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Guest Services
Here is a list of the services that we offer to make your stay at Il Rifugio more pleasant and more interesting. If there is something you would like that we haven't offer here, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to fulfill your request.
We cannot guarantee that all services will be available all the time so please plan ahead and let us know what you want before you arrive so we have time to make any necessary arrangements.
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| Catered Stay |
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If you are interested in taking full advantage of your
vacation by not doing any of the usual day-to-day
activities such as cleaning, cooking, driving or even
thinking of where to go while you are at Il Rifugio,
we offer anything from basic to a full service stay.
We can provide house cleaning services, meals, transportation
and even arrange for day trips. Since this service is
so variable, we will have to quote each individual request.
Let us know your needs and we will do our best to fulfill
them.
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| In-House Dinner |
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This is a very popular service that we provide for
our guests. We shop for, prepare, cook and serve a fantastic
4 or 6 course dinner at Il Rifugio, and then cleanup
after. We also buffet dinner service where you serve
yourself and clean up after. Dinners take some specific
planning such as the type of meal and the number of
people eating. Due to the preparation and time required
for a meal, there is a 6 person minimum for in house
dinners.
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| Stone Sculpting |
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Ok, so you have been to a couple of hill towns and you don't feel like getting in the car today but you want to do something in spirit of the ancient Tuscan past while you are at Il Rifugio. Take a day and put chisel to
stone and release what your mind's eye already knows is there. Join the ranks of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Bernini and the other
Italian artists that defined the art of stone sculpting. Now it's your turn. Go home with your own masterpiece and the tools that created it.
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| Renascence Art Night |
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Brush up on your art history and spend an evening at Il Rifugio immersed in Italian Renascence life. We will bring in a local expert of Renascence art to give a talk on the subject and provide a dinner comprised of typical food from the period while listen to Renascence music. Go bonkers and dress for the occasion.
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| House Cleaning |
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You will be on vacation after all, so why not have
someone take care of the house cleaning details for
you. Of course when you arrive at Il Rifugio the house
will be completely cleaned with all fresh linens but
if you want an additional mid-week or daily cleaning
service, we can arrange for someone to come in and keep
the house tidy for you. It is best to let us know in
advance so we can schedule someone to accommodate your
specific needs.
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| Cooking Class |
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If you love Italian food and you love to cook, then
why not let us plan an Italian cooking lesson for you
while you are at Il Rifugio. Using the freshest seasonably
available food, you will plan, shop for, and prepare
a delicious Italian feast where the main ingredients
are fun and laughter.
Cooking classes take some planning
and instructors are often unavailable so please let us know a month or two ahead if you want to schedule a class. This will
give us the best chance of getting a class scheduled
for you. Classes are a half or full day and prices include food
but not wine.
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| Wine Tasting |
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This is a highly customizable service performed by
Marco Molesini who is a professional English speaking
sommelier with extensive knowledge of local and regional
Italian wines. The tasting can take place at Il Rifugio
where Marco will bring the glasses, wine and optionally
some traditional meats, cheeses and bread to compliment
the wine. He can customize his talk based on the interests
of the participants. It can range in subject matter
from how to taste wine to specific details of wine from
a particular region or a discussion of Italian wines
in general. The tasting can be blind, vertical or horizontal.
We can also combine the tasting with an in-house dinner,
matching a wine to each course of the meal.
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| Olive Oil Tasting |
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Like the wine tasting, this also can be customized
to suit your taste. It will be performed by an English
speaking person that is very knowledgeable about the
local olive oil. You can arrange to have the tasting
at a at Il Rifugio or at the home of the person hosting
the tasting. The tasting can include food in the form
of local meats and cheeses and some local wine. Due
to the preparation and time required for the tasting,
there is a 6 person minimum requirement.
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| Prefix Lunch/Dinner
at Local Restaurant |
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This is a bargain and a great experience in my book.
Very good friends of mine, Deborah& Arnaldo Rossi,
the owners of "Ristorante Pane e Vino" in
Cortona, have prepared 3 prefix menus especially for
guests of Il Rifugio. We can arrange for your party
to go when the restaurant is normally open or in some
instances off hours for a private party if their schedule
permits.
Each course of the prefix meal is paired with a glass
of wine. The prefix menu requires that you select one
of the 3 choices and there is a minimum of 6 people.
Even if you don't want the prefix meals, go and order
from their regular menu any time. You definitely won't
be disappointed and you just might learn something about
regional Italian food and wine. Many of the great deserts
are homemade by Deborah.
Eating at Pane e Vino is not just a meal... it's an
education.
Pane
e Vino prefix menu for Il Rifugio
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| Grocery Delivery |
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The Molesini family began serving Cortona in 1937 and
they continue today with their grocery market and enoteca.
Marco Molesini, carrying on the family tradition of
service, has offered to deliver groceries to the doorstep
of Il Rifugio at no charge (we ask that you don't order
just a bottle of water).
This is a great first day service since the arrival
day is always on a Saturday and guests are usually tired
from travel and it is often difficult to find stores
open on Sunday.
If you are interested in this service, simply make
up a list of grocery items that you would like to have
when you arrive and fax or email it directly to Marco
a few days before you arrive. They will do their best
to fill your order accurately always on the side of
better quality when in doubt. Be as specific as you
feel is necessary but also try to be flexible. This
is a small market and they will sometimes have to go
to another local market if they don't have an item.
Your correspondence should be to the attention of Marco
and include your name, the day that you want the groceries
delivered and of course that you will be staying at
Il Rifugio. Deliveries are typically between 10:00 AM
and Noon. We can cover the bill and you can reimburse
us when you arrive.
When you arrive in Cortona be sure to visit the Molesini
market (in piazza Repubblica 3 - 22 - 23) and the enoteca
across the street. Marco is also set up to ship wine
virtually anywhere.
Web: www.molesini-market.com
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| Private Local Tours |
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Cortona - A walking tour
of Cortona where you will be taken through the streets
and told about the art, architecture and rich ancient
history of the town. This tour is highly customizable
and can concentrate on certain aspects of your particular
interest. Tour duration can last from a minimum of one
hour to the better part of the day. You will get the
most out of the tour by keeping the group small so it
is requested that no more than 10 people attend at one
time.
Etruscan Tombs - This tour
includes an interesting walk from Cortona down to the
Etruscan tombs. You will be allowed inside the tombs
where your guide will explain the history and recent
discoveries in and around the tombs.
Museum Tour - Personalized
private tours can be arranged for any of the 3 local
museums. If you plan on visiting any of the local museums
this is the best way to do it.
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