Beautiful Tuscan farmhouse with stunning view and pool
Rural Farm house
Location: Ponte di CastelvecchioSleeps: 6
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Facilities
Balcony, BBQ, Garage, Garden, Outdoor pool read more
Description
La Spinosa is a traditional farmhouse owned by a distinguished British artist. Restored sensitively, it provides summer and autumn accommodation for six people. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room, dining room and kitchen. There is a beautiful large traditional stone terrace and pergola for al fresco dining, an 11 meter private pool and extensive terraces with olive and fruit trees. La Spinosa enjoys a stunning panoramic view of the Tuscan hill village of Castelvecchio di Pescia and the countryside. Access and parking is easy and although secluded, three excellent restaurants can be reached within a ten minute drive, of which one can be walked to in ten minutes through lovely woods. By car Lucca is thirty five minutes and Florence, Pisa and the beach resort of Viareggio are each one hour. La Spinosa is most suitable for couples and families. Facilities include an excellent DVD & book collection, high chair, cot and stair gate. La Spinosa is the perfect place for the perfect getaway.
La Spinosa is within an hour's drive of Florence, Pisa and the famous seaside resort of Viareggio with its annual Puccini summer festival at Torre de Lago. The beautiful walled city of Lucca is just over half an hour away. The hill village of Castlevechio ,which La Spinosa overlooks' is the central village of ten picturesque hill villages which form the Dieci Castella. All are in easy reach and a visit to each is highly recommended. Castelvecchio itself boasts the Dieci Castella's tenth century Romanesque 'cathedral' while the village's church sits above a recently discovered and restored crypt whose walls are covered with 16th century frescoes. Castelvecchio has three very good yet reasonably priced restaurants, a small shop, a post office and a bar with a view to die for. Walking (ten minutes) or driving (three) to the village is a treat as the road winds through beautiful chestnut woods with lovely views. Indeed walking anywhere in the Dieci Castella is highly recommended.
Availability
Seasonal rates
| Start date | End date | Weekly rate | Week night rate | Week end night | Minimum stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06 Apr 2012 | 03 Jun 2012 | 1,208 € | n/a | n/a | 7 nights |
| 02 Sep 2012 | 28 Sep 2012 | 1,208 € | n/a | n/a | 7 nights |
| 29 Sep 2012 | 02 Nov 2012 | 829 € | n/a | n/a | 7 nights |
* prices may be subject to change at the advertisers discretion
* rates are per property
NOTE: Please Note: The owner of this property accepts payment in the original currency specified (Euro), before use of conversion tool. The conversion tool is provided for your convenience only. The owner may accept other currencies if specifically agreed in advance.
Additional information about rental rates
Please Note: The owner of this property accepts payment in Euros only.
Additional information about rental rates;
25% deposit is required at time of booking with the balance due 4 weeks before arrival date. Arrival time is between 16:00 - 18:00 and departure is before 10:00
Towels (use in the house and pool), bed linen (changed weekly), first and last clean, hot water, electric and wood for the fire are all included in the price. Electric heating isn't included and is charged extra.
General information
| Property type | Farm house |
|---|---|
| Numer of units | single |
| Holiday theme | Activity, Away from it all, Sight-seeing, Summer Holiday, Weekend Away |
| Suitable for | Children, Elderly, Families, Couples |
Room information
| Bedrooms |
2 bedroom(s), sleeps 6 max.
|
|---|---|
| Bathrooms |
2 bathroom(s)
|
| Kitchen |
Fully-fitted kitchen 4 ring stove, Dish washer, Freezer, Fridge, Microwave, Oven, Utensils |
| Meals |
Not included Self-catering |
| Dining room |
Seats 6 |
| Living room |
Seats 6 DVD, CD player, Sofa bed, TV |
On-site facilities
| Onsite facilities |
Balcony, BBQ, Garage, Garden, Outdoor pool, Terrace, Outdoor furniture |
|---|---|
| Other facilities |
Air conditioning, Satellite/cable, Linen and towels provided, Central heating |
| Other notes |
Local area information
| Location type |
Rural |
|---|---|
| Car required? |
recommended La Spinosa is within an hour's drive of Florence, Pisa and the famous seaside resort of Viareggio with its annual Puccini summer festival at Torre de Lago. The beautiful walled city of Lucca is just over half an hour away. The hill village of Castlevechio ,which La Spinosa overlooks' is the central village of ten picturesque hill villages which form the Dieci Castella. All are in easy reach and a visit to each is highly recommended. Castelvecchio itself boasts the Dieci Castella's tenth century Romanesque 'cathedral' while the village's church sits above a recently discovered and restored crypt whose walls are covered with 16th century frescoes. Castelvecchio has three very good yet reasonably priced restaurants, a small shop, a post office and a bar with a view to die for. Walking (ten minutes) or driving (three) to the village is a treat as the road winds through beautiful chestnut woods with lovely views. Indeed walking anywhere in the Dieci Castella is highly recommended. |
| Local leisure activities |
Watersports, Swimming pool, Horse riding, Walking |
| Nearest points of interest |
|
Directions
Nearest Airport : Pisa at 50 Kilometers
Nearest Ferry : Livorno at 70 Kilometers
Nearest Train : Pescia at 12 Kilometers
Nearest Motorway : Chiesina Uzzanesa at 15 Kilometers
Nearest Beach : Viareggio at 55 Kilometers
Nearest Barpub : Marina at 0.5 Kilometers
Nearest Ski : Abetone at 40 Kilometers
Nearest Golf : Montecatini at 15 Kilometers
Nearest Restaurant : La Pieve at 0.25 Kilometers
Reviews
Superb Tuscan Idyll.
