Area & Farm:
The Lunigiana region has the advantage of being one of the less frequented corners of Tuscany. It has a rugged charm with peace and quiet for those who want to experience largely unspoiled rural life. With relatively little traffic, the area is pleasant for walking and cycling with routes to take your breath away. Walks around the farm and beyond offer lovely views of mountains and hilltop villages with church towers. Lizards bask on sun warmed walls, butterflies flit amongst orchids, humming bird moths probe evening primrose whilst the extraordinary praying mantis awaits a mate. High above buzzards circle over wooded hillsides, home to deer and wild boar. The clear night sky reveals a brilliant array of stars, with flashing fireflies and glow-worms competing in mid-summer. For those who prefer to visit Italy out of the summer months, the area is just as beautiful and colorful in spring sunshine and autumn mists, with peaceful evenings curled up by the woodstove with a good book.
Places within reach:
An hour’s drive away are the sandy beaches of the Versilia coast, the Gulf of Poets (La Spezia) and boats to take you to the famous Cinque Terre. To the south is Carrara and the marble quarries, Sarzana, home of a renowned antiques fair, and Equi Terme, once a Roman spa with its thermal pools and caves. There are also museums and castles to visit, and local trains wind down through the beautiful Garfagnana valley to Lucca and Pisa for connections to Florence, Sienna and the rest of Tuscany and Italy beyond.
A little about us:
Paul is English with a background in theatre, as a props maker and designer, although now working as a 3D artist. Guests are invited to view his work, which is available for purchase to interested persons.
Renee is Canadian, but practised law in the UK as a family and childcare solicitor. She gave it all up to live in Italy, and doesn’t miss it one bit.
The Little Herbert is a relatively well behaved ginger cat who like us arrived for lunch one day and never left.
We work on the land here, growing organic food and managing the woodlands for the benefit of the natural flora and fauna.
Other Activities:
Nature watching
