One symbol of the Tuscan landscape is the cypress tree: you see them on Renaissance paintings and frescoes and you will admire them on the Chianti hills around Villa le Barone as well as on the grounds of the Villa itself.
What would the Tuscan landscape be without the cypress trees, without those tall evergreen exclamation points standing up in rows along the roads, as you will see them going from Villa le Barone to Lamole, or in small groups next to hamlets, churches or abbeys, like those around the Pieve di San Leolino that you can admire from Villa le Barone’s pool… And wherever you turn your eyes you will see cypress trees!
Cypress trees came from the Eastern Mediterranean basin and where brought to Italy by the Greeks and the Phoenicians and later on planted by the Etruscans. It is a very long living tree, like the cedar and some are said to be more than 3000 years old. It is sad to see that, affected by a new disease, some cypresses are these days becoming brown and dying.
But cypress trees are not only for painters and photographers! They are also used for cabinet making and the scent from their wood is a delight when you open a cupboard or a wardrobe. It is said that Noah’s Ark was made of cypress wood.
Come and admire the symbols of the Tuscan and Chianti landscape, the cypress trees. Paint them or photography them, as many of our guests often do and enjoy the unique quiet and natural luxury that Villa le Barone offers.