This restored 12th-century castle surely offers one of Tuscany's most spectacular stays. If these walls could talk, they’d have more than 800 years' worth of material – something that plays on your mind as you stroll around the sprawling estate. Seasonal vegetables are grown on-site; the earthy porcini mushroom risotto decorated with splatters of mustard-yellow pecorino sauce looks like a contemporary artwork. You can purchase wine to take home, but Londoners needn’t look far – Hammersmith’s River Café and Dalston’s Angelina stock bottles. There's an on-site spa with a Bali-esque hut beside the largest swimming pool; an idyllic spot for therapists to offer targeted and full-body treatments, dousing aching muscles in Comfort Zone essential oils.