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Property |
Location |
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Castello |
Lucca, Tuscany, Italy |
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One-off feature |
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Castello is between Florence and Pisa and less than an hour from either. The majestic view from the chestnut and terracotta roofed terrazza of our house will linger in your memory long after you have left. All who live in or visit Castello are captivated by its ancient Tuscan charm. |
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Property Info |
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Accommodation Type:
| House |
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Property Setting:
| Rural / Village setting |
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Holiday Type:
| Relaxing / Culture |
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Bedrooms:
| 2 |
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Guests:
| 5 |
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Catering:
| self-catering |
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General Info |
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The aspect of the whole house is to the south and west, with our breath-taking view from both bedrooms as well as the living and dining rooms, with their french windows onto the terrazza. In the traditional style of the region, where the villages cling to the steep slopes, layout and architecture are complex. The first floor at the front of a house can turn out to be the ground floor at the back. Upstairs in No.13, for example, an outside door leads to a courtyard which we share with our Italian neighbours who walk down to it from their front door! In the past, and sometimes even today, rural familes in the area shared their accommodation with their animals; it will intrigue you to try to identify the difference between barns, sties and bedrooms in the village! Happily we now restrict the accommodation of No.13 to humans - although the village cats will visit if you let them! |
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Details on the area surrounding the property/accommodation |
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Castello is the perfect place from which to make a great variety of expeditions, whether you are an art or an opera lover, a hiker or a stroller, a history buff or a devotee of cafe life, a shopper or a gourmet. There are several easy and rewarding walks around the valley from Castello itself. For serious walkers, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is the centre for hiking high in the Apuan Alps and is only 40 minutes drive. Castello is less than an hour to the world famous Florence and Pisa but, much nearer at hand, Lucca is a gem often overlooked by tourists. The medieval town of Barga and the spa town of Bagni di Lucca are both an easy drive. The Mediterranean and fashionable beaches of Viareggio is just half an hour away. For those who still have the energy it is not far by train or car to Rome, The Lakes, Umbria, Venice…. |
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Getting there & away/local amenities |
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Getting There:
| Many visitors to Castello arrive by air and hire a car. This is an easy route whether you choose to fly to Pisa, which is less than 45 minutes drive from Castello, or Florence, which is a few minutes further away. A second option is to drive from the U.K. There are many alternative routes, and we can advise if you wish. It is a journey of some 900 miles from Calais. As you already know, Castello is a hamlet on the hillside above the village of Valdottavo, which is itself some 16k north of the city of Lucca. The excellent Italian motorway system (signs always in GREEN) serves Lucca from Genoa (Genova) to the north-west, from Florence (Firenze) to the east, and from Pisa to the south. Wherever you start from, Lucca is the key to finding Castello. |
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Nearest airports:
| Pisa / Florence 45 mins |
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Car Hire:
| Advised |
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Nearest restaurant:
| 3km |
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Nearest beach:
| Viareggio (30 mins) |
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Nearest shop:
| 2km |
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More Info |
Owner Info |
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Name |
Mike Wilson |
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Contact Phone No. |
0044 207 602 3143 |
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Accommodation details |
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Activities Nearby |
Birdwatching / Cycling / Walking
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Interior Facilities |
CD Player / Linen provided / Log Fire / Washing Machine
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Interior Details |
There is a spacious 30 sqm living room with wood burning stove. The terracotta floor is original, the walls a simple whitewash and a blend of traditional and modern decor. An ancient stone arch leads through to the kitchen, which is fully equipped. The dining room boasts French windows opening on to the terrazza. The stone staircase leads up to the bedrooms and bathroom. Both bedrooms have spectacular beamed chestnut ceilings and terracotta tiled floors, and windows opening over the terrazza roof to the hills beyond. The master bedroom is 21 sqm. It has a king size double bed and traditional coloured glass door. The second bedroom is 16 sqm, an intriguing 'wedge' shape, and has twin beds. The bathroom has both bath and shower, and has an attractive coloured glass window. Especially in the summer months, the massive stone walls and shady terrace roof make the house delightfully cool and airy.
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Exterior Facilities |
Balcony / Parking / Terrace
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Exterior Details |
Both the kitchen and the living room have French windows which open onto the 20m² roofed terrazza. When you arrive in Castello you will park at the foot of the village steps (or 'main street'), up which it is a short climb to the front door. While not a physically demanding ascent, this does unfortunately make the house unsuitable for less mobile people. Car parking in Castello is limited but there is one space allocated for your use.
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Further Details |
The settlement of Castello is perched among vine and olive groves above the village of Valdottavo and the Serchio valley, some ten miles from the historic walled city of Lucca. With medieval origins, the 20 or so houses have looked just as they do today for around 250 years, and most have been home for generations of Italian 'contadini' families. There is no shop or bar, and it is a haven of peace and tranquillity. A narrow road – with some interesting bends - winds up the couple of miles to Castello. You can visit the bars and shops in Valdottavo by strolling just 20 minutes down the ancient and pretty mule path, a reminder of the days - still remembered by older residents - when it was the only way of reaching Castello. Facing south and west, Castello enjoys sunshine all day long, and the changing light through the seasons and the days provides a mesmerising variety of colours on the hills near and far. Scattered smallholdings on the slopes below offer the gentle activity of distant cultivation, while church bells ring out services from tiny villages in the folds of the surrounding hills. Paths bordered by all manner of wild flowers including rare orchids meander among the olives and up into the deciduous woods which cover the higher slopes.
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Conditions of Rental |
Please contact Mike or Jessica by phone or email to check availability before making a booking. We like to receive a hard copy of the booking form by post for our files, and so that we can return it to you with our signature. Ideally your sterling deposit will accompany it in cheque form, although we can help you to make an electronic payment to our bank if this is helpful. The house is let from March to November. Changeover day is Saturday. A non refundable deposit of 25% secures the reservation with the balance payable 8 weeks before the start of your holiday. Linen and towels are included and are changed once a week. House is cleaned once a week. Electricity, gas, water and wood for the fire (where necessary) included in the price.
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What visitors have said about Castello |
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Each morning I rush to the bedroom window, drape myself over the sill, and must pinch myself to make sure I am actually awake...
Molly R,
Vermont,
Mar 2008 
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The beautiful walled city of Lucca, its architecture and serene colour. Evenings at home in Castello listening to the church bells and village life far below in the valley...
Derek R,
British Colombia,
Jul 2008
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We thought our view in the Lake District was pretty good: but this one takes some beating...!
David M,
Cumbria,
Sep 2008
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We never tired of watching the sun go down behind those fantastic peaks, and the light gradually fading in the valley below. What an utterly beautiful house...
Philip R,
Canberra,
Mar 2009
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Was it the scent of wild mint after the rain? Or having our head in the clouds and our feet set for either up or down? Or even the resident bathroom mosquito: fond of a bit of cheek? Or was it just the God-given awesome wonder of it all...
Meredith M,
Scotland,
May 2009
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Here every day is a Sunday. There was the rainy Sunday when we lit a fire and read a cosy book. And the sunny Sunday when we snoozed in shirtsleeves on the terrace. And the Sunday walk through the chestnut woods to Guzzanello and that never ending meal. And then it was Monday and time to leave...
Gillian N,
Henley on Thames,
Jun 2009
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Visitors' books are often so formal. But this one has become a collection of contented burbling from visitors from around the globe. We add our own voices...
John G,
South Africa,
Jul 2009
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Paradise found amongst the bucolic tableaux of Castello. Quality of life in abundance here: what a shame to have to return to modern reality...
Chris R,
London,
Aug 2009
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