Charlotte, my sister and I both live at Potentino with our mother Sally and a whole host of dogs and cats. Potentino has taken a long time and a lot of care to restore. My sister hand-painted a lot of the rooms in the castle and makes all the wine with a host of volunteers throughout the year. If you would like to take part in the farming, do ask and we will see if there is anything you can do to help.

Staying at Potentino is like being invited into a private home. Run by the Greene family as an old-fashioned Residenza d'Epoca, the Castello di Potentino warmly welcomes visitors all year round. The Castle is also a fully functioning farm. We make our own award-winning wines and, olive oil and love to forage for local ingredients in the fields around the castle. We also have our own design line- making ceramics and furniture with top international designers and local craftsmen. We offer a self-service breakfast in the old castle canteen. When we travel, we like to wake up very slowly on our own terms and at Potentino, you can do this too. There is fresh fruit, a selection of cereals, local Tuscan bread and pastries and, if we have any left, some homemade cherry jam.

We are close to Montalcino, famous for its Brunello wine; the onyx romanesque abbey of Sant Antimo; the Renaissance City jewel of Pienza; and the famous gardens of La Foce created by Iris Origo. The stunning medieval towns of Pitigliano, Sorano and Siena are also nearby. The hot springs and spas of Saturnia, Bagno Vignoni and Bagni San Fillippo are easy day trips. For walking, there are many light treks around the valley. And for the more strenuously minded, there is the magic mountain itself, with its romantic birch woods, the Amiata. We can organise lunches and dinners at the castle with local cooks or arrange tastings and meals at other estates on request.