Sunshine Piazza and Mountain House

A newly decorated spacious old stone house along the entire side of an ancient piazza. There are views of the chapel, terrace and mountains. The kitchen and main bedroom capture sunsets. A sunny terrace completes the house. The space This is a substantial old stone house in a quiet piazzetta, featuring four exceptionally spacious rooms, cantinas below and attic above. The locals have always referred to the house as, "La grande casa." Drive up to the house through beautifully maintained gardens, olive groves and wild grasses of the village. Reach the ancient piazza with its own little chapel, and see the wide stone steps lead out of the piazza up above the arches of the house. The steps lead up onto a lovely terrace, where you will find well kept terracotta pots with olive trees and other mature shrubs, flowers and patio furniture. It is very sunny in the mornings and captures the incredibly beautiful reflected sunset (from the windows of the chapel opposite) in the evenings. In the evenings you can hear a spring (even in dry summers it is rare for the spring to run dry), owls, deer and other lovely sounds. Apart from these sounds it is mostly silent. In the mornings the veranda is drenched in sunlight. Into the double-width front door, there is a tiled spacious sunny hallway, which leads onto four substantial rooms, one of which is an extremely spacious sitting/dining room, catching sunlight in the mornings. The generous living space has two double beds in one bedroom, two single beds in another bedroom, and in the substantial living/dining room there is a comfortable double sofa bed. Much of the furniture in the house is high quality authentic italian wood. There are two dedicated spaces for working, one in the large bedroom, and the other in the kitchen. All light fittings are decorative and high quality, and the house has been recently decorated throughout. In the cupboard in the dining area you will find wine glasses, some of it fine cut glass. Beneath the living rooms are spacious and cool cantinas, one of which has a washing machine and room for drying clothes. There is also a large authentic pizza oven, a dining table, and comfortable seating. Above the living rooms is a vacant attic space which keeps the living areas of the house cool in the summer. Due to the exceptionally well planned nature of the house, it is possible to open doors at the back, or back windows, and enjoy natural air conditioning. The house remains cool in the summer and retains heat in the winter due to the thickness of the walls. The house catches copious sunlight all day, mornings at the front into the sitting room and kitchen, and afternoons and evenings at the side. However, if you wish you can shutter the house with two layers of beautiful old shutters, keeping the inner spaces cool. The kitchen has double-aspect high windows, giving sunlight all day. One side the window overlooks the chapel and the veranda, and the other side overlooks the mountains and gardens of the neighbours. The bathroom has the old Italian style larger sink, larger toilet and bidet, and a rare long tin and enamel bath (with a good shower above). This is a house which has a wonderful atmosphere due to these many authentic and spacious qualities. It is the perfect space for entertaining, and there is even a good piano. Guest access Parking is free, on the piazza or just below in what we call the lower car park. In addition, there are five free car parks in the road through the village and up to the piazza. Walking around the neighbourhood is delightful, as the road (with extremely intermittent traffic) passes from the piazza down through the picturesque village, where there are many olive groves, gardens and views across the ancient terracotta tiled roofs. Or, alternatively, you can walk across the piazza, accessing a mule path which leads directly up into unspoilt forests and breath taking mountain and valley views. There is a very good restaurant (who are very good at cooking casserole meats) a short walk from the house. The river which runs through Bagni di Lucca is clear and is normally regarded as clean for swimming, and then upriver from Bagni di Lucca there are watersports and rock climbing. There is so much for children and adults to do in a pristine and beautiful environment. Or you can drive through the mountains to reach the sandy beaches of Tuscany. Or stop off at the gorgeous city of Lucca with its vast city walls and many excellent restaurants, precious chapels and piazzas. It is less than two hours drive to Florence, or the train can be caught from Fornoli (we recommend the local Benabbio taxi to take you to the train station). Other things to note There is high speed wi-fi located in the kitchen, and which can be accessed throughout the house. A washing machine in the cantina is for the sole use of guests; all the cantina and attic spaces are for the sole use of guests. Only one room in the attic is locked off. Beach furniture is available for the use of guests (to be found in the cantina), including large umbrella and two folding chairs. The free beaches of Tuscany are very lovely, and it is here that you may experience the authentic Italian beach life, with its lively and colourful atmosphere. If you wish to know about dog beaches, please do ask us as we have experience of these. Of course if you prefer to rent your lovely lay down bed and umbrella on the beach this is always possible. The house is well placed to visit Lucca and Florence, and there are many attractions in the vicinity, making this a favourite with many visitors returning year after year. Please do see my three guide books, and feel free to ask any questions.