A Day in Tuscany from Il Borro Relais & Châteaux
Il Borro wine tours are private excursions to the Chianti & Brunello wine regions, which I run personally with pick up directly from the resort in San Giustino Valdarno, Tuscany. The tour is strictly private (the minivan will be for yourselves only) with numerous stops for photos and sightseeing. I speak perfect English and I will guide you on the characteristics of Tuscan wines, and how best they can be enjoyed.
I’ve been doing wine tours for fifteen years and in that time I’ve done many a tour with clients staying at Il Borro. However, I’m a private guide, and I’m not in any way affiliated with the resort.
You can get an overview of all my suggestions for Il Borro Wine Tours, by going to my Tour Destinations Page.
Alternatively, go straight to my signature wine tours
If you’d prefer to learn Tuscan Cuisine & how to recognize Extra Virgin Olive Oil
COOKING CLASS & OLIVE OIL TASTING
Once you’ve found a tour that you’d like to do, click on find out more button and send me your request. It’s just a preliminary contact, and no commitments are undertaken. I’ll be in touch asap.
About Il Borro San Giustino Toscana
Il Borro is located in the province of Arezzo, and is a famous hamlet both in the present day and in the distant past. This is due to its architecture and to the conformation of the area where it’s located, but above all, because of the important families of the past to which it was bound.
The history of Il Borro most likely dates back to Roman times when it’s believed it was a stronghold. The first written account of the Castle dates back to the year 1254 when a Milanese nobleman, the Marquis Borro Borri, purchased the property from the Mascagni family.
During medieval times, this Valdarno area where Il Borro is located witnessed many clashes between the cities of Arezzo and Florence. In particular during the 12th & 13th centuries between the Guelfs of Florence and Ghibellines of Arezzo. The former were in favour of the Pope and church, and the latter supported the empire and the monarchy.
The Florentine Guelfs eventually conquered Arezzo and, took possession of the castles and villas found in the municipality and rural areas.
Consequently Il Borro castle fell under Florentine domination in 1384. It was only returned to the Dal Borro family when the Archduke Ferdinand granted it as a fief to General Alessandro del Borro on October 4, 1644. Thanks to him, the 16th century marks the start of the transformations which slowly led to today’s context.
In the 18th century, Il Borro and the lands were purchased by the Medici Tornaquinci family who retained ownership until 1823. Then the estate was passed over to Count Giuseppe Della Torre Hoffer Valsassina. The family built a stately home of brick and stone right over the ruins of an ancient dwelling. They also erected a small chapel as a sign of their presence.
Il Borro in the 20th & 21st century
In 1903, Il Borro was sold to the Italian royal family, namely to Prince Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta. At that time the estate was comprised of some 50 farms and covered about 2500 acres. It was farmed on a share cropping basis up until 1964, when share cropping was made illegal. This proved to be a bad time for the hamlet, and it fell into a state of ill repair.
Fortunately in 1993, il Borro became the property of the Ferragamo family who had fallen in love with the area, and the hamlet. They undertook a major renovation program, which however maintained the original aspect and esthetics of the buildings. And this is the gorgeous estate we see and enjoy today.
So after this brief history of the hamlet, may I suggest you take an Il Borro wine Tour with me. I’ll give you insights on the history of the Tuscan countryside, and explain the philosophy behind Chianti wines, and how best they can be enjoyed.
