or at least it was until we arrived with our 1 year old. Apologies to the other guests staying if they could hear us, luckily we were staying in Capanna, which is set apart from the main farmhouse.
Dont let the photos of Capanna fool you. She is small, but perfectly formed & the high ceilings make it feel much bigger. It has everything you need, including a washing machine. I love the decoration detail, especially the ceiling branch light!
Catina had set up a travel cot for our daughter in the bedroom, which had plenty of space. Anyone staying with a toddler should note that there is a step down from living room to bedroom/bathroom which is fairly big but once we'd taught the little one to sit down to get down it she was fine but if your toddler has only just learnt to walk or still crawling then you might want to take a travel gate (we had one but didnt feel the need to use it in the end). I think the property description says the shower is over a bath but it is just a shower cubicle, this didnt matter to us as the sink in the bathroom is huge & we used that to bath our daughter.
We arrived pretty late at night but Catina had waited up to make sure we got there safely & had very kindly got a few essentials from the shop for us (milk & bread, etc.). Plus she had made a delicious lemon & ricotta cake which didnt last long haha (Catina, yes please can I have the recipe?)
You do absolutely need a car (I would recommend people read a little about driving in Italy before going). If you are hiring one then try to get one that is more than 1.2 engine, ours really struggled up the Tuscan hills. We got the train from Sieci into Florence a couple of times which was very quick & easy. We managed to park in the main station car park both times, which is free.
I can definitely recommend the wine shop in Molino del piano (Chianti on tap for €3.50 a bottle!), we took a few bottles home with us. We also visited Castello del Trebbio which was very nice.
Overall I would recommend Castellare for anyone wanting a quiet, secluded holiday that has easy access to all the beauty & culture of Florence plus yummy cheap wine!