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The simple, unadorned façade of L'Apparita belies a history and an interior that are quite the opposite. In fact, the building dates from the 15th century and is considered one of the most important and best-preserved examples of a Tuscan villa from the Renaissance period. Its owner has filled the house with collections of antiques, art and books that reflect a life richly lived, including the world's most extensive collection of miniature theatres. The rooms, each a small museum in its own right, unfold over several levels connected by short flights of wooden steps. The main gathering place is a very large but extremely comfortable room with archways, its walls covered in paintings and photographs. Surrounding the house are gardens designed by landscape guru Pietro Porcinai, with a small open theatre that has the city of Siena as its backdrop. Siena is also in full view from the property's swimming pool, and through the trees one has glimpses of the surprising, impossibly photogenic hills of the Crete Senese.
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