The Cignella Estate

Tucked away in the southern Tuscan hills, between the superlatively scenic Val d’Orcia and Val di Chiana, the Cignella Estate is an idyllic base for discovering all the sights and cultural highlights of Siena province.

The conversion of this 200-year-old estate was meticulous in maintaining original elements such as the roof beams and stonework, yet looking around at the beautiful grounds and immaculate accommodation today, it’s hard to believe that this was once a working pig farm! Times change and the farm fell into disrepair, but the glorious hilltop location and panoramic views over Lake Trasimeno and Cortona cried out for this remarkable place to be rescued, and so the Cignella Estate was born.

Cignella today operates as a small private resort, complete with landscaped gardens, a pool and sun terrace for the warm summer days. There’s also a wine bar featuring some boutique vintages as well as the most famous names from Siena, with the option of breakfast daily if you wish. Guest accommodation is in spacious, fully-modernised apartments around the estate, each with their own character as all the décor elements were individually sourced by the owners from around the local area. The apartments each have their own terrace where you can relax with a drink at the end of a wonderful day out exploring. Within a 30 to 60-minute radius you’ll find some of Italy’s most celebrated cities and towns, including Siena, Pienza, Montepulciano, Arezzo and Cortona, brought to fame in the novel Under the Tuscan Sun. A 45-minute drive brings you over into Umbria and Lake Trasimeno, a lush oasis which becomes a playground for all manner of water-based fun in the summer months. Cignella is also a place to immerse yourself in nature and life at the more local level however, and the Estate’s reception team are on hand to arrange a host of Tuscan treats, from wine tastings and cookery classes to truffle hunting for those lucky enough to visit in September or October.

Of the 14 apartments on the Cignella Estate, we have selected four for Simpson Travel guests. Please see the ‘Apartments’ tab for a full description and photographs of each one.  

Our choice of Italian properties is diverse, ranging from simple charm to genuine luxury and style. Much of our portfolio is privately owned, and price alone is therefore not a universal guide. We contract all our accommodation in person, and each property has its individual appeal.

To help you make the right choice based on your own priorities, we have devised a simple grading guide to be considered in conjunction with each individual property description, awarding up to a maximum of five stars for the below categories.