Compared to the rustic farmhouses which lend the countryside of southern Tuscany much of its charm, the red-brick building of Terra Rossa stands out immediately for the authority and symmetry of its Florentine design. The building once belonged to Florence’s Ospedale degli Innocenti, the world’s first orphanage, and retains the imposing air of a great institution.

Inside, the owners have carried out a very sympathetic conversion, creating several apartments of elegance and character, the majority, unusually, intended for couples. Ciclamino and Marherita are split level apartments for two on two floors, each with double bedrooms and panoramic views. Tulipano is one of the few larger apartments, sleeping four, with a working fireplace. All kitchens have full ovens and many bathrooms are equipped with jacuzzi tubs.

The architecture is not the only noble aspect of Terra Rossa. The building stands plum in the middle of vineyards of the vino nobile, the rich red wine for which the nearby town of Montepulciano is justly famed. The extensive views are best enjoyed from the (12.5m x 6.5m) swimming pool. Cortona, a jewel among Tuscan hill towns, dominates the view to the east while to the south the small town of Valiano is silhouetted against the distant slopes of Monte Cetona.

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