Pescia holiday cottage rental with shared pool, walking, balcony/terrace, rural retreat

Print this pageE-mail to FriendAdd to Facebook

Moscatino (cottage)

Home description

Peaceful and secluded , in hilly country surrounded by wooded hills. Adjacent are the owner's terraced olive groves and pinewood, ensuring privacy (apart from owner's other nearby house San Moscato, formerly the farmhouse, sleeping up to nine, which is also available to let - see 'Tuscany, Lucca' on this website). This part of Tuscany is still relatively undiscovered and in the village the rustic life goes on as it always has, with forestry and olive husbandry. The area is much more hilly than the more southerly parts of Tuscany - it is not so stiflingly hot as the plain and for walkers there is direct access to pleasant hills with the Appennines within easy reach. There is a spring at the property, though we are now on mains water.

Moscatino	Kitchen corner
Front door	Sitting area

To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/21140

The Tuscany region

What can I say about Tuscany that has not been said already? Only that Tuscany north of the SS.435 Lucca-Pistoia-Florence road is very different from the south, with abrupt hills and deep well-watered valleys stretching north-east to the Appennines rising to 6000ft.+ at Abetone and elsewhere. Moscatino is still very much in the foothills (1500 ft), well within the area of olive + vine cultivation. The village, Pariana, is something of an 'eagles' nest' standing on a spur overlooking the valley which runs up from Collodi to the pass to Bagni di Lucca. Because of the plentiful water the valley bottom has long been used for paper-making and there are still some mills in operation there, though others are being converted into apartments. In the hills the traditional rural pursuits were, and still are, olive, vine and vegetable cultivation, honey, chestnuts, forestry and boar-hunting. As you might expect from such a list, the locals take their cuisine seriously and there are a couple of excellent country restaurants in the valley with a vast selection of eateries further afield between Pescia and Lucca. Wild boar (cinghiale) stewed with olives is a local delicacy, as are funghi, and figs with dried meats, and vin santo with cantucci biscuits - I could go on. In Pariana, a steep 10-minutes' walk from Moscatino, is a bakery which also sells staple foodstuffs, and there is a bigger shop at Biecina, at the junction with the main road (3 kms) and supermarkets, banks, speciality pasta shops, market etc at Collodi & Pescia, 20 mins drive away. Climate is normal Italian, with long hot sunny spells, and very pleasant in spring and autumn, but can be less settled than in the plain.

Pescia area

Collodi (10 kms south) is of some note, first as the place where Pinocchio was written, so it has its Parco di Pinocchio, and secondly for its recently restored Villa Garzoni with famous formal garden. The old village of Collodi is also very picturesque, as are the other villages on the flanks of the valley - Villa Basilica, Boveglio, Colognora, all 'eagles' nests' like Pariana itself. There are footpaths linking all these.

The road north up the valley goes over a pass with spectacular views to the Appennines and down to Bagni di Lucca, a nineteenth-century spa-town (still, of course, a spa with swimming etc) once home to the poet Shelley. This is also where the Linea Gotica passed in 1944 and there are memorials to the Italian resistance.

On the other side of the hills on which Moscatino stands, facing Lucca, are the Colline Lucchese doc vineyards and just the other side of the Lucca road are the Montecarlo doc vineyards.

I will not go into detail here over the cultural, shopping, promenading and other attractions of Lucca, our nearest substantial town, beyond saying that we never tire of visiting it. Its big festival is the Volto Santo, mid September. Pescia, which is closer, is smaller but has a lot to offer, as does the smart modern spa-town Montecatini Terme. Pisa, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano etc are within easy reach, some by rail.

There are coastal resorts all along the magnificent sandy beaches stretching north from Viareggio. Slightly further away there are dramatic rocky coasts starting at Bocca di Magra south of la Spezia which lead on to the Cinque Terre and Ligurian Riviera.

For swimming closer at hand there is a good pool at the Country Club Hotel 15 minutes away on the Lucca road and it is possible to paddle/dangle feet in the stream at the foot of our property which works the chestnut-mill.

