House in medieval village nr. the sea with view of mountains, Pisa, Cinque Terre — Property 62952

House in medieval village nr. the sea with view of mountains, Pisa, Cinque Terre

Our house is in the small hillside medieval village of Ameglia on the Ligurian-Tuscan border, about 3 km from the sea and about a 45 minute drive from Pisa on the A12 autostrada. The house has stupendous views across its own small valley, much of which is a vineyard and orchard, to the ruin of its medieval fortress, and then across the Val di Magra, to Carrara, famous for its marble and association with Michelangelo, and the snow-capped Apuan Alps and Lunigiana. Its situation is ideal for those wanting to relax, walk through attractive countryside, swim from sandy beaches or in deep water coves, enjoy folk culture or the cultural sights for which Italy is renowned.

Location Ameglia < La Spezia < Liguria < Italy

Ameglia < La Spezia < Liguria < Italy

 marks the location of this property in Ameglia

Availability for the house in La Spezia, Liguria, Italy

Last updated on:

Sunday, 27 April 2008

Changeover day:

Saturday

Normal availability

All year

Rental rates for the house in La Spezia, Liguria, Italy

^*Please Note: The owner of this property accepts payment in the original currency specified, 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.

Notes to the rental rates

• The rental charge for the Christmas and New Year period: 22 December - 4 January is charged at £60 per day.
  Between November and March, if the gas-fired central heating is used, a charge will be applied.
  Bed-linen and separate towels for the house and beach are supplied
  Beach mats and small beach parasole
  An inflatable pool for very small children, and a variety of balls
  
• A non-refundable deposit of one-third of the weekly rental secures the booking. We ask for a refundable payment of £100 to cover breakages, loss and other damage. The balance should be paid 28 days prior to arrival.
  
• Since renting is normally from Saturday to Saturday, in order for the house to be prepared, we request that visitors depart by 10.30 a.m. and try not to arrive before 3.00 p.m. Off-season, consideration will be given to visitors who wish to stay for more than seven days but less than two weeks, with extra days being charged pro rata. The rates set are irrespective of the number of persons staying in the house.
  

Accommodation and Facilities for the house in La Spezia, Liguria, Italy

The house itself

The detached, two-storey house has two bedrooms on the first floor and a lounge and kitchen/diner on the ground level; all windows, which receive the morning sun, look out onto the views described above. The bedrooms have French windows leading out onto small balconies overlooking the valley. The afternoon and evening sun settles on the side terraces. All the rooms have high ceilings and three have light ash parquet floors - giving a good sense of space and lightness – while the stairs leading up from the lobby to the bathroom are in marble, as are the kitchen draining board and the window frames. The recently refurbished kitchen has a terracotta floor with inlaid decorative tiles. The lounge has two deep settees, radio and CD player, coffee table and sideboard containing a variety of local guide-books, tourist information on places to visit, annual events and OS maps for walkers, a few board games and DVDs.

The village

The village itself has a small piazza with a bar and restaurant. There is also a post-office, general store, bakery and doctor’s surgery. Travelling shops selling fish, cheeses, fruit and vegetables set up their stalls in the piazza once a week. The village on the plain at the bottom of the hill has a bank, a supermarket, laundry and a variety of shops and services, including a dentist. An archway from the piazza leads into the lanes of the main part of the ancient township with its church and 10th century castle, in the grounds of which during the summer the Commune hosts a full cultural programme. A detailed history of Ameglia (in Italian), from its iron-age origins, can be found in the house. You can find out more by going to: www.comune.ameglia.sp.it

The house and its surrounds

A small village, Montemarcello, lies at the top of the hill, from which there are spectacular views of the Gulf of Poets, with Lerici (about 4 miles from Ameglia) to the east of the bay, where Shelley lived, and the headland of Portovenere from which Byron swam. You can walk from our house through the woods directly to Lerici or take a magnificent cliff top walk to the charming hamlet of Tellaro. Ferries run from Lerici to the Cinque Terre, which can also be reached by car and by train from Sarzana. For information on timetables and prices visit the Trenitalia web site. Forte dei Marmi, which is an expensive resort along the coast with designer boutiques and an 18-hole golf course, is only a 15 mile drive away. Lucca and Pisa are within an easy one hour drive and it takes a little longer to drive to Florence and Parma. Depending on time, on your return journey from Lucca you can visit Puccini's villa on Torre del Lago, and during the season attend a performance of one of his operas.

Skiing Information:

For winter visitors, the Cerreto ski resort at over 1,500 metres with 5 chair lifts and cross-country skiing and slopes for children and adult beginners, is an hour long drive from the house.