North of Lucca, Tuscany
Property 5158
10 Guests
5 Bedrooms
4.5 Bathrooms
470 square meters indoor
7 hectares outdoor
Casa Berti offers a characteristic and gracious estate from which to enjoy the rich culture and relaxed pace of Tuscan life. The views are especially spectacular, an ever-changing panorama of countryside. Farmhouses and villas, fields, vineyards and olive groves, hilltops and valleys animate the landscape that unfurls below you and beyond every window. This is a Renaissance view with multiple, succeeding hillsides in ever-paler shades of gray-green as they reach the horizon. This is a house with a view of really exceptional charm and dimension.
The property is reached up a long turning road winding uphill and eventually reaching its end at Casa Berti. This is the peaceful and tranquil countryside of farms and open space. Vehicles occasionally pass by to go the local spring just above the property, prized for its particularly good water - a serious and important commodity. There may be tractors or barking dogs - the sound of the Tuscan countryside, but generally the delightful restfulness of the place is unbroken. If you envision long days enjoying a wonderful place, and interesting, unusual diversions here and there, Casa Berti is an excellent choice. Families are very welcome, and children well-provided for. Three couples plus friends could enjoy an enriching and independent sojourn. The home, the land and the surrounding area are overflowing in authenticity, culture and relaxation.
Exploring from Casa Berti can encompass a wide swathe of Tuscany, from Florence to Cinque Terre, both of which can be reached in under an hour and a half. Portofino is also within reach. There is also much to enjoy closer to home. We are partial to the artful chams of Pietrasanta; the see-and-be-seen late-night shopping fun of Forte dei Marmi; the possibility of making it to the top of the stairs on the leaning tower of Pisa. The flat pleasant park topping Lucca's intact Renaissance wall is an easy, fun way to spend time with the locals and exercise the children - a morning enhanced by staying for a long lunch at one of the many excellent restaurants. There is spa-hopping in Montecatini Terme. There is Vinci, as in Leonardo da Vinci. There is the wild Garfagnana for hiking and wilderness.
Casa Berti's grand interior spaces - high ceilings, large and numerous windows and double doors, arcaded entrance and commanding position - mark it as a true villa rather than a farmhouse. The formal gated entrance off a broad lawn on the uphill or north side was designed for the turning radius of a horse, rather than car, so there is now a lower car-park for guests' convenience. A terrace of old terra cotta tiles from Lucca extends along the southern facade of the house, a broad expanse edged with thriving lemon trees in their handsome traditional pots that is then bordered by a tree-studded lawn. This is your living and dining room, your entrance and exit. This is where the panorama begins, at the iron table and chairs for 10 that have been set out in the sun. A new gas grill, one of the few in private Italian homes, has been added. Beyond is a pergola covered with false jasmine; a shady, fragrant respite for dining.
Surrounding the house are terraced fields of olive, pear, apple and fig trees, plus holly, persimmon and walnut trees. The shiny green boxwood and spring-blooming camellias are accompanied by thriving hedges of rosemary. Beyond, there are more terraces of olive trees and woodland. The pool (10 x 6 meters, shallow end, stairs), fed by its own natural spring water, is set below on a separate deep terrace. From here you can also fully enjoy the sweeping views of valley and mountain. The owners have restored water to a spouting lion head which circulates through the 'lavatoio' below, a particular shape of stone basis once used for washing. A second simpler pergola provides a casual place for a small group to dine or take shade. Just above the house is the wood-burning oven, or forno, which is fully functional. An evening of pizza-making is great fun for all ages.
The house itself is wonderfully spacious and authentic. The original cotta or colored octagonal tile floors were retained and beamed ceilings restored. Each room is high-ceilinged and generously proportioned. Subtle and sophisticated 'stucche di veneziana' has been added to the bathrooms. Many family and some newly acquired antiques fit easily into the relaxed refinement of the decor. This is a home much-loved and often enjoyed by the owners themselves and it shows in the details.
Friday - Friday rentals only.
Cleaning included Monday, Wednesday & Friday mornings.
Initial shopping and arrival dinner available on request, by separate payment.
Additional cleaning, cooking and shopping services by separate payment; must be organized in advance.
Internet access available through ISDN line.
Screens on upper bedroom windows.
All bedrooms are furnished with fans.
Pool may be opened beyond June - September on request in advance, extra payment may be required.
Two simple folding cots are available for children, please inquire.
Please give as much warning as possible for the tuning of the piano if it is important.
Price information available upon request.
Homebase Abroad, Ltd.
Two Hooper Street
Marblehead, MA 01945
Phone: (781) 639-4040
Fax: (781) 639-3050
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