For dramatic scenery/mountain walking there is the Garfagnana valley, accessible via Bagni di Lucca, with Appennines and Apuan Alps (marble quarries): for sea views there are the Pisan hills between Lucca and Pisa and for coastal walking the Bocca di Magra peninsula and Cinque Terre. There are shady forest walks from the house and in the adjacent hills. On our website is a detailed guide to local walking.

Puccini came from Lucca and there is a Puccini festival in Viareggio in July/August but advisable to book on-line. Theatre and concerts at Lucca etc. Various village 'festas' especially the one in Pariana in early August when they dance in the piazza.

Otherwise just lie in the sun (or shade)!

How to get there

Moscatino is at Pariana, a village in the hills about 15 kms. east of Lucca. From Lucca take the main road, turning left at Collodi onto the Collodi-Bagni di Lucca road, and Pariana is on a spur off that road. Alternatively reach Collodi from the Pisa-Lucca-Firenze autostrada. The most convenient airport is Pisa, to which budget airlines fly from Stansted, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds and many other airports. It is also accessible from Bologna or Genova airports. Cars may be hired from all these - we find best thing is to compare prices on-line. There is a daily bus-service to Pariana but not very frequent.

Activities near Pescia

Facilities

Further details indoors:
The conversion was carried out by expert local builders in a way that respected the character of the buliding while turning it into a little bijou cottage. It is completely self-sufficient except that the electricity supply is routed through the big house.

Further details outdoors:
Immediately around the cottage is a small garden with sitting area, and beyond that the owner's terraced olive groves, part of which is designated for exclusive use of those staying at Moscatino. The lower part of the property is steep wooded hillside, not cultivated, at the foot of which is a stream with a picturesque chestnut-grinding mill (not part of the property). Above the cottage is a small pine-wood (also belonging to the owners) screening the house from the village.
June 2008: We have just installed a 4.5 x 4.5metre pool for use of occupants of this house and our adjoining property, San Moscato.

Further details

Moscatino is looked after by a multi-generational family (grandparents, parents, grown-up daughters) in the village who are extremely helpful and obliging. The younger daughter speaks good English and cleans the house/changes linen weekly. Keys are generally to be collected from/returned to the family.

Conditions

Booking form with conditions may be downloaded from owner's website but basically:
- 25% deposit on booking, balance at least 6 wks before letting commences.
- £40 damage deposit.
- fixed £5 charge for services, central heating charged at £1 per day if used.
- changeover normally Saturday.

Rental rates

Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Off peak	3 Jan 08	28 Jun 08	240£  240	4040	4040	3 Nights
Peak	28 Jun 08	6 Sep 08	300£  300	5050	5050	3 Nights
Off peak	6 Sep 08	27 Dec 08	240£  240	4040	4040	3 Nights

The owner's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion.
£40 damage deposit required for each booking from which we take £5 per week for services and balance returned at end of stay if no significant breakages. In cooler months £1 per day charged for use of central heating.

Guestbook

"Wonderful restful 10 days" - June 2006.

"3 wonderful days here - sat on terrace eating melon, watching bats and fireflies" - Aug 2006.

"Wonderfully relaxing week - ease of living and soaking up the cultural landscape - thank you for a wonderful experience" - June 2005.

"Cottage was above our expectations in every way" - May 2005.

Availability notes

To see availability please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/21140

Contact owner

To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/21140

Contact details for home 21140 Please mention Holiday Lettings
Name:	Tony Ridge
Tel:	+44 (0)1904 798190
Mobile:	+44 (0)7753 840178
Be aware of time-zones
Languages:
Contact Notes: Phone all day
Advertiser joined: 7 Feb 2007 This property added: 7 Feb 2007

Your Name
Your E-mail
Telephone
Dates	JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec   to   JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Guests	Adults       Children
Message
Where did you find us?	--Please select--Search EngineWord of MouthNewspaperMagazineRyanair Seat BackExhibitionForum / Other WebsitePrevious BookingRightmoveOther
Receive newsletter (info) Receive copy of enquiry
Use of this form is restricted to genuine enquiries about renting this property. Unsolicited commercial marketing is strictly prohibited.

Other homes from this owner

San Moscato in Lucca, Italy