Picture relaxing by the firepit outside your private (and understatedly elegant) Tuscan villa – away from the workaday world, glass of chianti in hand and watching the sun set over rolling hills of vineyards and olive groves. Pop an olive in your mouth as the deep blue Mediterranean skies slowly give way to a clear starry night with lights from the 14 towers of nearby San Gimignano on the next hill.

Sounds great, right? Well, this is exactly the kind of exclusive experience Villa Ardore in Tuscany offers.

So let's take a look inside this villa, escape from the daily grind and enjoy some unashamedly indulgent self-love.

The Ultimate Escape for Everyone

Italy’s Villa Ardore is a luxurious villa found deep in the heart of Tuscany's wine country, built on the grounds of a 15th century Italian watchtower. The villa provides an authentic Tuscan country atmosphere—stone walls, wood beams, handmade terra cotta floors, and a large country fireplace—but without sacrificing modern convenience and luxury. There are USB ports at every bedside, heated floors in the winter, air conditioning in the summer, a fully-equipped chef’s kitchen, a sound system that you can control from your cell phone, a climate-controlled, fully-stocked wine room, property-wide high-speed wi-fi, and an infinity-edge pool, to name only few. All in a private, gated location that is out in the Tuscan country but only a 40 minute drive from the center of Florence.

Let's put it this way: you won't be at a loss for envy inducing Instagram pics. It encompasses a wide array of dining and entertainment rooms – from a large dining room to fit the whole crowd to an expansive loggia with stunning views – each exquisitely decorated with care and attention to detail for a fully immersive experience. The owner's thoughtful commitment to authenticity in the restoration and modernization of Villa Ardore is seen everywhere, from its original terracotta floors and wood-beamed ceilings to ambient LED lighting illuminating its ancient stone walls and pathways throughout the villa grounds.

Furthermore, Villa Ardore is gay-owned and offers an inclusive experience for anyone looking to get away from it all. The owners, Christian and Stephen, have ties to the greater LGBTQ+ community – When Stephen was a lawyer for the City of West Hollywood, he wrote the amicus brief on behalf of the cities and counties of California in the In re Marriage Cases, one of only three (of the hundreds of amicus briefs submitted to the California Supreme Court) that its Chief Justice relied on in upholding gay marriage in California in 2008. As such, the villa's doors are very much open to all. Whether you are looking for some quality time with a loved one, a wedding, birthday, group gathering, work event – or just to get some time out from the stresses of the 21st century, the villa is spacious enough to cater to your needs. They are even offering a special Pride package should you be in need of an elegant approach to gay pride.

A Taste of Tuscany

Villa Ardore is perfectly situated to take advantage of everything that Tuscany has to offer – which is frankly a lot. Tuscany is a varied landscape of rolling hillsides carpeted in lush greenery, medieval towns standing sentinel to the ages, ripe vineyards and secret gardens overflowing with color and scent. The villa is uniquely located in the center of the region of Chianti, just minutes from the medieval towns of Castellina-in-Chianti and San Gimignano – yes, they are as decadently beautiful as they sound – and just under an hour drive from Florence Airport. The region is really on the pulse when it comes to having a more progressive and accepting mindset, leaving you free to explore while using the villa as a base and getting to know this enchanting part of Italy.

Plenty to See, Plenty to Do, Plenty to Eat

Relaxation is the name of the game, but that can mean different things for different people. Therefore, Villa Ardore has a lot to help anyone wind down. Christian and Stephen go well out of their way to make your home away from home perfectly private for your group. Tucked away and intimate, yet with easy access to excursions and adventures of all kinds, enjoy bespoke travel experiences catered to you and your guests' individual wills and wants.

One of the villa's defining features is a large, heated infinity pool and enormous pooldeck with unrivaled views over the surrounding vineyards. By day soak in the Tuscan sun on a lounger and by night enjoy a cocktail while taking in the view beside the picturesquely illuminated pool and poolbar pavilion. Pure undiluted indulgence can be found in the villa's private roman spa – one of the few in the region. It comes complete with dry and steam saunas, a sensory shower and a 8-person whirlpool– perfect to enjoy with your group after a hard day's sight-seeing or relaxation. Engage in a traditional Italian game on the lawn's bocce court. Bocce ball – a ball sport like boules – is both undeniably fun and sophistically highbrow!

The food is – unsurprisingly – to die for. Come mealtime you can feast on authentic Tuscan fare at one of the many inviting local restaurants or step it up a notch and take in exquisite Michelin awarded creations at nearby Albergaccio or Pietracupa. Your travel curator can even schedule a fabulous a multi-course Private Chef lunch or dinner at the villa. For an unforgettable and entertaining dining experience, your curator can arrange a pizzaiolo to come teach you how to make use of the outdoor wood-fired pizza oven. Harvest your pizza ingredients from the culinary and herb gardens with a glass of chianti in hand and let the pizzaiolo work his magic or get your hands in the dough and create your own masterpiece. For a simple country-life breakfast, Villa Ardore's chickens provide fresh eggs (and post-perfect gathering photos) every morning. Last, but most definitely not least, there's the wine. You are after all in the center of the wine country and are free to sample all the best wines the region has to offer – sample by the bottle of course!

Villa Ardore is the perfect antidote to a fast-paced stress-inducing world. When away from it all, anything is possible. So why not escape to a land of tranquility, peace and wine – and enjoy the luxury of being your true self. Click here to learn more about the special Pride package.

This article was sponsored by Villa Ardore.