Cortona is a place where time is marked by grape harvests and olive pruning, and where every olive grove seems to recall a promise made years ago. It is a promise that Silvia Baracchi’s Il Falconiere has kept without ever losing sight of the future. Thus, as part of a hospitality experience rooted in local identity, the restaurant has now earned international recognition—an accolade that has come from afar to validate what the chef has always said.
Amid the flashing lights of Las Vegas, the setting for the Virtuoso Travel Week, the name of a Tuscan hill rang out. Il Falconiere Relais & Spa, a Relais & Châteaux-affiliated wine resort nestled among the vineyards surrounding Cortona, has just been awarded the Best Culinary Community Partner Award 2026, the recognition through which Virtuoso identifies the establishment that most authentically conveys the gastronomic experience to its guests. Behind this award stands a network that needs no introduction, led by over twenty thousand travel advisors in more than fifty countries: not a distant jury, but professionals who experience high-end tourism every day and who sought to recognize those who know how to offer guests a truly authentic and thoughtful culinary experience.
It is no surprise, then, that the award goes above all to the commitment to hospitality and environmental stewardship at the property led by Michelin-starred chef Silvia Baracchi, who, over the years, has transformed the cuisine of the Falconiere into a faithful reflection of the Cortona region. Within these walls, the concept of “zero kilometer” moves beyond technical jargon to become a heartfelt gesture: a supply chain measured in human steps, a lush vertical garden where aromatic herbs, early harvests, and edible flowers are picked while still fresh to grace the plate just a few hours later. A ritual of remembrance and respect for the environment that minimizes the impact on the ecosystem. “This recognition belongs to our entire team,” Silvia Baracchi declares joyfully upon hearing the news. “Every dish we serve tells the story of our biodiversity, our history, and our family. Receiving this award from the Virtuoso community, in front of the world’s best travel advisors, is an immense honor.”
The Daily Dialogue Between Vineyard and Kitchen
At Il Falconiere, the dish and the glass of wine do more than simply pair well: they’ve known each other forever, born from the same land. It’s no coincidence that the kitchen team works closely with the Baracchi Winery, now masterfully led by Benedetto Baracchi. “My cuisine would have no voice without our winery,” reveals the chef. “The wines come to life just a few meters from the stoves; they grow and mature, breathing in the same aromas as the raw ingredients.” From this harmony spring the wines and extra virgin olive oil that enrich the Michelin-starred table, offering guests a unique journey from the sun-drenched vineyards to the final tasting. A vibrant story that the international Virtuoso community has now chosen to bring to light, cementing the estate’s role as a culinary and wine destination in Tuscany.
A 17th-century villa, a family dream
To understand just how much this recognition aligns with the history of the house, we must go back nearly forty years, to when Silvia and Riccardo Baracchi decided to restore the old family villa—a 17th-century residence surrounded by centuries-old vineyards on the outskirts of Cortona. It was 1989, and from that restoration emerged a place where hospitality, culture, nature, and culinary excellence would learn to coexist. The restaurant was created from the villa’s old lemon house, and in 2002 came the recognition that would change the property’s history: a Michelin star, still the only one in the province of Arezzo. Silvia Regi Baracchi, born in Perugia and raised in Cortona, following in her family’s footsteps, has successfully transformed a family passion into a solid entrepreneurial venture, becoming an ambassador for Tuscan culture far beyond the estate’s borders, a star at international events, and the founder of the “Cooking Under the Tuscan Sun” cooking course, which attracts fans and longtime regulars from around the globe every year. “For me, cooking is an act of love: toward my homeland, toward my family, and toward those who choose me every day,” said the chef, encapsulating in a single sentence the spirit of hospitality that animates the entire estate.
The restaurant, which has held a Michelin star since 2002, is located on a bright veranda overlooking the vineyards, where Silvia Baracchi works side by side with chef Richard Titi to create a cuisine that blends Tuscan tradition with pure, high-quality ingredients, naturally accompanied by wines from Cantina Baracchi. The Michelin Guide has described the atmosphere of the place with words that deserve to be quoted in full: “Colors, stone, serenity: an ancient Tuscany that enchants and makes time stand still.” A description that’s hard to top, for a setting that manages to remain intimate while overlooking a vast hilly landscape.
Rooms, spa, and the rituals of the Etruscan dawn
Around the table, Il Falconiere creates an experience that unfolds on multiple fronts without ever losing its coherence. The property’s thirty-one rooms are distributed among different historic buildings—the elegant Villa Padronale, the noble heart of the estate next to the little church of San Girolamo, the ancient Casolare for those seeking a more rustic experience, and the romantic Scuderia for those who prefer privacy—each furnished with pietra serena, antique terracotta, and travertine, in a harmonious palette of warm colors designed to slow the pace of those staying there. Not far away stands the Thesan Spa, named after the Etruscan goddess of dawn and rebirth, and offers treatments based on the antioxidant properties of grapes and wine, the nutrients of extra-virgin olive oil, and the aromatherapy of herbs grown in the estate’s garden, in collaboration with the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, founded in 1221. Among the signature treatments, the “Tuscany Experience” features a red wine peel followed by an antioxidant bath and a massage with oils rich in polyphenols, while the “Olivanda” ritual uses sea salt, lavender, and extra virgin olive oil to firm the skin.
Those who wish to venture beyond the boundaries of the estate will find a calendar of activities designed to explore the region with the same care and attention given to the cuisine: mixology classes to discover the liquid soul of Tuscany, e-bike tours through the hills of Cortona with gourmet stops accompanied by a glass of Baracchi, yoga sessions and walks along Roman trails leading to the Franciscan hermitage of Le Celle, as well as art workshops set among vineyards and gardens and an olfactory workshop to create your own personal fragrance. Wine, olive oil, and the landscape thus become tools for discovery, just like the dish served at dinner.
Cortona, All Around
Surrounding this mosaic lies Cortona, perched on the hills of the Valdichiana, which guests of the estate can reach in just a few minutes to discover the Etruscan heritage of the MAEC Museum, the medieval staircase in Piazza della Repubblica, the view of the valley from the Girifalco Fortress, and the tranquility of the Le Celle Hermitage. The award received from Las Vegas tells, in its own way, the story of the very same region that the Falconiere’s cuisine brings to the table every evening: confirmation that an experience patiently built around a vineyard, a vegetable garden, and a family can today speak the language that luxury tourism professionals around the world understand.
