Beautiful detached villa, enclosed gardens and private pool
Rural Villa
Location: Villafranca in LunigianaSleeps: 6
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 3
Facilities
Balcony, BBQ, Car parking, Garden, Outdoor pool read more
Description
Luxurious detached Villa in 1 acres of enclosed gardens; renovated to high specification in 2007 this former vicarage is light airy, elegantly furnished, stylish and spacious. (www.villaariola.com)
Villa Ariola stands proud above all in the Tuscan village of Irola di sopra, near Villafranca in Lunigiana, a little known panoramic medieval hill village. Within the National Park this is a paradise for walkers and country lovers, at dawn and dusk it is possible to glimpse deer and wild boar as they venture from cover in search of food, or watch golden eagles and other rare birds as they soar above the hills and down the valleys. The nearest town is Villafranca just a 10 minute drive away, with good supermarkets, bars, shops, banks. A thriving market visits Villafranca on Friday & Pontremoli Wednesday and Saturday, mostly food stall's you will find a good selection of wonderful locally produced fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese and salami.
This beautiful villa has a modern kitchen & dining room is equipped with everything a chef could require, or dine on the shaded terrace with black granite table. The pool is 9.5 x 4 x 1.5m with travertine paving, Heated outside shower; Loggia and BBQ surrounded by lawns, beyond are olive terraces and forest. On the 1st floor 3 bedrooms each with balcony, lovely views, extremely comfortable beds, beautiful white linen, and 4 bathrooms with quality fittings and Carrara marble tiles. The very comfortably furnished sitting room has a log fire, SKY, X box 360 and surround sound. There is a shower room and utility on this floor.
The villa is ideally situated on the edge of a medieval village in a totally unspoilt part of Tuscany, 10 kilometres from the Autostrada with Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Parma, Genoa and several beaches all within easy driving distance. There are a designer outlets at Forte di Marmi, tourist type trinket and memorabilla shops can be found in the coastal towns La Spezia, Sarsana, Lerici, and the famous Cinque Terre.
The Village of Irola has two parts, Irola di Sotto and Irola di Sopra (lower and higher). The oldest building dates back over four hundred years earliest records date back to 600AD. Irola is protected by the historic building association, within the National Park and designated a zero development area. Soak up hundreds of years of history and a delightful atmosphere, it is an enchanting place. Even in July and August, the village of Irola exudes an air of peace and relaxation. You wind your way through the village passing under archways on streets paved with small sloping steps which were laid for donkey’s years ago. In total there are around 70 houses in Irola which are owned and maintained by the descendants of the village. Some visit at weekends others for months at a time and some return from around the world once every few years. You will find the villagers exceptionally friendly and happy to welcome visitors.
There are many excellent restaurants and pizzerias in the area, we have provided our recommendations and directions to our favorites including prices and closing days. Enjoy the coffee bar culture in the local towns; sit out in the sun and absorb the atmosphere and relaxed pace of life, in the evenings enjoy “aperitivi” (small snacks) with your drinks. There are two good “enoteca” (wine bars) were you can sample Italy’s wines by the glass, if you enjoy wine this is a very enjoyable way to spend a few hours. If you have a special occasion while you are staying in our holiday home we can arrange (with advance notice) for you to be given extra special treatment; for example there is a romantic restaurant on a small island that collect you by Venetian water taxi. The more familiar four wheeled taxis are in Villafranca if you wish to leave the car.
Availability
Seasonal rates
| Start date | End date | Weekly rate | Week night rate | Week end night | Minimum stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Dec 2011 | 06 Jan 2012 | 2,600 € | n/a | n/a | 7 nights |
| 31 Mar 2012 | 20 Apr 2012 | 2,600 € | n/a | n/a | 7 nights |
| 21 Apr 2012 | 18 May 2012 | 1,900 € | n/a | n/a | 7 nights |
| 26 May 2012 | 01 Jun 2012 | 1,900 € | n/a | n/a | 7 nights |
| 02 Jun 2012 | 21 Jun 2012 | 2,200 € | n/a | n/a | 7 nights |
| 30 Jun 2012 | 13 Jul 2012 | 2,600 € | n/a | n/a | 7 nights |
| 04 Aug 2012 | 24 Aug 2012 | 2,600 € | n/a | n/a | 7 nights |
| 01 Sep 2012 | 14 Sep 2012 | 2,200 € | n/a | n/a | 7 nights |
| 15 Sep 2012 | 12 Oct 2012 | 1,900 € | n/a | n/a | 7 nights |
* prices may be subject to change at the advertisers discretion
* rates are per property
NOTE: * We take a security deposit of €300, this money is completely refundable after your holiday assuming there are no damages or breakages, and we would like to point out, we are aware that accidents happen and we will not charge for the occasional glass, cup or plate etc.
