Tuscany, Lunigiana, Fivizzano, Italy

Two Properties. An exceptional opportunity to acquire two village properties next door to each other. This offers possibilities for use as a main house plus a guest unit for friends, family and visitors; or there is the option to live in one house and to let the other house for a good income through weekly summer lets. Both houses have independent access and both houses have direct access to the swimming pool and terraces. The offer is great value as the price is for both houses together, not each.

The main house (175 sqm) with 2+ bedrooms, has been lovingly restored using local skilled craftsmen to produce a spacious relaxed house for easy living, with rustic charm. The charming entrance of the main house is along a stone walkway, with a wisteria pergola from where you enter into a delightful living space. This sitting room is comfortable with a hand-crafted stone fireplace and a peaceful freshly re-tiled balcony. There is also a cloakroom (with WC). Upstairs is another sitting room, also with balcony, and stairs down to the lower level containing a large kitchen and dining area. The kitchen/dining area is well-equipped and has double doors leading out to a small piazza. The dining area also has a fireplace. There are french doors to a large terrace outside the kitchen, for dining and relaxing, and the lovely swimming pool. Upstairs is a large bedroom with wooden floor and very large bathroom with shower and bath. The loft area has only been adapted to provide additional accommodation if needed, with a cloakroom (WC and handbasin). There is a Tuscan feel with beautiful cotto floors, vaulted ceilings, hand-crafted fitted cupboards and wooden beams. The quality of the finishes throughout is superb and the house is presented in immaculate condition.

The house next door is spacious, light and airy, with three bedrooms. The main entrance is from the cobbled village lane, from where you enter into a well lit hallway. The separate sitting room is spacious and welcoming. The kitchen is charming and functional and leads onto a bright breakfast room with fireplace with a door leading to a terrace and small patio. Stairs from this exit level into a large laundry room, with a shower room, store rooms and to outside steps down to the pool. A central stone staircase leads up to the three bedrooms: two double (one with balcony) and one single, and a bathroom. The prettily tiled bathroom has a bath with shower over.

Both houses have access to the pool with a newly fitted tiled terrace to enjoy fantastic far-reaching views. The swimming pool has just been fitted with a new liner with a feature to allow for proper swimming against a current or as a splash pool. It will be sure to be enjoyed by all generations.

The village is dominated by an impressive castle and is approx mid-way between the towns of Aulla (12kms) and Fivizzano (10kms), a great location.

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 10 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.

The Ligurian coastline is special and Lunigiana, the northernmost part of Tuscany, is magical. The rolling landscape is liberally sprinkled with castles of Medici or Malaspina vintage and the year round calendar of festivals offer wonderful local specialities to try in each of the ancient towns and villages. The airports of Pisa, Parma and Genova are all just over an hour away.

Distances: Pontremoli 12 km, Aulla (supermarkets, autostrada) 10 km, Fivizzano 10 km, Lerici (beaches) 30 km, Cinque Terre 40 km, Pietrasanta 60 km,Viareggio 80 km, Lucca 90 km, Parma (airport) 85km, Pisa (airport) 100 km.