Sustainability & Agriculture

Welcome to an Old World estate, with a fresh, forward-thinking attitude towards sustainability: original art works are created by artists in Villa Lena’s studios; the restaurant creates dishes mainly using produce grown organically on the estate, aperitivi are infused with foraged fruits and apartments are furnished with carefully selected ‘upcycled’ furnishings spanning decades. Whether a guest, artist or chef, it’s hard to leave Villa Lena without a renewed sense of purpose and a heightened respect for nature, an appreciation of the slower things in life, and a passion for using creativity to inspire and educate others. The deftly managed rebirth of Villa Lena respects the past as much as it looks to the future. Ancient tradition complements renewable technology and next-generation thinking.

SUSTAINABLE, NATURALLY

This is wild, rural Tuscany—a world apart from the genteel hills most tourists know. Set in 500 hectares of hillside olive groves, vineyards, vegetable gardens and woodland, Villa Lena is as close to nature as it gets. Passionately managed our agricultural team on biodynamic principles, the farm survives on a ‘closed-loop system’—we buy no seeds, we create no waste. Foraging in the surrounding nature strawberry tree and wild asparagus. Arts and agriculture also meet science at Villa Lena: inspired by nature, resident artists have documented the estates’s unique ecology and this effort is being lovingly translated into a beautifully curated conservation log.

ANCIENT SOIL, SLOW FOODS

Underpinned by a traditional Tuscan diet of whole grains, beans, olive oil, nuts, fruits and vegetables, we are constantly striving for the food served at Villa Lena to be entirely produced on the estate. Our 2,000 olive trees and Sangiovese vines are certified organic — with 600 litres of extra virgin olive oil produced a year, as well as two types of red wine, which many guests buy to take home. Everything served, from the cola to the butter, the dried pasta to the organic meat, is of Tuscan origin. Conservation is symbiotic with the estate’s management. When the thriving wild boar population starts to take a negative toll on the land, digging up so much vegetation that landslides become a risk, they are ethically hunted as game — along with other indigenous species including pheasant, red deer, mouflon and rabbits.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

Recalibrating for a more efficient future and committed to reducing energy consumption, Villa Lena’s owners are conserving the historic buildings with sensitivity to the environment. The focus in the main turn-of-the-century villa has been restoration and ‘upcycling’. A local carpenter made the dining tables using locally sourced wood and reclaimed tiles from the picturesque seaside town of Forte di Marmi, famous for its marble throughout Italy. Dilapidated wardrobes found gathering dust in the villa have been brought back to life and, wherever possible, the original stonework has been exposed to reveal the villa’s true age. In contrast, the recently renovated San Michele and Fattoria buildings, which house accommodation and the restaurant, are powered by renewable energy.

"Relax away from the world among 500 hectares of woodland, vineyards, olive groves, and organic vegetable gardens"

— Departures, 2019

A WORKING FARM

With over 2,000 olive trees, hectares of red and white wine grapes, livestock and organic vegetable gardens, Villa Lena is a fully operational agricultural project.

We are striving to be fully sustainable and biodynamic within the next few years. The programme to reach this goal includes expanding the amount of land dedicated to growing produce for the kitchen whilst also taking account of rain water collection systems to ensure that the estate does not need to draw water from other sources.

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Organic and biodynamic agriculture

The biodynamic programme takes into account each of the agricultural functions in relation to overall estate. In an effort to create a ‘closed loop system’, the waste from one operation is used for another agricultural purpose and each element is used in more than one way, contributing to the greater circular economy of the estate. For example, pruned foliage from the olive trees are mulched to create compost that is then used in the organic vegetable gardens that supply the Villa Lena restaurant’s kitchen.

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PURPOSE-DRIVEN ARTS, CRAFTS AND CULTURE

Whether a guest, artist or chef, it’s hard to leave Villa Lena without a renewed sense of purpose and a heightened respect for nature, an appreciation of the slower things in life, and a passion for using creativity to inspire and educate others. As well as inspiring today’s travellers and creatives, it also pays forward to the next generation.

We believe the safe and inspiring place that is shared with kids who visited at Villa Lena should be available to all children so we have pledged to donate 10% of all profits – from room bookings to olive oil sales – to UNICEF Italia.

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Our Pledge

In times of uncertainty, we are committed to making meaningful actions as long as we can. Read more about our pledge here.

Our Pledge

A MAGICAL VILLA
IN THE WILD WOODS
OF TUSCANY