Families head for the Tuscan hills

From its warmly welcoming interior with chestnut-beamed rooms, richly-coloured fabrics, and old stone fireplaces, to its magical gardens with arbored walkway, swimming pool and jasmine-shaded dining patio, Castellaccio is a feast for the senses. Newly available from Invitation to Tuscany, the deceptively spacious house in Chianti is expected to be a big hit with family groups in 2012.

Sleeping up to nine people in the multi-level main house and imaginatively converted adjoining barn, the child-friendly property harbours such delights as a furnished inner courtyard with authentic wood-fired pizza oven, a kitchen to please the most serious of cooks, gorgeous bedrooms, flower-filled gardens with a choice of appealing spots for outdoor eating, and even a full-size tennis court. Castellaccio is located in excellent walking country a couple of miles from the village of San Donato in Poggio, where there is a bar, restaurants and shops. Weekly rental is from £2,545 low season (January 7-May 4, excluding Easter, and October 6-December 21), rising to £3,636 July/August.

Also new from the long-established villa specialist is a romantic hideaway high in the Apuan Alps above the Versilian coastline. Tucked into a wooded hillside, Casa Anna has terraced gardens with an outdoor hot-tub and covered pergola - both enjoying glorious views over the wooded hillsides. A well-equipped kitchen leads onto a charming covered terrace with table and chairs and built-in barbecue. The beautiful views can also be admired from the main bedroom. A second bedroom has bunk beds, making the cottage also suitable for a family. The largely undiscovered mountains reach as high as 5,500 ft. and offer great walking, climbing, excellent restaurants and ancient villages. They were the source of the white marble for Michelangelo's David, while the artists' town of Pietrasanta and its many present-day sculptors' studios is nearby. The historic towns of Lucca and Pisa and the coast can all be reached within an hour. Rental is from £714 to £1,039 per week.

Just 30 minutes from lovely Lucca in the small thermal spa town of Bagni di Lucca is newly-available Mulino, a beautifully-restored old mill house. The thick-walled stone house overlooks the River Serchio in the fascinating Garfagnana Mountains. Attractively decorated and furnished, it is an ideal base year-round for exploring this unique part of Tuscany, with its wild and rugged landscapes steeped in ancient legends. It sleeps up to seven and has a large living room with working corner fireplace, farmhouse-style kitchen and three pretty bedrooms, all with ensuite shower rooms. Outside is a furnished veranda with barbecue, terraced gardens with a wooden gazebo with table and seats and a swimming pool.  Rental is from £1,000 per week to £1,636.    

Prices are for rental only but Invitation to Tuscany offers attractive rates on car rental.

For more information, visit invitationtotuscany.com.