Ai Monti Tuscan Farmhouse with Vineyard

Get ready to wake up to the sound of medieval church bells in hilltop villages, go walking in mountains early in the morning, have lunch under the shade of wisteria with a glass of Ai Monti organic wine, dive into a deep, cool pool and meet the most beautiful sunset on the balcony with your family and friends. Ai Monti is a spacious, comfortable farmhouse with a swimming pool fed by its own mountain spring. Perched in the Apennines of Garfagnana (Lucca: 46 kms; Pisa Airport: 79 kms). The space Blending timeless Tuscan authenticity with refined comfort, the estate offers breathtaking views, a mountain spring fed pool with a diving board, sun-drenched terraces, and its own exceptional organic wine produced on-site. Perfect for families and larger groups, the estate offers generous space for everyone to come together while still enjoying moments of privacy and relaxation. Surrounded by some of Tuscany’s most charming medieval hilltop villages going back to the 10th Century each with their own distintive church bells, this is a rare retreat where natural beauty, heritage, and understated luxury come together to create an unforgettable escape. The exceptional beaches of Forte dei Marmi with their white sand and warm sea are only an hour and fifteen minutes from the house along a quiet, scenic road through the Apuan mountains overlooking the Carrara marble quarries. We can arrange and book day passes for house guests at one of the exclusive private beach clubs of Forte dei Marmi which have family sunbeds, large private awnings and provide delicious lunches by the Mediterranean. Ai Monti is a great starting point for amazing early morning walks in either the Apuans or the Apennines. These have well marked footpaths with red and white painted signs on rocks and trees and can take you to the tops of the highest local peaks or through local chestnut woods to places of pilrimage, such as the monastery at San Pellegrino in Alpe. We can arrange hiking guides for those who do not want to trust their own orienteering skills or the many hillwalking maps which we keep at the house! A nine minute drive from Ai Monti takes you to Castelnuovo di Garfgnana, the 8th Century historical centre of the region where the two main rivers meet over which a famous stone footbridge bridge built in 1324 is still in use. Castelnuovo is where the pre-Shakespeare Italian poet, Ludovico Ariosto, wrote Orlando Furioso. Within its medieval walls, the castle and church overlook the old town square which hosts a weekly market complementing the chic shops and restaurants for which the town is now famous, together with its summer concerts and shopping festivals. Ai Monti is a perfect location for launching day trips to Lucca or Florence, either by car (49 minutes and 2 hours respectively) or by train (47 minutes and 2 hours 34 minutes on the fastest Trenitalia service from Castelnuovo). Ai Monti produces its own red wine (Sangiovese grapes) and white wine (Trebbiano, Chardonnay and Vermentino grapes) which is normally sold to local restaurants in flagons. We do keep some bottled wine for guests to sample and purchase. All Ai Monti wine is low alcohol and organic, as is the local taste, and so different from the Super Tuscan wines produced in the south of Toscana. We have friends who run one of the best wine shops in the region within the walled old town of Castelnuovo who can provide every conceivable Italian wine for guests to buy if you wish to drink grander or non-regional wines on the Ai Monti terraces overlooking our own vines. Guest access Our guests get exclusive access to the entire villa of 450 sq.m. as well as the 10 acres of vineyard. The public road to Fosciandora climbs up from the Serchio Valley below and has some steep bends, since Ai Monti is 500 metres above sea level. There are a couple of hairpin bends which are easy to navigate, and the road ends by the side of the villa which overlooks the Santuario di Santa Maria SS. della Stella of Fosciandora, a local land mark to put into your Google route finder. From there, you can see the large, pink farmhouse which is accessed by a private road leading up to the vineyard. The turn off left up to the house is well marked with a blue sign on the road to Riana saying 'Fatoria Ai Monti di Sopra'. There is no through traffic. If house guests are travelling by train from Pisa Airport, all services run via Lucca to Castelnuovo di Garfgnana and are easy to find on the UK Trainline App. From Castelnuovo, they can take a pre-booked taxi from Castelnuovo station which we can help to arrange. We are a pet friendly home but let us know in advance. Registration details IT046014C27WPIS7ET