The villa is the centre of an agricultural estate that stretches across the hills above the Arno here. There are grapevines and olives (you can sample the estate-bottled produce of both) and several rental properties scattered throughout. We stay at the main villa, which is subdivided to provide one rental apartment, one condominium and the home of the owners of the estate, the Broggi family.

The guest accommodation comprises two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a sitting room. You actually enter through the back of the main building, where a loggia runs along the ground floor and everything looks out over a formal garden.

All the rooms are generously sized and palatially decorated. Every ceiling (hovering at least 16 feet above the floor) is painted; 19th century frescos designed to evoke the original renaissance feel of the place. The main bedroom has a king-sized bed, a fireplace, arm chairs, a massive museum-quality baroque mirror and French doors that lead out onto the veranda that runs across the front of the of the villa. The second bedroom has a double bed and a twin.

The kitchen is big enough to fit a table that comfortably seats eight and has all the modern conveniences. In addition, there’s a massive fireplace and an old marble sink to give an old world feel. The sitting room is dominated by a towering mirror and a portrait of the Prat family, French aristocrats who escaped here after the revolution. (Napoleon was later a visitor.) The furniture is both comfortable and grand. The best feature of this room, however, is the tall pair of French doors that lead out to the loggia and garden.

The loggia has well-cushioned wrought iron furniture for lounging or dining (we eat by candlelight here most nights). The gardens you look over are shared by the occupants of the adjacent lemon house (another holiday rental) and the family that owns the condominium, yet we rarely see anyone but the gardener. We frequently play games of bocce across the gravel here, and make lemonade from the ripe fruit that falls from the potted trees that ring the fountain.

Pandolfini’s pool is a 10-minute walk up the hill behind the villa. (If you’re not fit, you can drive.) It sits in an idyllic position in the olive grove, overlooking the city of Florence and the roofs and towers of neighbouring villas. Though the pool is also shared by occupants of other rental properties, it’s rare to run into other guests. You’re more likely to come across the famiglia Broggi in the late afternoon, taking a quick dip before dinner.

At $1,200 per week for a property that sleeps up to 5, this is about the best luxury value for money I’ve ever found.