Il Baciarino: An Off-the-Beaten Path Tuscan Retreat

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In 2013, photographer Julia Spiess of Dinner with Friends and her husband, Frank Schott, were exploring the Maremma region of Tuscany when they chanced upon a small agriturismo. After a memorable meal of local seafood cooked to perfection by proprietor Andrea Temperani, Julia says, “We came as strangers and left as friends.” Since then Julia and Frank have been annual visitors at Il Baciarino.

Hidden in an olive and oak grove on the slopes a small town of Vetulonia, Il Baciarino is located in what Julia describes as a “non-touristy” part of Tuscany. The property, when Andrea and his wife, Clelia Andreini, first discovered it, boasted two dilapidated sheep sheds, but also an unblemished, 360 degree view of the Italian countryside and the distant Tyrrhenian Sea. Enchanted, the couple decided to establish their agriturismo, which they named for an indigenous tree that grows only in this region of Tuscany.

Photography by Julia Spiess.

andrea and clelia built each of il baciarino&#8\2\17;s five guest accommoda 17 — Above: Andrea and Clelia built each of Il Baciarino’s five guest accommodations themselves, using traditional, locally sourced materials.

Above, L to R: Julia delights in Il Baciarino’s simple Italian details such as the corded electrical wire; the kitchen at La Farfalla, “The Butterfly.”