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Outdoor terrace at Colle ai Lecci agriturismo, Chianti, with a linen-draped table set for coffee against a centuries-old stone and brick farmhouse facade with olive-green shutters and hydrangeas

A Creative's Borgo

Colle ai Lecci

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Intro

Colle ai Lecci sits spread across two hectares in the green heartlands of Chianti, Tuscany, a centuries-old storied retreat helmed by Innsbruck-based architect-designers Nina Mair and Ana Turcan, where nature, community, design and craft converge. Here, long sun-dappled days are punctuated by fragrant wafts of wild mint and lavender, hands-on creative workshops, and a hearty helping of local reds – fitting, as the estate was once a historic winery.

Dating back to 1720, the estate consists of three stone-built rustic Italian farmhouses reinvented as a borgo, a small, self-contained village where simplicity reigns. Within each apartment, a tactile palette of natural stone, terracotta brick, wood, and clay honours the spirit of place while offering sweeping views over Siena, Castelnuovo Berardenga, and San Gusmè. Outside, soft Tuscan light filters through the olive groves, where a pool sits in the shade of the trees. But what truly sets this agriturismo apart is the access it provides to a network of global creatives, local communities, and borderless ideas. The team partners with legacy craftspeople, from designers and artists to architects and florists, to host regular workshops and retreats, allowing guests to tune in, not only to nature, but their innate creativity. Colle ai Lecci is more than an overnight guesthouse; it is a place to feel life, infused by the soul of Tuscany.

Rooted – Sweet Heritage and Material Honesty

Open-plan communal kitchen and workshop space at Colle ai Lecci, Chianti, featuring exposed terracotta brick arches, a vintage glazed walnut cabinet stocked with Tuscan wines, and a contemporary stone-toned island by architect Nina Mair

Tuscan life is intrinsically tied to the land. For centuries, the region and its people have sustained themselves through a symbiotic relationship with nature. Colle ai Lecci leans into this green heritage, paying homage to its bucolic surroundings by creating a calming sanctuary, a world quite apart from the flurry of urban life. Creamy, cappuccino-hued interiors make a soothing counterpoint to the farmstead’s more rustic features: terracotta brick arches, original stone floors and restored wooden beams. The estate’s 1,000-year-old foundations provide historical weight that the design honours through material honesty. By using local lime, natural stone, and raw clay, the refurbishment breathes contemporary lightness into the structure’s ancient bones.

The overall aesthetic carries Mair’s signature: timeless, custom-designed items paired with Scandinavian and Italian furniture, all anchored by chunky-loop jute rugs that provide texture and warmth. At the heart of the Colle ai Lecci concept is an ethos of creativity and collaboration. The project has been conceived as a constantly evolving workshop, where creative exchange and co-living are encouraged. An airy, open lounge lends itself to free-flowing conversation, with additional spaces designed for brainstorming and collaboration. Outside, the architecture dissolves into the landscape. Between olive-green shutters and honey-hued brick, shadows of Moraiolo and Frantoio trees flicker across the facade. Whether harvesting from the biological vegetable garden or resting in hammocks slung between olive trees, the estate provides a soul-soothing backdrop ripe for daydreaming.

Whether harvesting from the biological vegetable garden or resting in hammocks slung between olive trees, the estate provides a soul-soothing backdrop ripe for daydreaming

The Austrian Tuscan

Serene boutique bedroom at Colle ai Lecci, Tuscany, with original restored timber beams, terracotta tile floors, linen bedding in natural tones and globe bedside lamps, designed by architect Nina Mair Architects and co-founders Nina Mair and Ana Turcan at the entrance to Colle ai Lecci borgo, Chianti Classico, Tuscany, outside the restored 1720 stone farmhouse with terracotta courtyard and resident cat

Spearheaded by award-winning Austrian architect Nina Mair in collaboration with designer Ana Turcan, Colle ai Lecci draws from Nina’s early architectural studies at Florence’s Accademia di Belle Arti. This formative experience in the cradle of Western art history inspired a space designed for dreamers: one where creative experiments and meaningful encounters are complemented by calming interiors that honour the landscape.

Now, working from a former soap factory in the peak-fenced heart of Innsbruck, Mair bridges her Renaissance-era roots with a contemporary, alpine-informed vision. The result is a refined Tuscan retreat that celebrates the region's artistic heritage while providing a modern sanctuary for curious travellers.

Chianti & Co

Straddling the famously feuding cities of Florence and Siena, the Chianti Classico region is world-renowned for its high-altitude vineyards. Here, the Sangiovese grape manifests as world-class wines, each bottle stamped with the iconic black rooster – the historic seal of the territory. The region’s rolling hills are carpeted with a patchwork of greens, with groves and forests that flicker with the silver-backed leaves of wild olives. Amid these fertile plains, you’ll find the village of Castelnuovo Berardenga, where the hum of Italian life beats on to the same unhurried drum it has for centuries.

At the heart of this landscape lies Colle ai Lecci, perfectly positioned near Italy's most significant cultural landmarks and Florence (a 50-minute drive). Life here follows the quiet cadence of the seasons and the soil; the estate's 20,000 sqm olive grove, home to 350 trees, sits 465 metres above sea level on biological soil rich in clay and limestone. It is from this earth that a superior extra virgin olive oil is born, a blend of Moraiolo, Frantoio, and Leccino species, grown and manufactured entirely in situ. Surrounded by fields replete with wildflowers, it is a place that invites you to inhabit the landscape rather than merely observe it.

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