La Foresteria Serego Alighieri

La Foresteria Serego Alighieri is on a working farm producing wine and olive oil. Only a discreet brass sign on the gate hints at any commercialism, yet it is indeed a fabulous place to stay. Each reasonably priced guestroom is a one- or two-bedroom apartment with a well-equipped kitchen, charming living room, and a large bathroom tiled in local marble. The decor throughout reflects tasteful, elegant simplicity—whitewashed walls set off country antiques, and comfortable sofas are upholstered in Venetian pure-cotton fabrics in green and cream stripes. Soft green is repeated in the pretty cotton drapes and bedspreads. It is not surprising that La Foresteria has been developed with such love and meticulous care to maintain the estate’s authentic charm—the present owner, the gracious Count di Serego Alighieri, is the 20th generation to own the property! Family records indicate the first ancestor to own the land was the poet Dante’s son, who purchased the estate in 1353. This vast farm was almost doomed at the end of World War II when the retreating armies had orders to destroy it. As a forestalling tactic, the present count’s father invited the commanding officers to a magnificent party. Perhaps it was the abundance of the excellent wines served, but happily the officers forgot their orders. To celebrate this miracle of the saving of the town, every April the local townspeople make a pilgrimage to the estate to celebrate mass—followed, of course, by a little wine.