love by the family who created it. Peacocks wander between the beds and old railway carriages sit among the roses... it feels like stepping into a secret garden. It usually opens only in May and June, and May is the time to go, before the summer heat fades the blooms.
ABOUT 30 MINUTES BY CAR
Pieve di Gropina
Don't miss this one. Just 2 km (about a mile) outside Loro Ciuffenna, it's one of the finest Romanesque churches in Tuscany, and inside the stone comes alive: capitals carved with biblical scenes, animals and strange monsters, and a pulpit resting on columns carved as if they had been tied in a knot. The best part is underneath... excavations found the remains of two earlier churches, the oldest from around the 5th or 6th century, and you can still see parts of them below the floor. Pair it with Loro Ciuffenna.
ABOUT 19 MINUTES BY CAR
San Giovanni Valdarno
A small, simple town and refreshingly untouristy, so if you're after pretty shops and cafés, this isn't it. But it hides real treasures for art lovers. Masaccio, the young painter who changed the course of Renaissance art, was born here, and his family house is now a small exhibition space. Then head to the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie and its fresco of Monna Tancia. When the plague of 1478 took her baby grandson's parents and no wet nurse could be found, she prayed to the Madonna and was able to feed him herself. The basilica's museum also holds a beautiful Annunciation by Fra Angelico.
ABOUT 30 MINUTES BY CAR
Castello di Meleto
Much more than the usual winery visit. Meleto was once a fortress on the disputed border between Florence and Siena, and it still keeps its towers and fortified outline, but inside it became an elegant country house for the Ricasoli family, the same family you'll meet at Brolio. The guided tour takes you through the noble rooms and old cellars to the real surprise: a tiny jewel-box theatre built in 1742, still with its stage and seven original sets of scenery. It ends with a tasting of the estate's wines. Book ahead, as the interiors are only seen on guided tours and can close for private events.
ABOUT 25 MINUTES BY CAR
Loro Ciuffenna
One of the official "most beautiful villages in Italy", built over a rocky gorge with a high stone bridge, little cascades and a watermill said to be the oldest still working in Tuscany, once used to grind chestnut flour. People love it because it still feels lived-in rather than polished for visitors. Stay for a coffee or lunch, and after a dry summer, expect gentler cascades.
ABOUT 40 MINUTES BY CAR
Castello di Brolio
The grand one. This is the home of the Ricasoli family, where Baron Bettino Ricasoli set down the formula for Chianti wine in the 19th century. Walk the gardens and ramparts for huge views over the vineyards, see the chapel and the small museum, then stay for a tasting. The castle is still a private home, so the main rooms aren't open.
ABOUT 40 MINUTES BY CAR ANA'S FAVOURITE
Arezzo and the Legend of the True Cross
A wonderful town, with its sloping Piazza Grande, medieval lanes and far fewer crowds than Florence or Siena. The reason to go is the Legend of the True Cross in the Basilica di San Francesco, painted by Piero della Francesca, the Renaissance master of light and geometry. It's one of the great fresco cycles of the Renaissance. Look for the Dream of Constantine, one of the first night scenes in Italian painting. Book a timed visit to the chapel in advance and give Arezzo at least half a day.
FURTHER AFIELD · ABOUT ONE HOUR BY CAR
Florence
Close enough for a day of museums and a long lunch, then back to the countryside for the evening.
FURTHER AFIELD · ABOUT ONE HOUR BY CAR
Siena
The other easy day trip, for the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo and the striped marble cathedral.
MY DAY AT CHAPTER CHIANTI
I only had one day there, and it was enough to understand why the place stays with you. Arriving feels like stepping into a medieval village, and of course I went straight to the chapel. I’m always drawn to them... for centuries the most important moments of people’s lives passed through those doors... This one is humble, nothing like the grand churches of Florence or Siena: plain walls, a simple lace cloth, complete silence, and a rustic Madonna and Child, unpolished and yet more moving than many masterpieces. Standing there, I kept thinking of everything those walls have seen... baptisms, weddings, farewells, the whole quiet story of a village.
Then I walked among centuries-old trees to the pool, and what a gem it is! Set into its floor are mosaic portraits by the artist Kokekit (I was told they’re made of millions of tiny pieces), and they turn it into a true work of art. The view around it is the Tuscany we all dream of: hills, vineyards, lush green, air fragrant with trees and wild herbs.
What stayed with me most is how understated the luxury is... it’s everywhere you look, but it never shouts. It simply belongs to the landscape. I didn’t want to leave.
STEP 1 · BOOK DIRECT
Book with the hotel's reservations team
For Chapter Chianti, you book directly with the hotel’s own reservations team, the people who will look after you during your stay. The easiest way is the form below: we’ll send your request straight to them, so they’ll know at once that you came from us. Or, if you prefer, write or call them yourself using the details below. Either way, they’ll reply with availability, rates and any current offers, and your booking, payment and any changes stay with the hotel.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Want to see the rooms and prices first?
You’ll find them on Chapter Chianti’s own website. When you’re ready to book, write to the reservations team using the form below.
Bookings made online, even on the hotel’s own website, don’t include Privileges.
THE RESERVATIONS TEAM
reservations@chapter-chianti-resort.com
Phone
Mention Ana’s Secret Guide when you book, so the hotel knows you came from us and your stay qualifies for Ana’s Secret Privileges. It adds nothing to your bill, but it can’t be added after you’ve booked.
Privileges comes only with stays booked through Chapter Chianti's reservations team, not with bookings made on the hotel's website, Booking.com, Expedia or other booking sites. Chapter Chianti pays Ana's Secret Guide a commission on bookings made this way. It costs you nothing and never affects what we recommend.
STEP 2 · REQUEST PRIVILEGES