In a less-travelled part of Tuscany, and high on a hill overlooking a bucolic valley, Borgo Santo Pietro sits on the former site of a medieval sanctuary for pilgrims walking to Rome. The acclaimed five-star hotel and spa (most recently awarded the No. 1 Resort in Europe in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2018) is something of a miracle itself. What was once a dilapidated farmhouse surrounded by abandoned pig sties and ruined stables is now an elegant manor house and Michelinstarred restaurant in one of Tuscany’s most beautiful grounds.

“I wanted the gardens to be so lush that I could disappear into them,” says Jeanette Thottrup, a former fashion designer, who bought the run-down borgo in 2001 with her husband Claus. The Danish couple, who restore and decorate historic and listed properties in the UK and Europe, stumbled across the 12th-centuryfarm on their way to Florence airport and initially intended on making it their home.

Instead, they moved from London to Florence, where they own the Michelinstarred La Bottega del Buon Caffe, and gradually turned the country estate into a luxury hotel, Relais & Châteaux-branded gourmet retreat, spa and farm. In the process, the property absorbed part of the nearby village of Palazzetto to create a cooking school, a cheese-making factory to process the milk from their flock of sheep, and a chocolate shop.

‘Lush’ is an understatement. There are more than five hectares of greenery, arranged like outdoor rooms, from a verdant herb garden that supplies ingredients for the spa and the Borgo’s new skincare range, Seed to Skin, to the extensive, thriving organic vegetable garden that supplies the kitchens at both the Borgo and the Bottega in Florence.

A peaceful lawn area features lavender and tented daybeds, and there are orchards, olive and lemon groves, and formal gardens with sculptural hedges and antique statues. The charming artist’s studio overlooking a pretty lake is a gift from Claus to Jeanette when their son Vincent was born.

The 20-guest-room manor house includes pool villas, and each bedroom is exquisitely and individually designed by Jeanette, who has a fine eye for details, fabrics and antiques. A beautiful bathroom in a pool villa, for instance, sits in a greenhouse setting, lit by a Baroque chandelier and veiled in lace curtains.

The furnishings are opulent, and include eclectic pieces Jeanette has collected and restored over the years, as well as swathes of Fortuny fabrics in curtains, cushions and upholstery. But despite the grandeur, the vibe is unpretentious, earthed in traditional (if aristocratic) Tuscan living.

Fireplaces warm communal spaces, there’s a music room, an infinity pool and a great view of the valley from the beautiful lawn. At night, hundreds of candles createthe most magical setting.

Michelin-starred Meo Modo restaurant, helmed by chef Andrea Mattei, opens onto a colonnaded stone terrace overlooking the valley. Serving lavish breakfasts and innovative lunch and dinner menus, the restaurant uses produce from the gardens and farm – honey from the hives, eggs from the colourful chicken coops, sustainably farmed fish and meat, as well as the Borgo’s own ricotta and pecorino.

Elsewhere on the property, the delightfully rustic trattoria, built around a 500-year-old oak tree, serves fine, crispy pizzas. The ‘treehouse’ also hosts a farmers’ market showcasing local produce and traditional Tuscan fare.

Through the back gate of the farm, bridging the Borgo and the village, is the cooking school, where guests can enjoy specially tailored or group classes devoted to the simpleart of Italian cooking. They can then enjoy their meals at a communal table under a flowering trellis. Nonna Olga, a local grandmother, visits classes to give lessons on cooking Tuscan classics, such as pappa al pomodoro, upon request.

Maintaining the eco balance of the land and integrity of the soil has involved innovative practices, utilising a team of gardeners and sustainability experts. Jeanette and Claus support local sheep and dairy farmers, investing in their businesses to keep them flourishing.

Surprisingly, Jeanette admits, “I had never planted a plant before in my life.” But she’s vitally involved in every step of the project and encourages guests to learn about organic farming through hands-on experiences – collecting eggs from the coops, visiting the sheep farm or trying their hand at cheese-making in the village. The vineyard is now producing wine, and guests are encouraged to help pick grapes. “I want to encourage people to slow down and live a better way. We live on the surface; it’s all about reconnecting.

Maybe there’s a way we could live in a better harmony and not consume quite the same way.”

If you want to experience Borgo Santo Pietro’s superb hospitality, start with lunch at La Bottega del Buon Caffe in Florence, then take the one-hour drive to the Borgo. (The resort arranges transfers.) To extend the experience further, there is Satori, Claus and Jeanette’s magnificent 21-metre yacht, which hosts up to 10 guests on itineraries along the Italian coast and further afield.