by Daniele Nannetti, Owner/Manager/Steward, Villa Petriolo Health Spa
Villa Petriolo is where a Tuscan legacy of sustainability and health meets luxury.
Following a recent speaking tour in Italy, my wife, colleagues, fellow speakers, and I wanted to spend a few extra days in Tuscany. We searched the internet for an organic Tuscan Villa and discovered Villa Petriolo. We were not disappointed with what we found. In fact, we were blown away! Now, I am thrilled to announce Villa Petriolo as one of The 100 Year Lifestyle® Destinations. This recognition is for locations embodying the principles of The 100 Year Lifestyle® while offering guests the highest quality, healthy, longevity lifestyle experience. Villa Petriolo seamlessly blends luxury with sustainability and wellness, offering guests an experience like none other. Here’s what Daniele Nannetti created. ~ Dr. Eric Plasker, DC…
~~~
There is a place in the rolling hills of Tuscany where time slows, the air carries the scent of sun-warmed vines and wild herbs, and every sunrise over the vineyards is a brushstroke on a Renaissance canvas. That place is Villa Petriolo. More than a destination, it is an immersion into the Tuscan way of life — One that honors the past, embraces the present, and looks generations ahead.
A Legacy Rooted in the Land
Villa Petriolo’s history stretches back to the 1400s. Even then, it was a self-sustaining estate, a harmonious blend of farmland and noble retreat, originally owned by a wealthy family from Florence. Local farmers worked the land and eventually became servants when the family sought respite from Florence. It was here where the Renaissance inspirations of balance, nature, and artistry thrived.
The same inspiration and spirit live on today. I am the passionate heart behind Villa Petriolo, ensuring it can be felt and experienced by all visitors. I see myself as a steward of this legacy. In addition to operating a destination hotel, I strive to preserve a way of life in the surrounding local communities of Cerreto Guidi, Vinci, and my family, which includes generations of farmers and hoteliers.
My family is from Tuscany, near Florence. While I originally began my professional career as a journalist in Barcelona in 2006, it didn’t last. In 2010, I returned to Italy and began working in Tuscan family hotels until 2018, when I started the adventure of Villa Petriolo with the Mexican Cuadra family.
Creating, for my guests, a unique experience of cultural growth and physical well-being through the centuries-old teachings of the land where I was born and raised is my motivation.
An Experience of a Lifetime
Visitors to Villa Petriolo can expect to experience luxury, attention, choice, and an experience of a lifetime. Despite only being open since 2021, the Villa welcomes many repeat guests. All of them, perhaps looking for and finding something different at Villa Petriolo.
Whether it’s a family-friendly, adults-only, or pet-friendly experience you want, Villa Petriolo is what you’re looking for. The land, the people, and the Villa are all designed with the needs and desires of their guests in mind. It’s not policy. It is a lifestyle.
Here, hospitality is not a service. It is a tradition, passed down through generations, woven into every interaction, every meal, and every moment. With 44 rooms and a staff-to-guest ratio of 1:1, every visitor is treated and feels like family.
Taste Tuscany
In true Tuscan style, I am very focused on offering guests quality choices. A prime example is the estate’s five restaurants, which offer a variety of dining experiences. Whether enjoying the gourmet restaurant, small bites at the mixology bar, a luxury picnic for 2, or indulging in a poolside Tuscan take on comfort food, every ingredient is from the Villa’s own organic farm or local artisans. Even the grains used in pasta and bread, like the ancient Capelli wheat, harken back to a time before industrialized agriculture, ensuring every bite is as nutrient-rich as it is flavorful.
However, if your focus is visiting some of the best wine country in the world, Villa Petriolo is where you want to be. Known for its organic wine production, the Villa offers six different kinds of white, rosé, and red wine. Their efforts to preserve traditional growth and production methods result in exceptional wines that get even better year after year. If you want a deeper appreciation and understanding of fine wines, visit the vineyards and have a tasting guided by the house sommelier.
A Sanctuary for the Soul
This same Villa Petriolo attention to detail is at the Mater Holistic Wellness Retreat. This more than 2,000-square-foot world-class spa offers over 60 treatments and rituals inspired by nature. Guests choose from olive oil-infused massages, honey-based facials, and herbal baths, to name a few. Regardless of the treatment, every product contains ingredients cultivated on the land. This extra step takes the experience beyond just a wellness treatment to an experience that reinforces the deep connection between body, nature, and tradition.
Visitors who choose the Wellness Path can opt for any combination of the Vitality Pool, Water Paradise, Panoramic Sauna, Mediterranean Bath, Steam Bath, and Ice Room. Whatever path you take, end your experience in the Relax Area with views of the Tuscan landscape.
