Tuscany, Lunigiana, Fivizzano, Italy

Wonderful, four bedroom detached stone house with wonderful views set on the edge of a beautiful village with wide reaching views. The property has been restored with a rustic feel, with exposed stone, beamed ceilings and terracotta floors. The quality of finishings is immaculate.

The house is entered into an entrance hall and through to a dining room, beautifully fitted and well-equipped kitchen, a large sitting room with impressive open fire. Also on the ground floor is a bathroom with shower, and a utility room. Upstairs there is a lovely master bedroom with en-suite bathroom (some finishing required), another bedroom with bathroom with shower and a further two bedrooms. The house is fitted with all services and has central heating.

There is a barn, slightly attached to the main house which offers potential for further accommodation, with one large room downstairs and two rooms upstairs - all to restore.

Fivizzano is a medieval walled town with a central cobbled piazza and is often referred to as the Florence of Lunigiana. The bustling town hosts many cultural events over the summer with concerts in the piazza and re-enactments of medieval parades. With its musical heritage the town also attracts international musicians during the annual folk music festival. There is a hospital, shops and restaurants in the town. Aulla is one the largest towns in Lunigiana; it has a good selection of shops, supermarkets, medical centre, public transport and links to the motorway. The historic town centre is the site of a marble fountain built in the year of Italian unity and the 16th century fortress called La Brunella is perched on a hill overlooking the town. The fortress now houses the Museum of Natural History of Lunigiana. Enjoy the colourful market hosted in the town centre every Saturday morning.

The villa is on the edge of a small village in the Lunigiana hills, only 15 kms from Aulla where there is a train station, supermarkets and shops and a similar distance from the ancient town of Pontremoli. Each year Pontremoli hosts a large festival, 'Medievalis' when the town is transformed into Medieval times with medieval camps, horse joisting, flag throwing competitions, live music, markets and street food. It also hosts the prestigious Premio Letterario Bancarella, the Italian literary prize voted for by booksellers originating from 1953 when first won by Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”. It is a lovely town to wander through, and the cathedral is definitely worth a visit. The nearby village of Filleto also undertakes a total transformation in August to host four days of medieval market stalls, traditional food, artisans and displays around the Italian summer holiday of Ferragosto. There are numerous country farm restaurants (agriturismi) to discover nearby serving local specialties and excellent walking trails abound. The small town of Villafranca is close by, set on the banks of the river Magra, and offers a selection of shops and restaurants, schools, chemist and one of the best cheese shops in the area.

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 15 kms, Aulla 15 kms (trains and autostrada), Lerici (beaches )35 kms, Lucca 90 kms, Florence 160 kms, Pisa (airport) 95 kms.