About US
We are both English working in the UK, in 1989 we visited Tuscany many times searching for a holiday home and eventually discovered a small house in the village of Irola. Villa Ariola is the second house we’ve had here. We have a building company in the UK, and have renovated many properties, Villa Ariola took 14 months to complete, with carefully chosen Italian materials to compliment the style of the house. Every time we open the front door it never fails to wow us. Even though we only get to enjoy the house a few times a year, the house is part of our body and soul. It hurts to leave and we are always longing to be back - When we retire we will live in Italy permanently, until then we are able to share our villa with you!
Lunigiana is known as undiscovered Tuscany we love waking up to the sunshine and beauty of nature. It is lovely to walk in the forest collecting wild herbs, fruits, nuts and mushrooms. We also enjoy the wildlife - the swallows, eagles, wild boar, dear, badgers and the fireflies at night. We never tire of the landscape it is so beautiful dramatic and completely unspoilt. Sometimes we like to sit outside a bar and watch the world go by. Occasionally we go into town for lunch and shopping. Often we go for dinner to one of the excellent restaurants close by or down to the sea for the best fish restaurants anywhere on the Mediterranean. Florence Pisa and Lucca are close, all the major attractions of Tuscany within easy reach, we tend not to travel far enjoying the Villa pool and garden.
Unique benefits of the property
Villa Ariola is away from the hustle and bustle yet it is close to the beaches, the mountains, the main cities of Lucca, Florence and Pisa, and to all the essential facilities (supermarket, restaurants). It is your oasis. During the summer the Italians that are able leave the sea side and cities to the annual mixture of heat mosquitoes and tourists, they head for the hills where the air is cleaner cooler and calmer. We have written a comprehensive 'Guide for Guests' we describe the beaches recommend lots of restaurants, places of interest boat trips and scenic drives to help you get the very best from your holiday. “When in Rome do as the Romans do”
General information
| Property type | Villa |
|---|---|
| Numer of units | single |
| Holiday theme | Away from it all, Luxury, Sight-seeing, Summer Holiday |
| Suitable for | Children, Low allergen environment, Families, Couples, Groups |
Room information
| Bedrooms |
3 bedroom(s), sleeps 6 max.
The marble stairs lead to a large spacious landing with patio doors and balcony that overlooks the village; a wide corridor leads to the three bedrooms with extremely comfortable beds and beautiful white linen. All three bathrooms have efficient plumbing quality fittings and marble. The family bathroom has a large shower, separate full size bath, hand basin, and toilet. Across the landing bedroom 3 has two single beds, bedside cabinets, a chest of draws and wardrobe, patio doors to balcony. Bedroom 2 has king size bed, bedside cabinets, chest of draws, wardrobe, ensuite shower room with large shower, and patio doors to a large terrace with mountain views, over looking the garden and pool . The master bedroom has a king size bed, two chest of draws, a dressing table, wardrobe, ensuite shower room and patio doors to a balcony with views of the garden, and down the valley to distant mountains. |
|---|---|
| Bathrooms |
3 bathroom(s)
|
| Kitchen |
4 ring stove, Clothes dryer, Dish washer, Freezer, Fridge, Grill, Hob, Microwave, Oven, Washing machine, Outside cooking, Utensils |
| Meals |
Not included |
| Dining room |
Seats 8 |
| Living room |
Seats 8 DVD, CD player, Fireplace, Sofa bed, TV, Stereo system |
On-site facilities
| Onsite facilities |
Balcony, BBQ, Car parking, Garden, Outdoor pool, Terrace, Outdoor furniture 4 car parking spaces |
|---|---|
| Other facilities |
Satellite/cable, Wireless internet access, Linen and towels provided, Central heating |
| Other notes |
Local area information
| Location type |
Rural |
|---|---|
| Car required? |
necessary |
| Local leisure activities |
Cycling, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Diving, Mountaineering, Surfing, Fishing, Swimming pool, Golf, Tennis, Horse riding, Walking |
| Nearest points of interest |
|
Directions
