Pisa holiday villa rental, Volterra with walking, log fire, balcony/terrace, internet access, telephone, rural retreat, TV, DVD

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Casa Sassi (villa)

Home description

Located on a hillside, the property dominates over a cultivated valley, surrounded by the Birignone natural park and with breathtaking views of the small town of Casole D’Elsa in the distance. When reaching the property, an electronic gate opens onto the private car park, the house is reached by mean of a stone pathway surrounded by manicured lawns. The main entrance to the house is from the front lawn directly into a specious, luminous living room with TV, video and a log fireplace with marble surround.

In the right hand corner of the living room there is a beautiful flight of tiled steps that leads from the living room to the first floor sleeping section of the house.Next to the stairs on the ground floor an open arch leads to the office space complete with fax, photocopier and internet connection point, as well as to the large downstairs bathroom finished in Travertino murble. Across the living room, a double door opens on to the fully fitted kitchen equipped with breakfast bar and chairs, gas range, electric oven, fridge, freezer and dishwasher. An arch from the kitchen opens onto the light and bright dining room which accommodates a large table and chairs and where two glass double doors offer access to the paved outdoor dining area.

On the other side of the kitchen a door present access to the laundry room with a washing machine, a sink and plenty of storage. Access to the kitchen and laundry room is also available from the two doors at the rear of the house. The first floor offers: Three large double bedrooms, one twin bedroom and a large bathroom with shower and bathtub. One of the double bedrooms, the “master” bedroom, has an en-suite bathroom, a passage room with wardrobes and a private balcony. All the double bedrooms are large enough to accommodate extra single beds and/or a cot bed.

Front view	Bedroom 2
Living room	Al fresco dining

To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/71377

The Tuscany region

From the Etruscans to the Romans to the Renaissance, Tuscany is possibly the greatest repository of art in the world, from extraordinary paintings and sculpture to frescoes and architectural masterpieces.

Visitors to Tuscany come for many reasons. Many come in search of fine art, others to explore the extraordinary countryside. Gourmets and wine buffs descend on Tuscany to enjoy the simple yet wonderful cuisine and wine. Walkers enjoy the mountain paths, cyclists the rolling hills, summer vacationers the sea coast and islands. Students come to learn the beautiful Italian language and culture.

The main cities of Siena, Firenze, Pisa and Lucca all all with on one to one and a half hours drive.

There is a lot to see and do in Tuscany, the difficulty is really where to start. Why not here in Cassa Sassi.

Pisa / Volterra area

If you have time to see only one hill town while you're in Tuscany, Volterra it must be and only twenty minutes drive away.

Probably the oldest sites to see in Volterra are the remaining stretches of its Etruscan walls, built in the 4th century B.C., when the town's population was twice what it is today and when it was a very affluent exporter of minerals, alabaster and iron objects to countries all around the Mediterranean basin. Still today you'll find this is one of the best places in Italy to purchase alabaster: the streets are lined with showrooms and shops.

The Etruscan walls mark the perimetre of the "Parco Archeologico Enrico Fiumi," a lovely garden that now occupies the highest spot in town. You can also see the remains of two Etruscan temples, as well as a fascinating 1st-century basin that the Romans built to collect rain water and distribute it to citizens who lived in lower-lying areas. There's also an excellent Etruscan Museum (Via Don Minzoni 15), whose masterpiece is an extraordinary wedding urn from the 1st century BC.

On one end of the Parco Archeologico is the old Etruscan gate to the city, next to a fortress built by Lorenzo the Magnificent when Florence occupied Volterra between 1472 and 1475. You can see the outside, but since it is now a maximum security prison, we hope you'll never see the inside. At the other end of the park is Piazza Martiri della Libertà, probably the best place to view the Cecina Valley. Unlike the rolling green hills that surround Siena, here you will find an undulating plain blanketed in gold in summer and dark brown the rest of the year. On clear days you can glimpse the Tyrhennian Sea.

Just below the piazza is the picturesque Porta all'Arco. Walk through it to look at the far side of the arch: the upper section dates from Roman times, but the large blocks on either flank were part of the original Etruscan city gate, erected in the 7th or 8th century B.C. If we can see it today, it is thanks to the local citizens who buried it in stones in 1944, to keep the Nazi Army from blowing it up as a means to stop the advancing Allies.

From here, walk up Via Matteotti to Piazza dei Priori, one of the most perfect medieval town squares in Italy. It is dominated by Palazzo dei Priori, the oldest town hall in Tuscany (1208-1254) and by Palazzo Pretorio, whose central tower was built in 1224. Much history has tramped through this now serene spot, some of it unspeakably cruel. Machiavelli described the bloody invasion of the Florentines, whose presence is felt everywhere, from the many marble, enamelled and stone plaques on the walls to the two lions perched atop the columns flanking the Palazzo.

The other sides of the square are occupied by the heavily remodelled Cassa di Risparmio building, the 14th-century Palazzo Vescovile, and the rear of the cathedral. Walk around the side to see the front façade, designed in the 13th century by Nicola Pisano.

