Residenza d'Epoca Palazzo Malfatti

Oh, my! What a find!! We only ended up finding the town of Massa Marittima because we couldn’t find accommodations in Populonia, where we were going to explore the Etruscan ruins. And, somehow, we happened on Palazzo Malfatti, a “residenza d’epoca,” an historic residence. The town itself is quite a gem! Interesting culturally and historically, and not touristy. And, as other reviewers have noted, the apartments at the Palazzo Malfatti are grand! Ours was huge, cavernous, really, with high ceilings, cathedral windows, so much space! There was a large, large, think “very large!” bedroom-sitting room, a kitchen, and a modern and well-supplied bathroom. There was an additional loft with two queen or double beds, which we weren’t using and which weren’t made up, but which could accommodate another four people. The entire apartment and the historic building were tastefully appointed, with both traditional and modern art and furnishings. There are many sitting areas in common spaces, which, given more time, we would have enjoyed sitting in. It was, in fact, magical! We paid €80/night and we commented that our accommodations just kept getting better throughout our trip. We met Enrico briefly, on the street, and Vittorio was our main contact, who gave us restaurant recommendations and also parking logistical tips. Since the large hourly pay parking lot is just steps from the Residenza, and since we were driving to see Etruscan ruins during the day, it made sense for us to keep our car there. You pay 1€/hour from 8:00 am till 8:00 pm, but there’s no charge overnight from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am, AND you can pre-pay for the morning (say two hours worth, 8:00-10:00 am). So for people who will be out and about from 10:00 am-5:00 pm, it really only costs €5/day! Otherwise, if you’ll just be parking your car for the duration of your stay and don’t want to pay €12/day, there are free lots a little further out (as with most Tuscan towns). The only downside for us was that, even with all the many wall-mounted and free-standing lamps on, the room was still pretty dimly lit, making it romantic looking but difficult for us to read. There were a few packaged breakfast items, but we went out to eat for all meals. It IS a residence, and, if we were staying longer, we would have bought some groceries and done a little of our own cooking. All in all, I would highly recommend this gorgeous place to anyone lucky enough to be going to Massa Marittima!

The Palazzo Malfatti has become our residence of choice on our annual short visits to Massa Marittima, which have always been in low season when the rates are truly low. But this year we were obliged to make the visit at mid-year, paying twice the rate we pay in January -- and it is still wonderful. This time we stayed in a different apartment, with window views of both the Piazza del Duomo on one side and up Via della Libertà on the other -- the heart of medieval Massa, as seen from its faithfully preserved private medieval palazzo. This apartment also has an upper level additional bedroom as well as kitchen, but without a bathtub. There were three fans provided to deal with summer's heat; one became non-functioning, but the back-up fan was adequate. Vittorio even provided us with a small container of milk, but we preferred not to eat the cereals in the kitchen and went to the café in the loggia facing the piazza for our morning cappuccino and pastries. (This doubles as a gelateria in the heat of the day.) We have the impression that Enrico and Vittorio, the co-owners, attend to much of the housekeeping themselves; there are just eight units to attend to. It's the joys of marinating in the Middle Ages while looking out each of the Gothic windows, of having spacious accommodations and attentive owners, and being in a jewel of a town as authentic and low-key as Massa that keep us coming back to the Palazzo Malfatti.