Villa Ariola stands proud above all in the Tuscan village of Irola di sopra, near Villafranca in Lunigiana, a little known panoramic medieval hill village. Within the National Park this is a paradise for walkers and country lovers, at dawn and dusk it is possible to glimpse deer and wild boar as they venture from cover in search of food, or watch golden eagles and other rare birds as they soar above the hills and down the valleys. The nearest town is Villafranca just a 10 minute drive away, with good supermarkets, bars, shops, banks. A thriving market visits Villafranca on Friday & Pontremoli Wednesday and Saturday, mostly food stall's you will find a good selection of wonderful locally produced fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese and salami. The villa is ideally situated 10 kilometres from the Autostrada with Pisa, Lucca, Florence, several beaches and the major attractions of Tuscany all within driving distance. Our guide for guests recommends local restaurants and vineyard
Reviews
Hope to come back one day
Thank you for your beautiful house we had a very good vacation, the local people very nice, we went to some restaurants recommended in the guide very good food and good price.
Hope to come back one day.
Awesome holiday thanks
This villa is exactly as described it’s spacious, well equipped, bright and airy. The pool is just lovely, the ‘dear’ come down from the forest to graze by the garden fence, they are not at all disturbed by us splashing around in the water and even more amazing is the swallows flying in for a drink from the pool water while we’re swimming.
We visited Pisa & Florence it was very hot but beautiful, we also went to Marinella beach for the day. Awesome holiday thanks.
The house is absolutely stunning...
I have been meaning to email you since Saturday, just wanted to say a huge thank you for allowing us the pleasure of renting your beautiful villa last week. The house is absolutely stunning and was everything we could have hoped for (kids and adults alike)
We discovered the beautiful Bagnone for the first time this year due to staying where we were and we will definitely end up buying there eventually (pennies permitting!!)
We loved Italy, the food, the Italians, and the pr
We loved Italy, the food, the Italians, and the property, the perfect holiday for us. We walked in the forest for miles, it was so peaceful, and the bird song was beautiful, the old part of the village enchanting, like going back hundreds of years.
The guide for guests was very useful, helped with restaurants and generally to find our way around. Thank you so much for the use of your house, we had a lovely holiday.
I don’t know if I could bear to rent out such a lo
We had a lovely stay in your house, it felt like a real home from home. All the kid’s outdoor games and DVD’S were great too, I had actually brought a suitcase full of games and toys, and they didn’t come out once!! It was great.
We hope your cleaner found we had left everywhere tidy and clean, I don’t know if I could bear to rent out such a lovely place
Thanks again
very clean indeed and the grounds were so well mai
We had a lovely time thank you the house is beautiful. It was very clean indeed and the grounds were so well maintained. We tried two of the recommended restaurants Manhattan and the Malgrate Ristorante, both were brilliant and so cheap!
Thank you for the experience, maybe one day we wil
What a beautiful villa, so spacious which was ideal for us and our 3 teenage boys, my wife loved the kitchen it was better equipped than we have at home.
When we finally managed to drag ourselves away from the villa, we went to the Cinque terra, we can highly recommend it, a fabulous boat trip took us to the 5 villages, we ate great seafood in one of the many restaurant.
Thank you for the experience, maybe one day we will return.
you have really found a paradise!
Hallo Lynn and Bill
the 2 weeks in Tuscany were very nice and rest full, you have really found a paradise! Thank you again. And if you like to visit Berlin simply call me
Best regards Sylvia
We have a lot of wonderful memories
We all had a brilliant holiday. We really loved the area as there was so much to see and do, and we have a lot of wonderful memories. Unfortunately 2 weeks just isn't long enough. I think some of our best memories are of sitting on the terrace eating and drinking as the sun goes down behind the mountain and the deer feeding in the forest just beyond the garden.
The kitchen is great fantastically well equipped
The house is wonderful, very homely and very comfortable It was everything we needed as a base to enjoy the area. The kitchen is great fantastically well equipped, we have really enjoyed cooking here, especially the wild mushroom risotto from the Tuscan cookbook, which is now one of our favourite dishes!
