Ebbio, a Hidden Paradise

Ebbio, a Hidden Paradise

Sibilla, the happy owner of the Ebbio estate, has always switched between the city and the countryside. Moving between the two spheres to further embark on a conquest of the world, the route to Monteriggioni’s vast expanses was convoluted, before she eventually settled own there for good two years ago. A need to “give something back” after having had the opportunity to work with some of the finest luxury brands. Sibilla’s guiding star is her mother, Francesca. Nicknamed Nirdosh, it is her extraordinary personality that makes Ebbio what it is. A family home that dates back to the thirteenth century, transformed into an estate that combines agriculture and tourism. With an abundance of dedication and passion, Sibilla, Francesca and the entire Ebbio team set to work to make this corner of Tuscany a landmark for people looking for a more conscious relationship with their food and with nature in particular. The destination is a centre of meditation and a kind of Noah’s ark, built around a sustainable way of life where animals and humans cohabit seamlessly. A kind of spiritual and physical retreat, made perfect by the attention lavished on the decor. Consciously styled, without being over the top. Just the essentials. Fabrics and objects with an emotional significance, with a smattering of carpets and wall hangings on the white walls. A tone that brings out the best of the period parquet flooring. As a haven of peace and joyfulness, Ebbio celebrates the rhythm of life throughout its existence. The birth of a foal, the harvest from the kitchen garden that we are about to embark upon with Valentina, Ebbio’s cook – or the fulfilment that you get (or perhaps, get back) after taking part in a yoga class. One of the property’s many specialities. All of which can be found among the olive groves and winding hillsides that make the location so special, on the road between Florence and Pisa.

Ebbio, Strada del Gallinaio 9 – 53035 Monteriggioni. Reservations can be made by telephone on +39 391 43 070 22 and by e-mail at ebbio.agriturismo@gmail.com

Portrait Sibilla Jardin Ebbio
Extérieur Sibilla Jardin Ebbio
Chambre Ebbio Toscane
Portrait Sibilla Ebbio Extérieur Jardin
Extérieur Jardin Ebbio Extérieur Jardin Ebbio Fleur séchée Intérieur Ebbio Salle à manger Domaine Ebbio Tapis Décoration Intérieure Ebbio Extérieur Vue Jardin Ebbio
Ebbio, a Hidden Paradise
Salle à manger Domaine Ebbio
Luminaire Salle à manger Domaine Ebbio

Sibilla, who are you? Can you tell us about your background?

Sibilla

I have been a happy countryside child, daughter of a hippie minded mother, a rebellious teenager, une italienne à Paris, a trend setter, a treasure finder, an improvised businesswoman and a farmer. I guess I’m still a bit of everything.

What is the story behind Ebbio? Why that name?

Sibilla

Ebbio started at the end of the 80’s from my mother’s dream of finding the ideal place to live in harmony with nature.  Tuscany in particular, the area between Florence and Siena, is characterized by its sinuous hills, rich with history and agricultural traditions. It was the right place! Thanks to a lot of passion and commitment, Ebbio, has become a point of reference for people looking for a more conscious and healthy relationship with food and nature, a place for meditation, where to practice sustainable life methods. My mother Francesca, decided to keep the name Ebbio (from the Latin ĕbŭlum or ĕbŭlus) because Ebbio is a perennial herb in the surrounding land. This plant has small white flowers and black berries with a blood-red juice, and is still used in veterinary medicine as well as in folk medicine.

What made you change your life?

Sibilla

I did not really decide or plan to change life, it just happened to me. I guess that what was a mission to accomplish became a journey. I am a city-born who grew up in the countryside, went back to the city and to the countryside back again. If the country -life will ever stop giving me satisfactions, I know there is spot for me in my favourite buzzing cities, for a day, a week or longer. Likewise anyone needs a quiet place, I know an hidden paradise somewhere in the Tuscan hills called Ebbio and I can share its address. My life is both the countryside and the city, the simplicity and its opposite – I just need the right balance.

Extérieur Jardin Hamac Ebbio
Ebbio, a Hidden Paradise
Chambre double Domaine Ebbio Ebbio, a Hidden Paradise Pot pourri Extérieur Jardin Ebbio Salle à manger Petit-déjeuner Ebbio
Petit déjeuner Salle à manger Ebbio
Ebbio, a Hidden Paradise
Ebbio, a Hidden Paradise
Champs Extérieur Jardin Ebbio
Ebbio, a Hidden Paradise
Ebbio, a Hidden Paradise

How do you want to support and develop your farm?

Sibilla

Ebbio a point of reference for people looking for a more conscious and healthy relationship with food, with nature, a place of meditation and in which to practice sustainable life methods! Therefore, I am trying to broaden the circle of Ebbio’s friends with the more traditional channels (including by word of mouth between nature and meditation lovers) and with the more modern ones. I am also concentrating to build durable relationships and collaborations with compatible companies and organizations.

Who is Ebbio aimed at? 

Sibilla

Ebbio is the perfect spot for a group of 15 to 20 guests; a yoga retreat, a writing seminary, an art-workshop, a company teambuilding, a family and friends get-away, a place for celebrations, a km0, a venue for weddings, or a full moon party… Ebbio is a perfect place to get in touch with other people, with ourselves, and to find space, to laugh, to discover, to smell, to taste. I want enthusiastic guests, I want people that travel to discover, to relax, and have fun!

Tell us about your days.

Sibilla

They are never the same! If I’m not too busy fulfilling my guest needs, organizing a wedding, a retreat, or a workshop, or I am occupied with land operations, I often have new projects and obsessions, such as: adopting a new pet, constructing a tree house, planting some new plants and flowers, making a new outside lounge, or fantasizing about where would I build a natural pool if I’d ever got the authorizations… 

Ebbio, a Hidden Paradise
Ebbio, a Hidden Paradise
Salle à manger Domaine Ebbio
Céramique Domaine Ebbio
Salle à manger Domaine Ebbio
Animaux Extérieur Jardin Oies Ebbio
Lampe Domaine Ebbio

What has been your favourite moment since you have been here?

Sibilla

It is so difficult, Every time we have puppies is such a joy! Every blossom season is such an excitement, but every time I find the perfect piece of furniture is also an indescribable sense of fulfilment for me! Not to mention the pleasure of receiving!

Animals, people: who is at your side at Ebbio?

Sibilla

At Ebbio all animals are friends, they are loved and free, we have 14 donkeys, 7 beautiful horses, Rico and Aisha (a couple of Bernese Sheppard), Baghi (my black tail-less cat), Pedro (the latest acquisition), geese, chickens, ducks, turkeys, peacocks, not to mention all the wild ones… wild pigs, foxes, dears. At Ebbio you will also find my mamma Francesca, known as Nirdosh, and myself.  And also find Carmen and Costello, Tula, Dimitri and Mirco! This is Ebbio’s team. We often welcome Wwofers, voluntary workers that come To Ebbio to get a cultural exchange on an organic farm and become part of the family.

Portrait Sibilla Domaine Ebbio
Bureau Domaine Ebbio
Chambre Domaine Ebbio
Portrait Sibilla Champs Extérieur Jardin Chevaux Ebbio
Extérieur Chaise longue Terrasse Ebbio

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