May take pets - please enquire Suitable for children Not suitable for elderly or infirm No smoking at this property Self-catering
Home description
La Piccola Torre is a traditional stone built detached house in the beautiful village of Benabbio in the North Tuscan hills. The house has been recently renovated by a highly regarded Italian architect using local materials and tradesmen. Furnished in a modern rustic style, this beautiful house provides the perfect opportunity to relax into traditional Italian living in this welcoming Italian community.
The house is full of original features such as Cotto floors, chunky beams, wooden shutters and doors.
The house is set on three floors, plus a very large and inviting roof terrace. Entering through the wooden front doors, downstairs to the right there is a large rustic kitchen with fridge, electric oven, gas hob and a large log burner which provides central heating for the house. There is a dining area in the kitchen which will comfortably seat four or five adults. Also downstairs there is a washing room with WC, sink, drying rack, washing machine and electric water boiler.
Straight ahead from the front door, up a few traditional stone stairs, is the cool and spacious lounge area with relaxed and comfortable seating, including a double sofa bed, a working fireplace and CD player. This room provides the perfect place to sit and chill out away from the stresses of modern life.
Up the stairs on the first floor are the properties two bedrooms and the stylish modern bathroom with Rain Shower. The master bedroom has dual aspects and a King size bed. The second bedroom contains a large single bed, and views through to the valley.
The stairs then provide access to the large roof terrace with sun loungers, seating for al fresco dining and stunning panoramic views along the lush green valley and back over the village including the large Church with its traditional bell tower.
La Piccolo Torre is a Non-Smoking property
La Piccola Torre roof terrace
Large, cool sitting area
The pretty main bedroom
The beautiful rustic kitchen
To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/6867
The Tuscany region
The Italian region of Tuscany is amongst the most beautiful areas of Europe offering stunning Alpine hills to the North, the rolling hills of Siena to the south, sandy beaches and beautiful coastines and some of the most historic cities and towns in Italy.
A holiday in North Tuscany is characterised by beautiful and lush scenery, hill and mountain roads to traditional, rural Italian villages, masses of history and art and the peace and tranquility of Italian country living.
Tuscany was the region in which the Italian Renaissance produced its first results. The unique artistic patrimony of this region includes architecture, painting and sculpture, collected in dozens of famous museums like the Uffizi in Florence and in situ in even quite small cities.
Tuscany is also known for its wines (most famous of which are Chianti, Morellino di Scansano and Brunello di Montalcino) and has 120 protected regions (nature reserves). Notable tourist destinations in Tuscany include Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Maremma (in Grosseto province), Crete Senesi, and Siena.
Lucca - Garfagnana / Bagni di Lucca area
La Piccola Torre sits nestled in a small square in the hillside village of Benabbio, at the foot of the Apuan Alps and just outside the historic spa town of Bagni di Lucca, the house is perfectly located for exploring the national park area of the Garfagnana, the cities of Lucca, Pisa, Livorno (Leghorn) and Firenze (Florence). The house is located just 50 minutes from Pisa airport, 45 minutes from the beaches of Viareggio and Forte Dei Marmi and 45 minutes from the local ski resort of Abetone. Further afield beautiful Porto Venere is 90 minutes away to the North West and the rolling hills of Sienna a couple of hours to the South East.
Benabbio Situated along the road that climbs from Bagni di Lucca over the Pizzorne plateau and goes down to Pescia, this elegant village stands on the hillside and on the top stands a Romanesque church and the few ruins of the castle of Lupo Luperi. Benabbio is a typical hillside Tuscan village with a wealth of history stretching from Medieval times, through the renaissance period, the World Wars and in modern times as wholesome community with links across Europe.
On a more practical note, the village has two shops which between them should provide all the goods you need to spend a peaceful and relaxing time in the village. During the summer months the villages open the small outdoor bar and dancing (traditional not modern) area called 'la Lucciola' (the Firefly) the bar seves snacks and children /young peopleare very welcome ( don't worry about noise, music has to stop at midnight in Italy), there is also a recently opened restaurant (july 07) and bar in the village just one minute walk from the house, this serves traditional italian cuisine in a relaxed formal dining setting, currently the proprietor plans to stay open all year round. Just down the hill from the village Bagni di Lucca has a number of bars and restaurants to satisfy most appetites, with more gastronomic experiences further toward Lucca including the beautiful 'Butterfly' restaurant on the main road to Bagni di Lucca from Lucca, where you can experience the very best in high quality Italian gastronomy.