A True Tuscan Gem!
What a fantastic place! Bill and Lynn have created a beautiful, serene yet luxurious hideaway. They really seem to have thought of everything, the villa itself is absolutely gorgeous, in a true Tuscan village. It is everything you imagine when you think of Tuscany.
This is a big house [especially by European standards] with lots of space, with 6 adults travelling we were worried we may feel a bit cramped, but not so at all in Villa Ariola. We've travelled in Europe before & know that space can often be at a premium, but there was so much space here we felt quite spoiled. Each bedroom has its own beautiful marble bathroom, & each also has its own terrace with lovely mountain views, so there was no fighting over who got the “room with a view”.
We lived in the lap of luxury eating outside each night on the terrace [no bugs], we were able to make good use of the BBQ & enjoyed sipping our wine while watching the deer come down from the forest to feed at the edge of the property. The pool was fantastic, sparklingly clean with wide sun terraces that caught the sun all day.
We didn’t leave the villa much at all during our 1st week because we were having so much fun just lounging around the pool & grounds of the villa. The 2nd week we visited the area where Carrara marble comes from in the mountains - really interesting brought a piece home too as a souvenir! We went into Lucca & cycled around the walls, that was hilarious as it was quite a while since some of us had been on a bicycle! I saw my very first opera in Parma - think John Grisham’s novel Playing for Pizza. In Pontremoli we did the local thing sitting in the piazza [again with a glass of wine] people watching. We spent a day visiting the Cinque Terra by boat & ate lunch on the island of Palmaria.
The guide for guests was invaluable giving us with real “insider” knowledge & making us feel like locals. This was one of the best holidays we’ve had - ever! Villa Ariola was above & beyond our expectations, the photos almost don’t do it justice. Everything was very clean, in excellent condition & the kitchen was so well equipped [a real treat for me the self-designated cook] often rental kitchens are a bit sparse to say the least, whereas here, I had everything I could possibly ask for. Thank you Bill and Lynn so much for sharing your beautiful Villa Ariola with us, we will be back!
Couldn’t suggest any improvements, simply perfect
Our stay at Villa Ariola was delightful, so much so we invited a friend and my sister to join us! Couldn’t suggest any improvements its simply perfect. Villa Ariola was well equipped and we didn’t want for anything - super relaxing, friendly locals and stunning scenery. Dinner on the Island is to be highly recommended; food was great and location superb – very, very chilled!! Cheers, Mark
Awesome, beautiful house, beautiful countryside
Awesome, beautiful house, beautiful countryside and the bird song was fabulous, especially early mornings. We took some city trips; Pisa and Florence were our favorites. We had a great holiday. Thank you, we will tell our friends about your house, it’s so popular to do Europe.
Wow. Real Italy with all the trimmings
When we looked on the website at all the photos of this villa we were seriously impressed but when we arrived and saw it all "in the flesh" we were thrilled everything looked so much better (if that's possible) - the size of the villa, the fabulous pool and brilliantly placed barbeque area - we were in heaven. As we walked through the front door we were met with a stunning marble staircase in the hall and this was just the first of the many stunning features this house and its surrounding countryside had to offer. There were six in our party (3 couples) and as we were all without appendages (the kids) we had wanted a holiday where we could relax in complete privacy all we wanted but also we wanted some lively evenings. We got it all. We spent many days and evenings around the spotless swimming pool barbequeing all the fabulous locally bought produce the flavours of which are divine.
We also spent evenings enjoying superb food in local restaurants and ventured a little further afield to visit Florence(fantastic) with its superb ponti vecchio (girls get your men to buy you some jewellery here), Pisa and Lucca - all within easy reach, but the most awe inspiring place we went to on this holiday(apart from the villa itself) was a trip to Portovenere (Cinque Terre) with its beautiful individually painted houses on the water's edge where we caught a water taxi to the Island of Palmaria to an amazing restaurant and watched the sun go down - what an experience. We found the information on all these trips in the guide book left in the villa by the owners - really helpful. As there were 3 couples on this holiday we had decided, before we got to the villas, that we would draw straws on who was going to have which bedroom, what a waste of time - every bedroom was beautifully decorated and furnished, all had an abundance of soft fluffy towels and the bedlinen was really good quality - all touches that can make a big difference and just added to the feeling of luxury. The bathrooms were not only spacious but were spotless and were fitted with amazing marble. All in all this holiday was everything and more than we had wanted and with all the locals being really friendly we felt we had experienced the essence of Italy - and can't wait to do it again.
