Just 8 km from Lucca, in an exceptionally good position on a hill, with a panorama stretching from the towers of Lucca to the town of San Miniato, lies this wonderful historic home, which has origins way back in history: it was first built as a fortified village, then in the middle ages it became a lookout tower and finally around the 15th or 16th century it became a country residence for a family that was part of the Lucca nobility. It then became a convent and during the centuries had many illustrious guests. It has been recently renovated with a painstaking work of conservation and recovery of all its original characteristics, and the result is a faithful representation of the typical Lucca villa of the 1500s, as described by Samminiati, the great intellectual and architect. They have knowledgeably re-used all the old construction materials such as stone, terracotta, hand-forged ironwork, and they have recovered the monumental fireplace, the typical loggia with its arches, columns and frescoes looking over towards the olive grove, but above all they have respected the original layout of the rooms, which are large and airy. Put together with the furnishings, which are composed of a collection of special antique pieces and many from the 1800s, some of which have come from old convents and churches, it all gives this house an original atmosphere of austerity, elegance and simplicity, capable of bringing back the rhythms of life of times gone by. In order to provide guests with complete relaxation, the villa has also been equipped with the most modern comforts: hydro massage tubs in most of the bathrooms, under-floor central heating, satellite TV, high-quality comfortable mattresses, and above all it offers a complete, personalized and detailed assistance for guests: daily cleaning and linen changes, buffet dinner on arrival, on request the organization of many trips (tour with wine tasting, cooking courses, participation at the Viareggio carnival or at the Puccini music festival, and so on. Outside, the villa has a panoramic garden area with a pergola, furnished for relaxing and dining outside; in the old renaissance pond, at the rear of the villa towards the olive grove, they have made a small 9x3m swimming-pool, so that you can keep cool in the summer months and in front of the house, where during the Etruscan times there was a water basin, they have built another oval shaped pool ( 12 x 7 meters) with a splendid view of the surrounding green hills. The beaches at Versilia are about half-an-hour's drive away.
