How To Vacation Like A True Italian This Summer
For a country renowned for its abundance of beautiful, beloved destinations, it’s unsurprising that Italians are well-versed in the art of vacation. So, this summer, why not follow their lead and embrace a villeggiatura? Below, JASMINE BONI-BALL, owner of luxury villa company Tuscany Now & More, shares the essential elements for this summer ritual – and eight exquisite properties to bookmark
“Villeggiatura is not simply the Italian word for holiday – it’s a cultural ritual rooted in place, memory, and season,” shares Tuscany Now & More’s Jasmine Boni-Ball. “It describes the annual summer retreat from routine into something slower, more elemental: time spent outdoors, unhurried meals, the same streets walked again and again until they feel like part of you.
“In Italy, we honor summer not through spectacle but by returning to a familiar rhythm,” she continues. “For some, it’s the coast – a house by the sea, where days stretch between beach and terrace. For others, it’s the hills or countryside, where cicale (cicadas) drone in the afternoon heat and dinner is eaten under fig trees.”
Embrace the essential elements of villeggiatura
1. “A long stay – long enough to build a routine.”
2. “Minimal plans, and a willingness to let time unfold naturally.”
3. “Outdoor living: eating outside, swimming, walking, reading in the shade.”
4. “A strong sense of place – somewhere you can connect to emotionally, not just physically.”
5. “A house that allows life to flow slowly and without interruption.”
Slow the pace
“Villeggiatura is not about escape; it’s about reconnection – with nature, but also with yourself, with others, and with that quieter, slower version of time that so often gets lost in modern life. In a world that rarely pauses, villeggiatura gives us permission to stop measuring time by productivity. There’s no pressure to do anything – just the freedom to be. To cook without rush. To rest without guilt. To return to a more human rhythm.”
Enjoy the simple pleasures
“The beauty lies in the simplicity: coffee at sunrise, cards after dinner, books half-read on the veranda, and the gentle accumulation of shared, unplanned moments that become lifelong memories. Stay long enough to lose the impulse to check your phone. Cook with what you find locally. Eat outside. Travel with people who make you feel most like yourself. Leave space in your days for doing nothing at all. That’s where the magic lives – in the quiet between plans.”
Find a home away from home – but better
“Choose a place worth staying in – somewhere you can settle and sink in. The ideal destination is one that encourages a slower pace, somewhere beautiful, but also grounded and alive with local rhythm. It might be in the hills of Tuscany, by the sea in Costiera (the Amalfi Coast), or tucked away in the wilds of Umbria. What matters is how it makes you feel.
“Private villas are the natural setting for villeggiatura because they offer space, privacy, and freedom. There’s no schedule. You wake when you like. Eat where you like. Wander barefoot from one room to the next. You live as if the home were your own – which is exactly the point.”
Here are eight standout villas that embody the spirit of villeggiatura – each offering a uniquely Italian invitation to slow down, settle in, and savor summer…
Villa Sigurtà, Lake Garda, Veneto
“For centuries, it’s believed Villa Sigurtà has been a summer sanctuary for the same noble family – a place where generations returned each year to retreat from the city and live slowly by the lake. Set within a vast private park, the villa blends grandeur with quiet intimacy: frescoed rooms, shaded loggias, and gardens that seem to go on forever.”
Pieve di Ponsano, Volterra, Tuscany
“This former church, restored with poetic restraint, sits deep inside the Berignone Nature Reserve, where silence feels complete and time feels suspended. Interiors are pared back but warm, shaped by natural textures and a reverence for the original structure. It’s not just a place to rest; it’s a place to reflect, reconnect with the land, and let the modern world fall away.”
Sartomare, Maremma, Southern Tuscany
“Sartomare is an estate you’ll never want to leave. Hidden among coastal pines, it’s discreetly luxurious: a private chef, butler, gym, and tennis court, all wrapped in earthy, deeply personal interiors. You feel the owners’ hands in every choice – from the linens to the way light filters through each room. This is where villeggiatura becomes ritual: the same deckchair, the same view, day after day, until it becomes part of you.”
Villa Cieli, Versilia Coast, Tuscany
“Villa Cieli sits high above the Versilia coastline, surrounded by sea breezes and a garden that feels almost untamed, layered with flowers, fruit trees, and shifting light. There’s a quiet grandeur to the house, but nothing showy: wide sun-filled rooms, high ceilings, and a layout that invites you to live as much outdoors as in. The sea feels close – just a short drive away – but up here, you’re wrapped in peace. It’s a home for families to spread out, follow their own rhythms, and gather again at the end of the day, with the evening light pouring through open windows.”
Fraloga, above Positano, Amalfi Coast
“Fraloga hovers above Positano like a quiet thought. Its architecture is sharp, elegant, and modern – a counterpoint to the wild verticality of the coast. Here, you don’t compete with the Amalfi crowd; you observe it from a serene distance. Days unfold between expansive terraces, shaded corners, and rooms where sea and sky become one.”
Dadianora, Val d’Orcia, Tuscany
“Set against the cinematic backdrop of the Val d’Orcia, Dadianora is a reimagined farmhouse where the pulse of rural Tuscany still beats. Inside, the design is soft-spoken – nothing showy, everything intentional. But it’s the setting that steals your breath: vast skies, undulating hills, and the quiet authority of a place shaped by centuries of seasons.”
Ca’ di Lista, Colli Euganei, Veneto
“Originally built as a Renaissance hunting lodge, Ca’ di Lista was where the Venetian aristocracy came to breathe – away from the lagoon, into the hills. Its frescoed halls, vaulted cellars, and walled gardens speak of long, languid summers filled with books, conversation, and wine from the surrounding vineyards. The same family still owns it, and their love of place is felt in every room. This is villeggiatura in its purest form – a home of memory, rhythm, and rest.”
Estate of Petroio, Chianti, Tuscany
“Estate of Petroio captures the spirit of villeggiatura at its most generous. Once the country retreat of an important Florentine family – who still own it today – the estate carries a deep sense of continuity. Set across rolling Tuscan countryside, it is entirely self-contained, with vineyards, olive groves, walking trails, and a team that makes daily life feel effortless. Meals appear without fuss, local wine flows freely, and the rhythms of the land set the tone: slow mornings, shaded afternoons, dinners under the stars.”