8 – Breakfast!  Breakfast!  Breakfast!

Every morning one awakes to a beautiful breakfast spread of fruit, fresh pastries, cheeses, meats, cereals, eggs cooked to order, juice, coffee (for the strong there is a special espresso machine), and tea.    Believe me you will be ready to start your day with lots of energy after this breakfast.  You will get very spoiled!

9 – Dinner, Dinner, Dinner!

The villa guests have the option of having Chef Bartek, exclusive to this villa; prepare delicious dinners all of the time or some of the time.  I must admit we were going to have Bartek only part of the time, but after our first meal with him and then one out, we opted to have him cook the whole two weeks.  You cannot go wrong.  It is a luxury, after a long day of touring, to relax with cocktails and conversation until dinner is announced.

Otis’ Reason 7

7 – Swim, Swim, Swim!

Now this is a real treat.  The villa has its own private pool.  It is located behind a wall of wonderful smelling rosemary near the bougainvillea-entwined pergola.  You are surrounded by tall cypress, lemon tress, and hills of olive trees.  This is a wonderful place to do laps or just dangle your tired feet (paws).  There are comfortable lounge chairs around the pool which makes it a great place to read, enjoy the Tuscan sun, or take a little nap.

Otis’ Reason 6

6 – Relax, Relax, Relax!

Relaxing is not a problem here.  There are large salons on every floor in which to gather.  One feels very comfortable putting their feet (paws) up and chatting about the day’s activities.  One might even curl up and read a book or play the piano.  We found the salons quite inviting after a long day.  Relaxing outside in the pergola below the hillside olive orchard is not all that bad either.  This will allow you to breath in the Tuscan countryside.

Otis’ Reason 5

5 – Equality, Equality, Equality!

You will feel the charm of living in a historical Tuscan Villa during your stay while enjoying modern amenities such as individually controlled air conditioning and heating in each of the 6 spacious bedrooms with large en suite bathroom. All 6 bedrooms with en suite baths are of equal size.  This is a real plus if you are renting with friends because everything is equal.  Having the bedrooms off the corners of the salons doesn’t hurt either.  When I howl at night no one can hear me. All rooms are beautifully appointed and extremely comfortable.

Otis’ Reason 4

4 – Attention, Attention, Attention!

You will receive excellent service from beginning to end; from your initial contact to your departure, the service you receive will be individualized, attentive, and second to none. Our service also includes 24-hour guest support during your stay. We strive to make certain that all your individual needs are addressed. Our exceptional professional staff is of the highest quality and consistently receives excellent feedback

Otis’ Reason 2

2 – Ambience, Ambience, Ambience!

Built in the 17th century, Villa al Boschiglia is set in beautiful northwest Tuscany, in the ancient parish of Vorno near the magnificent medieval town of Lucca.  Displaying the easy elegant lifestyle of the period, the noble, or main, floor is raised from the country floor, and entered through a portal atop the outside double flight stairway, with a symmetrical distribution of the other rooms around the central salon. There is also interior access to the country, or ground, floor where guests can enjoy delightful dinners in front of a large fireplace. 

Guests are embraced by the gentle colors and sharp fragrances of the panoramic countryside. Upon the opening of the private gate, the guest’s first sight is an alley of ‘tall and pure’ cypresses. The wide park of the villa with lime-trees, oaks, olives, magnolias, large bushes of aromatic plants, and roses is the ideal background in which to begin one’s visit.

Tuscany landscapes

The Tuscan landscape design style blends charm and Old World beauty with modern flair and elegance. This sophisticated, yet simple, theme for outdoor living space has made Tuscan landscape design quite popular, especially in affluent communities. The beauty, as well as the practicality, of a Tuscan garden complements today’s lifestyles and homes.

The plants, trees, and other flora that is incorporated into a landscape design are really the defining elements of any garden theme.Tuscan garden plants are very distinct and extremely important if you are planning a Tuscan style outdoor area.Tuscany is a central coastal region of Italy, known for its breathtaking scenery and relaxed, farming culture with an emphasis on vineyards.

Shade Relief and Privacy with Tuscan Trees and Shrubs
Trees and shrubs are a vital part of any relaxing outdoor design. Most of the trees native to Tuscany are evergreens, giving your home a lush, Mediterranean appearance year round. The following trees and shrubs will compliment any Tuscan landscape design…
The artistic curves and twists of Live Oak branches will provide wonderful shade and add character to your Tuscan garden.
Your Tuscan landscape design will not be complete without the symbolic Italian Cypress tree.
These grand evergreens make wonderful privacy barriers around your yard and add to the magnificence of your home.

Olive trees are also signature plants of Tuscany that should be a part of your design.
Showcase a variety of citrus trees, berry plants, and other Tuscany garden plants around your patio and terrace, using large terra cotta planters for a rustic Tuscan flair.

