Coming to the Castello di Proceno in winter is a way of discovering an unusually intimate country atmosphere. This is the time when people in Proceno take possession of their village again. In the only bar of the village, you will meet men playing cards and sometimes watching the TV, which is always on. Streets are deserted, but you will smell the wood burning in Procenese fireplaces. Wood is still the most common source of heat in the village.
“I took the road less travelled by, and that has made all the difference….”(Robert Frost). That is what your trip to Proceno is all about—taking a different road and discovering new wonders for the mind and spirit. You may choose to attend a cooking class and learn the secrets of making pasta dough from an expert in the village. Or you may choose to ski on Mount Amiata, with trails at all levels of difficulty. And after your day skiing, what could be more relaxing than a good soak in a volcanic hot water pool in one of the nearby baths?
You may visit ancient villages built upon Etruscan foundations, perched precariously on top of tufo (volcanic rock) and towering above the valley floor. These villages are like ships floating on the early morning mists that often fill the valleys. During your rambles, you may restore your energy with a hot garlic bruschetta drenched with newly pressed olive oil.
Each apartment and suite at the Castello has an open fireplace, with stacks of firewood from our woods. Sitting in front of the fireplace in the Enoteca, you will taste roasted chestnuts washed down with generous amounts of the best red wines from the region.
Our guests are enchanted by the lifestyle developed here over the last 50 years. During Christmas season you will be welcomed with the Castello’s traditional Christmas decorations. In your apartment cypress, holly garlands and candles and, last but not least, for New year’s Eve, you will be invited to toast around a Christmas tree with real candles.