In the hills near Buonconvento, in the province of Siena, Borgo Finocchieto brings together historic stone buildings, gardens and the changing light of the Tuscan countryside. I photographed the property during my work with Airbnb Luxe, exploring how its interiors, courtyards and landscape form a connected whole.
In 2017, the estate drew international attention when Barack and Michelle Obama stayed there during a visit to Tuscany. Its story, however, begins centuries earlier.
A village shaped by its landscape
Set close to the Via Francigena, the historic pilgrimage route, the borgo was once a small rural settlement. A map from 1318 records Finocchieto; generations lived and worked among these fields before the buildings gradually fell into disrepair. The estate’s own history traces the site back approximately eight centuries.
Seen from above, the relationship is clear: the buildings sit within a wider agricultural landscape of hills, fields and cypress-lined roads. At dawn, mist softens the valley, while warmer light gradually reveals the texture of the stone and the geometry of the gardens.
Restoration and craftsmanship
In 2001, American lawyer and later US ambassador to Italy John Phillips acquired the abandoned village and began a restoration that lasted around eight years. Architect Amalia Agnelli and interior designer Karen Hartmann worked on the project with local craftspeople. A contemporary account of the restoration describes the care taken with the existing buildings, materials and openings.
The result is not a single villa but a collection of spaces arranged around a central piazza. Stone walls, timber beams, tiled floors and arches retain a sense of the village’s history, while the furnishings make the rooms feel lived in. The courtyard is both a gathering place and a transition between the buildings.
Rooms with a sense of place
Inside, the photographs move from shared rooms into quieter spaces. In the suite shown below, exposed beams, soft upholstery and a deep red rug give the room a restrained warmth. The position of the windows and furniture makes the daylight part of the atmosphere rather than simply a source of illumination.
A Tuscan visit
In May 2017, Barack and Michelle Obama stayed at Borgo Finocchieto during a trip to the Siena area. Local reporting also recorded a dinner prepared for them by chef Massimo Bottura and a wine tasting with Filippo Bartolotta. ANSA reported the occasion; Architectural Digest covered the couple’s wider visit to Tuscany.
For me, photographing a place like this is about more than recording individual rooms. The wider views explain how the village belongs to its surroundings; a courtyard, a window or a beam brings the scale back to the experience of being there. Together, they tell a more complete story of the property.