Tuscan shrubsmake wonderful hedges and look terrific along the walkways in your garden.
Boxwoods, bay trees, the yew tree, and other plants of Tuscany that are easily pruned make terrific topiaries for a contemporary touch to your garden design.

Palm trees can be incorporated into your Tuscan garden.RealPalmTrees.com carries a wide range of palms including many that can withstand the cooler temperatures of the Mediterranean nights in winter. They deliver to 48 States in the USA including worldwide and will arrange freight shipping for large specimens.

Canary Island Date Palms, European Fan Palms, Pindo Palms, Windmill Palms, California Fan Palms and Sago Palms are just some of the many that do well in a Mediterranean climate.

Smaller specimens are great in urns for both inside and out or under the canopies of larger trees. Large palms placed in rows produces a bold statement and can help lead the eye to an accent point. Palms are also great used near swimming pools to create a private oasis.

Leslie Halloran
Please check out my website at: www.lihdesigns.net

“A frog in the well does not know the sea.” – Japanese Proverb

Villas in Lucca - Villa Torrigiani

A few minutes from Pinocchio Park in Collodi, immersed in the countryside of Lucchesia, you will find the magnificent Nobility Villas that were the summer residences of the Nobles and also representative places.

Proceeding from Collodi towards Lucca, the first you will encounter is Villa Torrigiani, a luminous example of Baroque architecture, and it’s possible to visit the inside which is finely furnished and has an ample park.

Then you come across Villa Mansi which was the residence of a very important family of Lucca, ascent to the honours in the field of silk commerce. The building, built in 1500, was reconstructed the following century then the Mansi entrusted the architect Filippo Juvarra to transform the garden which was divided as seen today, into four side by side sections.

Villa Oliva and Villa Grabau are both found in San Pancrazio. Villa Oliva, was constructed by the Buonvisi family in 1500, in the course of the centuries it has changed owners many times, and once a Consistory to the presence of Pope Alessandro VII, stayed there. Today the residence has been restored and about 5 hectares of park that surround it, is characterised by the presence of really appreciable rare essences, waterfalls and fountains.

Not far away is Villa Grabau, again from 1500, born on a ravine of an ancient medieval village, thanks to the work of the Diodat family. After many transformations, the actual aspect can be attributed to a German banker married to Carolina Grabau. Immersed is a spectacular Park, characterised by an English garden, an Italian garden and the lovely Teatro di Verzura, where today summer performances take place.

The Villa Reale di Marlia was once residence in 1805 to the sister of Bonaparte. In the following centuries to the Grand Duke of Tuscany and then the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, who gave it to Prince Carlo. Fallen from grace for many contracted debts from the nephew of Carlo, in 1918 started the indiscriminating sale of furniture, furnishings and the Villa. So the family of Conti Pecci-Blunt entered on the scene, who bought the property saving the park from disaster, restructuring and conserving it with passion and even today maintaining the splendour intact like the example of the Viale delle Camelie or the marvellous Teatro di Verdura.

You will find Villa Bernardini in Vicopelago. The construction was finished in 1615, and since then has conserved unchanged and enriched the furnishings and park of the ancient property.

Leslie Halloran
Please check out my website at: www.lihdesigns.net

“A frog in the well does not know the sea.” – Japanese Proverb

Porsenna Labyrinth - Siena

Italy tour: Porsenna Labyrinth

Porsenna’s Labyrinth is located in Chiusi – Siena- in the underground of the main cathedral.

It is known as Porsenna’s Labyrinth because it is traditionally identified as part of Porsenna’s monumental sepulchre described by Roman scholarPliny the Elder.

It is formed by a close network of underground passages which formed a draining system conceived by the Etruscans in the archaic period (6th century B.C.), in order to exploit the infiltration and aquifer waters. The underground passages have different sizes and levels and are connected to the outside by wells and cisterns.

Today the tunnels can be visited, from the Cathedral Museum which is the start of a path, leading to the labyrinth, that passes through a large cistern of the 1st century BC.

Tuscany landscape - San Concordio di Moriano

From Lucca to Mammoli
The are that extends along the right bank of the river Serchio from the bridge at Monte San Quirico, where the water courses down from the narrow mountain sides, is studded with villages such as Santo Stefano di Moriano, San Michele di Moriano and San Quirico di Moriano; higher up, there is Aquilea, Gugliano, Mastiano, Arsina and San Concordio di Moriano. All of them immersed in the peaceful landscape of vineyards, olive groves and woodland of the valleys and the steeper north facing slopes.

On the left side of the road leaving from Lucca there are the beautiful entrances to villa Barsanti, villa Ciurlo and villa Boccella, and the avenues and parks of other villas which can be seen from higher up the road.

The flat areas between the foot of the hills and the river Serchio, on the other hand, are geometrically patterned by extensive areas of fruit trees.
The first village, indicated by a votive cross at the turnoff for the curch, is San Quirico di Moriano, whose ancient origins are documented in a 9th century parchment that mentions the locality of Aniciano or Nicciano and the church of Saints Quirico e Giulitta.