What a fantastic location. Seeing is believing! We cannot highly recommend enough this beautiful house. Everything you would need on holiday is provided. we had fantastic weather but i would imagine this would be a very cosy place to stay in colder months as well. Recommend train from Pescia to Florence. Trip to Lucca a must, but just lazing around the pool or sat in a shady spot in the lovely terraced garden was enough for us. thank you Vaughan & Polly for sharing ......
Wonderful find
We stayed in La Spinosa in June 2011 and were pleasantly surprised that unlike other places we have rented previously this one exceeded expectations upon arrival. Remote but not isolated this property offers everything for couples and families alike being near some beautiful villages whilst feeling like you are truly away from the hustle and bustle.
Stunning scenery (the website pictures certainly don't do the views here justice!), a beautiful rustic property and no noise other than crickets make this a serene and tranquil place to catch up on some rest and relaxation.
A 40 minute drive away Lucca is well worth a visit. Paul's advice really useful and his recommendation of a Sunday visit to a local restaurant essential - cannot think of a more ridiculous (quantity) yet wonderfully authentic and excellent local cuisine that we have visited before.
Wireless internet now installed which is always useful.
Will certainly return and for people looking for a, "do nothing" type week in a beautiful place just 50/60 mins from Pisa, hard to beat! Have already suggested it to others.
A week wasn't long enough
We have just returned from a very nice week at this lovely tuscan hideaway. This was an ideal base for sight seeing and to enjoy a family get together with good local food and wine. The house is in a lovely position, very peaceful and has stunning views. The master bedroom had a lovely large ensuite bathroom while the other 2 bedrooms shared a bathroom, which was unfortunately downstairs. Paul the housekeeper knows the area very well and is very helpful with booking restaurants and suggesting places to visit.
We certaimly would recommend staying here and hope to return one day.
Thanks
La Spinosa perfect for our style
Our style is to find a quiet, private location, away from the crowds, with access to lots of walking and hiking and a simple yet great kitchen so we can easily prep food. A place preferably with a great view and sitting areas for hanging out outside.
La Spinosa met the match for us. The house and grounds were in excellent condition and well cared for, and the local contact Paul provided excellent service.
We'd recommend this property to anyone who likes to do what we like to do. If you want nightlife, action, museums and all, then you'd have a journey to get them. So it depends on your preferences.
At the same time, Pescia is just a few minutes away for groceries and for catching trains to Florence. Lucca is a short drive away as well.
The recommendations we would make for La Spinosa is to have wireless internet in place. Internet access we find invaluable for looking up local weather, connections, maps, schedules, history, and activities. Plus I travel with business needs and getting to an internet cafe is very inconvenient and we were only able to do that once. There is wireless in Vellano and that's just a hop-skip away.
The other recommend we have is more detailed information about the hiking trails. Apparently the trails are not that well traveled as we started out on several that ripped us up with thorns and stickers or were so poorly marked that we had to find our own way, turn back, or go in circles. We never ran into anyone else on the trails. As hiking is so advertised as a good feature of this region, it was a puzzling and often frustrating experience.
Tuscany in Autumn
As two families with two small girls we traditionally go on holiday over the October half term. This year we chose La Spinosa and were not disappointed. We loved the isolated location with fantastic views. We were able to mix sightseeing in Lucca, Pisa and Florence with walks in the countryside and rock climbing. The accommodation was simple, traditional and fitted our needs well. The wood burning stove kept us snug on the cool evenings. A great place!
La Spinosa, Castelvecchio
We had an excellent holiday in this delightful old farmhouse with its magnificent views across the valley to the old town and beyond. The house was clean and well-equipped, and the well-maintained gardens are a particular attraction - particularly in the autumn when the fruit trees are in full production!
