Sustainability

Dining at long tables, trips to local producers and finding truffles and mushrooms in the woods made it into a real experience. It turned out to be a huge success! A success thanks to the beautiful natural surroundings, the peacefulness, and the liveliness of the authentic Tuscan country life. After a great first summer, guests were already making reservations for the next year, and very soon the pop up hotel, was a pop up no longer!

Now, Novanta is turning back into the thriving community it once was. There are vegetables growing once again in the ground and the fruit trees have sprung back in to life. We have residents all year round, tending to the land and restoring the village, and we work every day with the amazingly talented people around us – our neighbours and our friends. Their skills, their knowledge and their support allow us to build and restore Borgo di Gello into the bustling village it once was.

Novanta is constantly changing and developing with the passing years. In 2019 we became the proud owners of the whole valley – over 300 hectares of fields, rivers, forests and ruins, and featuring not only the Novanta Hotel in Borgo di Gello, but now also Castello di Gello where we are developing our Novanta Holiday Homes! We will continue to grow in this beautiful village, to develop our community here and help to support the local people and businesses around us – but the spirit of our abandoned village will always remain in the Gello valley.

For hundreds of years Borgo di Gello was the location of generations of farming families, working the land of the Gello Valley by hand. The village is surrounded by the enchanting green forests of the Casentino and the rolling Corsalone river below. The natural environment with forests, streams, hills and meadows gives this place it’s unique character.

The authentic Tuscan quality of this village and its surroundings results from its relative isolation. Gello distinguishes itself from other village “albergos” in Tuscany by its hidden setting in the middle of a Nature Reserve. The village is made up of fifteen buildings including the old school and the small ancient church of San Martino. This makes the village tranquil and in harmony with its surroundings; the houses of Gello blend naturally with the breathtaking landscape. Due to extremely strict zoning rules in Tuscany the classic views are frozen in time.

From the highest points in the village, the views across the valley are spectacular. Sitting in the base of the valley you can see the ancient towns of Bibbiena and Poppi, including the impressive Poppi Castle “Castello dei Conti Guidi”. The hills behind Novanta house the ancient working monastery of La Verna “Santuario Francescano” – one of the most revered monasteries in the area and vital piece in the history of Saint Frances of Assisi. One of our favourite activities at Novanta is a beautiful walk up the mountain through the enchanted forest of Chiusi Della Verna to enjoy the views and tranquility of this impressive building.

Borgo di Gello is also conveniently close to some of the most popular cities in Tuscany – Arezzo lies just under one hour drive away and Florence only one and a half – perfect for a day trip shopping or taking in some city culture!

Our impact on our environment, community and our team is of the upmost importance to us. As a company we have built a list of goals to help us in our plight to constantly challenge ourselves, and strive to positively contribute to the beautiful environment that surrounds us.

Here are some of the things we are already celebrating, and others which we strive to achieve. Any ideas of how to help? We are all ears!