"The first time we came to Armena it was a beautiful sunny day in February. One of those days of late winter when the very air tells us 'spring is coming'. We were myself, my wife and my mother.
Despite what we found ourselves in front of was far from a Renaissance villa and total abandonment reigned all around, the three of us thought the same thing: 'Here we are... this will be our home!'. I still get goose bumps when I think about it. It was great that something which until just a moment before had been merely a dream, little more than a joke, has turned instead into a life project, a real goal.
It was my wife who redesigned the entire villa and there was no need to use any other source of inspiration. Villa Armena today is a reflection of what we like, our tastes, our habits. It is a perfect blend of our personalities.
The entire renovation was obviously geared to the enhancement of the historical importance of the building, as well as being a Ministry of Fine Arts listed building. This was the country residence of the Malavolti family and had been designed by Baldassarre Peruzzi.
Personality, respect, and quality, but at the same time many details and amenities typical of our present day were included without altering the style, achieving a balance in the atmosphere of the Villa.
I think the bathrooms Villa Armena exemplify in a concrete way this need for balance between classic and modern that we have aimed for. Each of them clearly possesses all the amenities of a state of the art 5 star property with, among other things, walk-in showers of several square meters, shower heads with 3 different water jets and chromotherapy.
I love every inch of the villa, but without a doubt, the common areas are my favorites. Here you will find antiques that belonged to my family for generations which I am very attached to, but also some real collector's items purchased during the years that my wife and I lived in England, which represent an important part of our life. A period characterized by great sacrifices (and great joys) that will always be with us. Sharing these spaces and these objects (or rather those memories) can only make me very very happy.
If our villa were a song, it might be Sunrise Simply Red: harmonious, intense and exciting. Its more complex comparing it to a work of art because it is already for us. Of course, if I recall the effort that it took us and the endless bureaucratic red tape typical of our country, what comes to mind is The Scream by Munch!
It is difficult to sum up why you should come visit us. What is certain is that here, you will find peace, friendship, kindness and quality. We only have 10 rooms and the guest can benefit all the care and attention that a larger structure and not directly managed by the owners cannot give.
Sometimes we are described as a "design hotel", but I do not think that this label does justice to the Villa Armena. If I think of a design hotel I can think of some structures in Hong Kong, Dubai, NY or Berlin. We are Villa Armena in the town of Buonconvento, in the province of Siena. We do not want to be a hotel, but the private residence of our guests at the heart of the most beautiful countryside in the world".
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