The vast interior contains several impressive works, the most renowned being Benozzo Gozzoli's fresco of the Magis' arrival (1479) and Mino da Fiesole's marble ciborium (1471). The two we find most interesting, however, are the exquisitely carved 12th-century marble pulpit, and local artist Zaccaria Zacchi's poignant painted terracotta nativity scene (first chapel on the left).

Outside, pause to enjoy tiny Piazza San Giovanni, which is just big enough to hold the cathedral and its green-and-white marble baptistery. We dare you to find a more pristine, peaceful and spiritually moving town square anywhere in Italy. Inside, the octagonal baptistery is lined with warm cream-coloured sandstone; some think Brunelleschi designed its cupola. The almost bare space contrasts sharply with the large crowd of worshippers observing Christ's ascension in the altar painting by Nicolò Cercignani (1591). This painting was heavily damaged in World War Two and recently restored.

From Piazza San Giovanni, Via Roma leads back down the hill into the medieval heart of the town. As you approach Via Ricciarelli you'll see several 13th-century "tower homes." If you walk back up Via Ricciarelli to Via dei Sarti, you'll soon come to the municipal museum, which houses a wonderful collection of paintings including pieces by Signorelli, Ghirlandaio, il Volterrano and Rosso Fiorentino. More medieval homes are to found as you continue along Via dei Sarti on your way to the Roman Theatre. Built in the 1st century B.C., it was first brought to light in 1950 and the excavations are still under way. You can see the proscenium and a small part of the risers, where a thermal bath building was added in the later years of the Empire.

By now you'll be ready to sit down and relax over a nice Tuscan meal. Walk back up the hill and you'll have your choice of several places, ranging from the very simple to the elegant. One delicious local speciality you might like to try is salami or pasta made with wild boar (cinghiale), an animal portrayed in marble on the upper façade of Palazzo dei Priori. You can see it from either of the two nice restaurants in Piazza dei Priori. Be sure to save some time to sit and relax in Volterra because, like all great hill towns, the most memorable treasure it has to offer is the feeling of history that lingers all around you.

How to get there

The airports of Florence and Pisa, the nearest to this property, are 1hr and 15 min drive away.

Activities near Pisa

Facilities

Further details indoors:
Bedroom 1 double bed
Bedroom 2 double bed and single sofa bed
Bedroom 3 two single beds
Bedroom 4 double bed with walk in wardrobe and en suite

Bathroom 1 ground floor walk in shower with rose can head
Bathroom 2 1st floor
Bathroom 3 en suite to bedroom 4

The living room is the largest room in the property and has Two large leather sofas, normal TV, coffee table and storage units.

Of the living room we have a small office space with internet access, fax and phone lines.

Our dining room seats eight to ten and provides guests with the opportunity to open the two sets of double doors to provide a feel of al fresco dining.

Further details outdoors:
The property surrounding the house is fenced in to provide maximum privacy and access is through two electronic gates one at the front and one at the rear of the property.

At ground floor there are no fewer than 5 doors opening into different rooms that provide continuity between the inside and outside of the house.

In the garden adjacent to the house there is a large paved area covered by gazebo with an extendible table and chairs which accommodates 8/14 people, excellent for alfresco dining.
Immediately outside the kitchen door, at the rear of the house, there is another table and chairs as well as a children play area.

At the front of the property, the stone pathway leads to the 6x10mt private pool set in a beautiful position overlooking the countryside. The pool has internal stairs and is surrounded by a paved area ideal for sunbathing, at night it is fitted with internal and external lighting, this is to allow a day and night use.
The pool area is entirely fenced in with access only through a wooden gate making it very safe for families with small children.

At the back of the house is a country road used specifically by trekkers and those on mountain bikes while the nearby Natural Reserve of Birignone offers the possibility for stunning nature walks as well as specific areas for barbecues

Further details

50% booking deposit required fully refundable up to 4 weeks from arrival date.

€1000.00 security deposit required returned on departure.

Laundry service provide at €50.00

House clean provided at €30.00

Conditions

Guests to advice if they require a laundry and cleaning service prior to arrival.

Rental rates

Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Low Season	1 Oct 09	1 Apr 10	1000£ 901	0-	0-	1 Week
Mid season	1 Apr 10	28 Jun 10	1200£ 1,081	0-	0-	1 Week
High Season	28 Jun 10	5 Sep 10	2000£ 1,802	0-	0-	1 Week
Mid Season	5 Sep 10	1 Oct 10	1200£ 1,081	0-	0-	1 Week
Low Season	1 Oct 10	1 Apr 11	1000£ 901	0-	0-	1 Week

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

10% discount offered for all bookings received in the months of november and december 2009..

Laundry service €50.00

House cleaning €30.00

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Send Enquiry

To contact this advertiser please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/71377

Contact details for the advertiser of home 71377
Name:	Joseph Kirke
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Advertiser joined: Sep 2008