Tuscany, Lunigiana, Fosdinovo, Italy

Superbly restored property set in the piazza of a small village in the olive clad hills rising above the beaches of the Versilia coastline on the border between Tuscany and Liguria.

The property dates back to to the 1600's and maintains many original features with terracotta floors, original stone staircase, beamed ceiling and exposed stone walls. There is a panoramic roof terrace, a courtyard and small garden. The property is accessed to a spacious entrance hall, fully built-in kitchen with open fireplace and wood fired oven, dining room, living room, bedroom with bathroom with shower; upstairs there are two bedrooms and bathroom with bath; on the upper level there is a large landing area, bedroom and south-west facing roof terrace of 50 sqm; there are stone vaulted cellars on the lower ground floor, bathroom with shower, laundry room and wood store. The bedrooms have wood floors.

From the small, tranquil village there is a short walk through the pine woods to a bar, restaurant and grocery shop.

The area is close to the market town of Sarzana, a vibrant medieval market town with large elegant central piazza and cobbled lanes meandering through the town flanked with coffee shops and antique stores. During the summer months Sarzana opens up for evenings which can be spent wandering the cobbled lanes, with antiques and bric a often hosts festivals from dining in the piazza to concerts to open air events along the lanes. Both the coastal areas of Versilia and the Gulf of the Poets are 10 km away with good public transport connections. Vezzano Ligure and Sarzana both have stations with direct trains to Pisa, Florence, the Cinque Terre and Genova. The Cinque Terre are five picturesque villages strung along the narrow coastline north of the Gulf of the Poets and La Spezia with pretty coves, beaches and are accessed on foot, boat or with the local train that shuttles between the villages. Anyone visiting the Cinque Terre should take a walk along the cliff paths which link one village to the next, stop in one of the bars or restaurants and try the anchovies marinated in olive oil and garlic, served with bread and delicate white wine made from the grapes that grow up the steep terraces above the villages. The Cinque Terre are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Gulf of the Poets is an enclave with a group of three islands at its tip, fishing villages with exceptional fish restaurants, as well as opportunities for sailing, canoeing, snorkelling or just relaxing on one of the beaches hidden in craggy bays around Fiascherino or Tellaro. The easiest way to get around the gulf is by boat which runs between Lerici, La Spezia and Portovenere or on to The Cinque Terre. The name Gulf of the Poets is from the literary connection as some of the world’s most famous poets including Shelley, Byron and D H Lawrence lived here at some time.

Distances: Sarzana 10 km, Venere Azzurra (beaches) 15 km, La Spezia 20 km, Cinque Terre 25 km, Pietrasanta 40 km, Lucca 70 km, Pisa (airport) 80 km, Florence 150 km.