Bagni di Lucca Bagni di Lucca was established in late roman times. Its health -giving springs have been used by the nobility of Europe for over 1000 years, and was known as "The Italian Switzerland". The magnificent and unique Ponte della Maddalena (The Devil's Bridge) was built in 1101 so the baths could be reached from Lucca. In the 18th and 19th centuries there were particularly strong ties with England and it was an essential stop on the "Grand Tour". It was frequented by Shelley, Byron, the Brownings, Strauss, Listz, Paganini, and Puccini and many other notables.
Today Bagni di Lucca is a bustling and charming little spa town, and even has an open air heated swimming pool (although it's more romantic to swim in the river). The spa baths have been renovated and offer a range of natural hot spring treatments. The town nestles in the lush valley of the Lima River in the foothills of the Apennines surrounded by picturesque mediaeval hilltop villages, many of which are worth a day's visit.
How to get there
The sleepy village of Benabbio is easily accessible by road or by train. Low cost flights to Pisa (50 minutes drive) are available from the following UK airports:
- Bournemouth - Bristol - Coventry - Doncaster - Glasgow - Liverpool - London (Stansted) - Manchester
Alternatively low cost flights to Florence (75 minutes drive) are available from London Gatwick.
The drive from the airport is a simple run North from Pisa (or West from Florence) on the motorway to the beautiful walled city of Lucca, from there a short drive North along the beautiful Serchio Valley takes you past the historic towns of Ponte a Moriano and Borgo a Mozzano (with the famous Devil's Bridge or Ponte del Diavolo) to the Spa town of Bagni di Lucca with its thermal spa, restaurants and bars along the river Lima. Just a couple of hundred metres past Bagni di Lucca on the road out to Abetone (the local ski resort, known as the training ground for the Italian olympic skiing team) on the right hand side the road to Benabbio climbs up the side of the valley providing stunning views along the river and across to the Apuan Alps.
Whilst we recommend hiring a car from the airport, to allow you to best explore this beautiful area, it is also possible to take a train from Pisa airport to Bagni di Lucca, with a couple of changes in Pisa and Lucca. It is then a simple task to pick up a taxi or take the bus from Bagni di Lucca up to Benabbio where you can spend a relaxing time in the village.
Nearest Travel Links
Airport:
Pisa: 66 km
Railway:
Bagni di Lucca: 8 km
Ferry:
Livorno: 82 km
Activities near Lucca - Garfagnana
Sports: Tennis in town Fishing
Great for: Walking holidays Rural / countryside retreats Cycling holidays
Facilities
Luxuries:
Log fire
General:
Central heating, CD player
Standard:
Kettle, Iron, Hair dryer
Utilities:
Clothes dryer, Cooker, Fridge, Washing machine
Rooms:
Bedrooms (2), Ensuite (1), Shower rooms (1), WCs (2)
Furniture:
Sofabeds (1), Single beds (1), Double beds (1), Dining seating for 5, Lounge seating for 5, Sleeps maximum of 5
Other:
Linen and towels provided.
Outdoors:
Balcony / Terrace, BBQ
Further details indoors: The house has an interesting history, which we are starting to piece together from the village locals. So far it is our understanding that the house was built by/for an American sailor shortly after The First World War for his Italian girlfriend from the village. Unfortunately before he could complete the house, he was called back to his boat and left Italy, his girlfriend either couldn't afford to complete the house, or else was prevented from completing the build due to the fallout with the immediate neighbours as the American had built the house in the middle of one of the villages squares (blocking the views of surrounding properties). The house then remained empty until The Second World War.
During the Second World War the property was used as a safehouse for partisans and the Italian resistance as a stop off point for American, Canadian and English soldiers and spies escaping from Florence. They would spend up to 12 days in the house until being called to the West coast and their boat home. Indeed one of our neighbours has a letter from General Alexander thanking them for supporting British troops during the war as they provided food and clothing to the house. Following the war the house was again left empty, although the wartime occupants did leave a small number of hand grenades and pistols which were found and disarmed by the Italian bomb disposal team during the recent renovation. As such the property has never been permanently occupied, making it an 80yr old new build!
