When we visited the fabulous hot springs of Saturnia as a winter getaway, we looked at many agriturismi and holiday homes, but decided to try out the appealing Borgo di Sempronio. First, I’m a sucker for all things “rustic” and liked the looks of the apartments, and second, I’m also a sucker for grass-roots types of efforts, a category the albergo diffuso movement would fit into.
What is “albergo diffuso”?
The idea is to establish a hotel in an historic but declining town, sprinkling rooms throughout the old section in renovated homes rather than clustered into one building. The innovative approach offers a hotel’s hospitality and amenities without the sterile uniformity so often found in tourist structures. An albergo diffuso not only avoids the construction of a new (and often ugly) hotel on the outskirts, it takes buildings that have been abandoned and gives them new purpose while keeping their antique appeal.
In short, the goal is to renovate abandoned buildings, resuscitate local artisan crafts, and re-inhabit the town.
Il Borgo di Sempronio
Located north of Saturnia, the village of Semproniano is just off the “tourist track” of the area, but actually conveniently situated for jaunts to Monte Amiata (for ski or hiking enthusiasts), the “rock towns” of Pitigliano, Sorano and Sovana, as well as our primary motive –those glorious thermal waters.
We arrived in town and followed the directions to the reception. We were barely out of the car when a gentleman coming out of the coffee bar smiled and pointed up the hill to indicate the hotel’s location, then bid us a buona giornata. We quickly learned that an albergo diffuso may actually be more hospitable than a traditional hotel because the townspeople also play their part in welcoming visitors and making them feel at home.
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Our hostess couldn’t have been more bubbly and kind. She showed us our apartment, helped us make dinner reservations for Christmas Eve, gave us a bulking bag with plush robes to take with us to the hot springs, and kept the door open for anything we might need. During our stay she gave us recommendations on places to go that we would have certainly overlooked, as well as restaurants and routes. She showed us some of the other suites (I like to look at restored properties and it’s always good for tourism reference). She was truly enthusiastic for her town and the general area.
The Apartment
We selected the Borgo apartment because it looked like the most rustic. Indeed, it was a converted hay barn and retained the steep wooden staircase to the upper level, worn terra cotta floors and Old World atmosphere. It was cozy and warm inside. The owner left some firewood for us, which we used on our Christmas Day dinner for a romantic atmosphere (but not because we needed the warmth, the radiators worked blessedly well). Beds were comfy and the place was surprisingly silent despite its in-town location across from the village bar.
We used the kitchen, which was outfitted with the basics for a normal meal. It could use a little updating but we didn’t really lack what we needed to prepare even a festive meal. We shopped at the local stores and found a good deal of regional products, fresh-baked bread and local vino. The town, despite being small, has three food shops, a bakery, a butcher, and three very good restaurants. There was also a mercato, where we lined up with local ladies and bought fresh fish just in from the nearby coast. The supermercato even has a vat of local wine that you can take your own bottle and fill up for a very low price (I think it was 1.20/liter).
We tried out the restaurants during our stay, too. One had excellent cinghiale (Bryan likes nothing better than a plate of well-prepared wild boar). The other offered some nice Tuscan takes on homemade pasta and fowl, while the third is a pizzeria that uses an old regional grain in its crust (delicious!)
With the warm welcomes from the owner and the townsfolk, the location, the charm and comfort level, we’d definitely return.