Dreaming of a romantic vacation in the Tuscan countryside? Of sipping red wine on a terrace watching the sunset on Florence? Views a little like this?

In January 2020 Paolo and I were happily sipping our first glass of wine outside Villa Medicea di Lilliano in Grassina when these photos were taken. Grassina is a charming village close to Florence. In fact, as night fell the city lights of Florence were visible over the first ridge line in the distance of today’s Italy Pic of the Day. Here’s the surprise twist. We’re budget travelers. Here’s our simple little secret for finding La Dolce Vita in a Tuscan Villa.

Where to Stay in Tuscany

Off-season travel means a Tuscany villa with views just like these can be yours for under 100€ a night. Honestly! May that little nugget of information keep all our post-COVID travel dreams alive. One might expect getting these views from a villa in Tuscany for less than a 100€ a night came with a catch. Something like “Rustic villa” aka “creaky old farmhouse with scratchy linens.” Not true at Villa Medicea di Lilliano. Take a look.

I know! Travel in Italy anywhere near August and prices skyrocket. In the off-season or shoulder seasons, even beautiful villas like this in Tuscany are cheaper than a Motel 6 off the highway in America. Our stay at Villa Medicea di Lilliano lasted four memorable nights. Each evening, we couldn’t wait to leave Florence behind to wind our way up to our villa to watch the sunset.

Our villa (I just like typing that) Villa Alessandro featured a large open plan kitchen, living and dining room downstairs that opens onto a private terrace. Upstairs sits a large bedroom suite with a romantic canopy bed, a double walk-in shower, and windows lining every wall. During our stay, we were the only two guests and yet we felt like royalty relaxing with our local delicacies for dinner.

In the morning, opening those shutters to the surrounding views left me breathless. At the time, we were house hunting. We had already decided to move to Italy. We thought Tuscany would be our home. Fate and the timing of COVID changed our plans, but I take great comfort in knowing Villa Medicea di Lilliano is now within driving distance from our home in Northern Italy. Next time we visit we’ll be exploring the organic winery and olive oil shop because now that we live in Italy, we can fill our car with the tastes of Tuscany!