Further details outdoors: PARKING,
Although the property has no allocated parking, there is plenty of public parking in the village, there is car parking by the two small shops which are a thirty second walk from the house through an arch, even if these spaces are taken on your arrival you can pull in to unload the car. There are more spaces by the church which at the furthest are 50 metres (100 foot approx).
All areas are well lit and paved.
Further details
New for rent August 2005
Conditions
Property has stone staircases and floors, therefore children should be appropriately supervised to avoid injury. Local football pitch and play area in village 50m from house, outdoor swimming pool in Bagni di Lucca.
Rental rates
Rental prices originally quoted in: British £
Convert to:
Period
From
To
Weekly
Nightly rate
Minimum stay
Weekday
Weekend
Skiing
2 Jan 08
16 Mar 08
250£ 250
4040
4040
4 Nights
Early Spring
16 Mar 08
1 Apr 08
269£ 269
4545
4545
4 Nights
Easter
1 Apr 08
16 May 08
289£ 289
5050
5050
4 Nights
Early Summer
16 May 08
1 Jul 08
329£ 329
5555
5555
4 Nights
High Summer
1 Jul 08
1 Sep 08
379£ 379
6262
6262
4 Nights
Autumn
1 Sep 08
19 Oct 08
295£ 295
4848
4848
4 Nights
Autumn/Winter
19 Oct 08
15 Dec 08
225£ 225
4545
4545
4 Nights
Christmas
15 Dec 08
2 Jan 09
299£ 299
4848
4848
4 Nights
71
The owner's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights
NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion. LATE DEALS ARE LISTED WHERE AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE
PRICES QUOTED IN TARIFF ARE BASED ON TWO PEOPLE SHARING THE PROPERTY, AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE OF ?15 PER PERSON WILL BE REQUIRED FOR GROUPS OF 3 OR MORE TO COVER EXTRA CLEANING AND UTILITIES COSTS
A ?50 DEPOSIT IS REQUIRED ON BOOKING (NON-REFUNDABLE)
BALANCE IS DUE SIX WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTURE PLUS A REFUNDABLE BREAKAGES DEPOSIT THAT IS SENT BACK TO YOU ON YOUR RETURN, FOLLOWING INSPECTION BY OUR AGENT
IF BOOKING IS CANCELLED LESS THAN 3 WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTURE 50% OF TOTAL PAYMENT IS REQUIRED
Guestbook
"Ann and Pete, Just returned from 2 wonderful weeks in Bennabio. We had a brilliant time, we loved the house, the locals , the village, the ice-cream , pasta, wine etc The kids spent a lot of time around at the football field and at the lido in Bagni and even made some friends."
"We would like to thank you very much for our stay in La Piccola Torre - all our family enjoyed it so much! The weather was fantastic, the area beautiful and we have seen so many places... I would say Volterra and Lucca made the biggest impression, but the mountains themself were magnificient and so worth seeing."
"The house is beautiful and very stylish, lots of thought has obviously gone into its design and it just heaves with character, we had to drag ourselves away from the roof terrace otherwise we would have not seen any of the local scenery which was stunning. This holiday and your house were vere special to us as my partner proposed to me on the roof terrace watching the sun go down.
Lucca is an amazing and very beautiful place, everyone has heard of Florence, Piza and Sienna but Lucca somehow remains low key, which may be part of its ambience as it is not full of tourists or overpriced, but still has the charm and history of the more famous larger cities. If you are feeling flush visit the Butterfly restaurant just on the way out of Lucca towards Bagni-di-Lucca (can be seen from main road) the food and setting are wonderful but you may need to book on weekends and high season and don't forget your phrase book, no-one spoke english when we were there which ended up in a couple of surprises when the food arrived!!
Availability notes
To see availability please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/6867
Click to view availability for this property.
Contact owner
To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/6867
Contact details for home 6867
Please mention Holiday Lettings
Name:
Ann Trigg
Tel:
+44 (0)1285 760103
Mobile:
+44 (0)7774 1085851
Be aware of time-zones
Languages:
Contact Notes: Land telephone, any time
Advertiser joined: 20 Jun 2005 This property added: 27 Jul 2005
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