3 bedrooms house, 136 m²

Fivizzano, Massa-Carrara (province)

Lunigiana

Newly restored by English interior designer, extremely bright detached house on 2 levels, with breathtaking panoramic views over the valley to the Apuan Alps.

The accommodation comprises:

First Floor: Entrance hall, three bedrooms (2 double, 1 single), family bathroom and balcony. Staircase down to:

Ground Floor: Modern kitchen with Carrara marble worksurface, large living room with fireplace and French doors opening onto the terrace, WC. Further doors to terrace create an easy flow between the interior and the outdoors.

Outside: Three large terraces - including two recently added, with high quality weather-resistant decking - offer wonderful spaces for relaxing and dining, with large wooden pergola fro shade, 7 seater power Jacuzzi, and wonderful views. There is steep land below the house, with grass, olive and chestnut trees.

Easy car access and parking, with a gated drive offering private parking for a small car.

The villa is on the edge of a small village in the Lunigiana hills between the towns of Fivizzano and Licciana Nardi and only 15 kms from Aulla where there is a train station, supermarkets and shops.

Fivizzano (7 km), often referred to as the Florence of Lunigiana, is a medieval walled town both beautiful and practical with supermarkets, restaurants and coffee bars. The bustling town hosts many cultural events over the summer with concerts in the piazza and reenactments of medieval parades and a popular food festival. There is a hospital, shops and restaurants in the town. The town hosts the international music festival in July.

There are many great day trips to explore. Lucca is a beautiful Tuscan town protected by massively thick 16th-century walls, featuring some of Italy's finest medieval and Renaissance architecture, superb dining, antique markets, classical and rock music at the Lucca Summer Festival and with easy access to stunning nearby villas in the surrounding hills. The central Piazza dell'Anfiteatro in the centre is stunning. Pietrasanta is a historic medieval and artistic town in northern Tuscany sometimes called the City of the Artists or Small Athens for its marble studios and monuments. It is an important centre for working marble and was used as a marble source by Michelangelo. And, of course, the art and architectural treasures of Florence are a must.

The Ligurian coastline is within easy reach. The Cinque Terre (UNESCO World Heritage site) is made up of the five fishing villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore and the 18km of coastal walks along the old mule-tracks between them, the most famous of which is the Via dell’Amore. Just south of the Cinque Terre is Portovenere where you can catch a ferry to the Cinque Terre or to Lerici, swim at Byron’s Bay or visit one of the islands Palmaria, Tino or Tinetto. The villages of Lerici and San Terenzo, each with impressive castles, face each other across the Gulf of the Poets and Tellaro has been named as one of the top 100 most beautiful hamlets in Italy. Neighbouring Fiascherino is just as beautiful. In addition to being known as a seaside tourist town, Viareggio is famous for its Carnival in February and the Puccini Festival during July and August. So the Ligurian coastline offers endless possibilities for days swimming or sailing, or for catching a boat trip or for simply taking a 'passeggiata al mare' and sipping an aperitivo.

Lunigiana is special and has been likened to a magical kingdom. The rolling landscape is liberally sprinkled with castles of Medici or Malaspina vintage but for lovers of the coast the sea is only half-an-hours’ drive away.The golden sandy beaches around Lerici and the pebble coves of the Cinque Terre (UNESCO World Heritage site) are ideal for swimming and sailing. The area is criss-crossed with marked footpaths for walks to the hills and mountains. The airports of Pisa, Parma and Genova are each around an hour.

Distances: Licciana Nardi 7 kms, Fivizzano 7 kms, Aulla 15 kms (trains and autostrada), Lerici (beaches )35 kms, Lucca 90 kms, Florence 160 kms, Pisa (airport) 95 kms.