Whether you have 2 hours to spend or all day, a Tuscan-style spa experience is waiting for you at the Mater Holistic Wellness Retreat to enjoy as a solo traveler or as a couple.
New Sights, New Experiences
If getting outdoors under the Tuscan sun is more your style, at Villa Petriolo, guests can explore 170 hectares of organic farmland or hike 15 kilometers of trails. If you’re looking to learn new skills, consider hunting for truffles with a local guide before learning how to cook them Tuscan-style with the guidance of a local chef. Or join a local guide on an e-bike tour around the village of Vinci to see Leonardo da Vinci’s birthplace and favorite places from his youth. You’ll be back at Villa Petriolo in plenty of time to watch the sunset over the hills da Vinci immortalized in his paintings.
Every activity is designed to go beyond just a memorable experience. Each activity introduces you to a lifestyle of curiosity, education, and a connection to nature.
A Living, Breathing Ecosystem
Regardless of how you enjoy your time, know that my staff and I are working hard to ensure that while Villa Petriolo exudes luxury, at its core, it is about legacy. It is one of the only bio estates in Tuscany that recycles all waste and water, using state-of-the-art purification systems to sustain its ecosystem. Solar-powered heating, plastic-free initiatives, and ethical farming practices ensure that indulgence here is also responsible.
The estate’s wildlife includes bees and free-range livestock, including chickens, goats, and the historic Cinta Senese pigs. This once-endangered breed, which appears in frescoes dating from 1327, is living and thriving today at Villa Petriolo as nature intended. Their lifestyle ensures superior quality and a humane, ethical approach to farming. Everything at Villa Petriolo is designed in harmony with nature as it was centuries ago.
Sustainability
My vision for Villa Petriolo is one of deep sustainability. Sustainability is not just in farming but in the human connection, culture, and guest experience.
While most modern businesses think in five-year plans, I believe they should plan for generations. At Villa Petriolo, every decision honors those who came before and those who will come after. And this isn’t just lip service. The Tuscan lifestyle is rooted in practice. It is a way of living, actively embraced, woven into daily activities and rituals, and passed down through generations with intention and authenticity. You can experience that for yourself at Villa Petriolo.
The People. Your New Extended Family
When visiting Villa Petriolo, it is hard not to see that every staff member is here for you, making you feel more like a valued family member than a guest. Regardless of their roles, hospitality is part of their genetic make-up, and their goal is for you to leave Tuscany with wonderful memories, a warm heart, and the desire to return.
We want you to feel their pride in culture and be a part of and have the experience of our idea of family, regardless of the length of time you are with us. Our people are in love with their work and their Tuscan lifestyle.
I can’t speak about Villa Petriolo without expressing my desire to give back to my community. I am proud that Villa Petriolo is “hyper-local,” while serving people from around the world. This mindset allows Villa Petriolo and its people to connect their purpose and passion to their roots. Their ancestors’ efforts in the 1400s to create a business that would last forever are still being successfully and mindfully pursued at Villa Petriolo today. That’s what you call longevity!
Unfortunately, too many people today are blind. They can only see four to five years into the future. Luckily, my ancestors looked 10 generations ahead and beyond. They realized that everyone, regardless of the time they were born, should find health and connection by living in harmony with the land. It’s the surest way to happiness.
More Than a Visit—A Transformation
To come to Villa Petriolo is not simply to visit Tuscany. It is to feel it. To wake up to the sounds of nature – to savor a meal that tells a story of generations – to breathe in air that has carried the scent of vineyards for centuries. It is to reconnect with yourself and your health values with the earth and a way of life as timeless as the Tuscan hills.
Villa Petriolo is not just a vacation or even a retreat. It is a return to nature to balance, to a way of living each day that nourishes the body, mind, and soul. Know that when you leave, you will carry a piece of your Villa Petriolo experience with you forever. That piece might be a longing to return, a lingering taste of unbelievably delicious Tuscan food, olive oil, wine, or a deep sense of having experienced something rare and real. It might even be all this and more.
~~~
Villa Petriolo proves you can have luxury and live a healthy, longevity lifestyle. The foundation of The 100 Year Lifestyle® has always been about learning to love the things that are good for you. In the case of Villa Petriolo, what’s not to love? It’s an experience you, no doubt, want to have for yourself. To learn more about Villa Petriolo, visit their website. If you decide to register for a visit, use the code “100YL” to receive a discount and a special gift! That should be all the incentive you need to pack your bags and go!
~ Dr. Eric Plasker, DC
The post Villa Petriolo – A Tuscan Legacy appeared first on The 100 Year Lifestyle.