Lucca is a must for a visit, and also Collodi if you have kids - or even if you haven't but like gardens. Pescia's railway station makes a lot of other places easily accessible without a long car journey - including Florence.
La Pieve is the nearest restaurant and is good; Sandrino's and Da Carlas, a bit further away, are excellent.
La Spinosa July 2010
We had never been to Tuscany before but we loved the area, the local people and the house. The house itself is unspoilt with rustic charm. There was plenty of room for all 6 of us.
The garden is very interesting with terraces and plenty of room to walk about and sit reading a book. The view is just stunning and we spent hours looking out over the valley towards Castelvecchio and beyond.
The pool was a good size and we spent a lot of time around and in it. We had to balance relaxation with seeing the sights of Florence, Siena, Lucca, Viareggio, Pisa, Pistoioa and San Gimignano etc. We used the train and the motorways - but all were easily accessible.
Paul maintains the house and pool and was incredibly helpful - both in suggesting things to do and places to eat (and often booking them for us). Nothing was too much trouble for him.
We loved the local food and especially the restaurant called Montaione (or something like that!) - food heaven!!
The local roads are not for the faint-hearted - we had some interesting moments in a people carrier - but came out unscathed.
We spent 3 weeks here and still felt there was so much more to see. An amazingly good holiday was had by all.
Beautiful Tuscan farmhouse
A beautifully renovated farmhouse in an idyllic setting. Accomodation excellent for 2 adults and 2 children - kids got their own room which is always a bonus - and thoroughly enjoyed the pool and the selection of games. The kitchen and bathrooms are well appointed and make for a very relaxing break.
The gardens add a real touch of magic to the property, with plenty of well placed benches for the evening glass of Chianti or two! The view is, indeed, stunning - both in full sun and with the atmospheric clouds rolling down the valley.
The property is well placed for exploring Tuscany's treasures - with Florence, Lucca and Sienna within easy reach, although we found the charm of Castelvecchio and that beautiful view hard to leave behind!
Loved the place
" We absolutely loved the place. And the view here - which is to die for!"
A wonderful two weeks
"It was a wonderful two weeks here. There is so much to see yet limited hours in the day. So we are coming again!"
A wonderful week
" Thank you for the use of your beautiful home. We have enjoyed a wonderful week exploring Tuscany. What a fabulous view!"
Recommended
"The area is of outstanding natural beauty and we will certainly recommend it."
La Spinosa, Ponte di Caselvicchio
When booking La Spinosa the owners, Vaughan & Polly insisted that we would " love La Spinosa", well they were right, we did !
The farm house has been restored in keeping with it's history and character, stone floors, oak beams, thick stone walls forming cool rooms with shuttered windows, all coming together to provide a holiday home that stays true to the character of Castelvecchio and the Tuscan hill villages.
The house has everything that you need for a relaxing holiday, it is well equipped and comfortably furnished, it has a good kitchen, a dining area and a cosy lounge with TV and plenty of DVD's, books and information on the local area.The bedrooms and bathrooms have mosquito protection on the windows and i am pleased to say that the beds were very comfy.
Enough about the house ! it's absolutely splendid, but it's outside that the farmhouse stands out above others that we have rented. The views are simply stunning,set in a valley looking east, the sun comes up over the pool bathing the front of the house and the terrace in morning sunlight, the pagoda provides shade for breakfast and the view paints a satisfied smile on your face as you appreciate how fortunate you are to have found such a fantastic location to spend your holiday.
Late in the afternoon the house terrace benefits from some shade, however, the pool, together with the terraced garden continues to be bathed in sunlight.The terraced gardens are a delight with fruit trees, olives and a natural stream cascading down the hill, Vaughan has built a bridge over the stream with steps down to the seats set in shade on the grass terraces.
All views lead the eye to Castelvecchio and the other "dieci castella" forming the hill villages, each one is perched on an opposing hill and are well worth a visit, the local roads make there way round the rolling hills and valleys, each village has it's own character and history, each having been aligned to different city states during the middle ages and often being at war with it's neighbour a couple of miles away !
The area realy does have everthing that you want from an Italian holiday, it has a backdrop of local history, stunning views,it's close to the cities of Florance and Lucca and its only 1 hour from the airport.
But the topping on the pizza is the the house is close to 3 restaurants, one is an easy 5 minute walk through the woods from the house and two are just 5 minutes drive down the hill, all serving a range of fantastic ltalian food.
Better than described!
Simply beautiful and better than described We would love to go again.
The best location rented in Italy!
The house and location were fantastic, the views are stunning and the fact that there are three restaurants so close is the topping on the pizza.
Thanks for the use of your Italian home. It is without doubt the best location that we have rented in Italy.
Enquire about this property
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Vaughan Grylls
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Other: +44 (0)7770558584
Language(s) spoken:
English
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