Thank you for letting us use your lovely house
Thank you for letting us use your lovely house, it was great to have our own pool, it has been a wonderful holiday. Everything in the house is very good. Thanks again, we hope you have many other happy clients.
Villa Ariola and its surroundings were so relaxing
We all agreed that our holiday this year was wonderful and we were all a bit blue this morning as we left your beautiful house to return home. Usually at the end of a 2-week holiday we are ready to go home, but this year we could have happily stayed longer. Villa Ariola and its surroundings were so relaxing and welcoming that we arrived feeling worn and ragged but left feeling relaxed and recharged. Thank you for the opportunity to stay at such a beautiful place.
it’s great the way time seems to stand still
Thank you for a wonderful holiday, the house and village so relaxing village people so friendly just as it was last year, it’s great the way time seems to stand still in Italy. We managed to visit the places we missed last time, Pisa and the tower, and we did the walls of Lucca on push bikes, the children really enjoyed that.
All the website said it would be and more
What a place! It was all the website said it would be and more, we had a wonderful Easter. We hadn’t realised how important Easter is to the Italians and how well they celebrate it, with special food, we went to lovely restaurants on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We would like to return some day, but we think we could make a romantic time of it without the kids.
It was magical I felt a bit like Alice in wonderla
Its been a truly relaxing holiday a wonderful house very well equiped, lovely surroundings the wild flowers, plants and trees, beautiful countryside, that forest is endless we walked and walked hoping to get to the top of a mountain but it just went on for ever, it was magical I felt a bit like Alice in wonderland. Thank you Bill and Lynn maybe we’ll come back again someday.
Superbly equipped house
This is an amazing house, superbly equipped with vast amounts of china, cutlery and glasses. The garden is huge and deer do indeed come and look through the fence at you. Lovely pool and a great barbecue. The local support and cleaning people were very friendly and helpful, but it helps to speak Italian.
The real Italy
Villa Ariola, and surroundings offer something for everybody the Villa itself is beautifully spacious and well appointed – there’s enough of everything and everything works, which has not been my experience in other holiday villas. I also really appreciated the number of bathrooms; I hate having people waiting for me and this never happened. My sister is a keen (and excellent) cook and she was in her element in the lovely kitchen.
My sister and brother-in-law and their little daughter spent most of the time at ‘home’, sunbathing, swimming, playing, pottering and soaking up the peace and beauty of the place. It was a joy to watch all their stress dissolve during our stay.
My husband and I, on the other hand, covered a great deal of ground. We did a lot of walking through the stunning countryside right on Ariola’s doorstep, we checked out the beaches and made a couple of very satisfying day trips, one to Firenze and one to the Cinque Terre. We also visited a vineyard recommended by Lynn & Bill and couldn’t leave without buying a few gallons of local wine to take home (just as well we’d come to Italy by car!). I know and love Italy but I’ve made a few mistakes with holiday destinations in the past. Irola, however, is the real deal: off the tourist track and immersed in the best of rural Italian culture. I know we’d all love to go back.
Get away from it all
We had a wonderful holiday in your fabulous villa it was beautifully clean with lovely furniture and a fantastically well tended garden. We look forward to returning when the plants have developed. We especially enjoyed the aroma of the mint in the lawn as you walked on it, what a great idea.
We took your advice and went wine tasting to Lvnae which was well worth a visit. Bagnone was also a great place to while away an hour or two with an ice cream or a drink.
You have obviously spent a lot of tender care working to make your villa such a super place.
Thank you for allowing us to spend some time there.
A
Relaxing
Incredible
Oasis in
Luxurious
Ariola
Enquire about this property
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Lynn and Bill Taylor
Verified Owner
View additional contact details
Daytime: +44 (0) 1282 691443
Mobile: +44 (0) 7951423055
Evening: 0039 0187429255
Daytime: 0039 0187429255
Language(s) spoken:
English, Italian
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