About

Villa Rosa consists of two adjoining houses built against a terraced hillside above Camaiore. It is a very individual private family home with books, pictures and furniture and glorious views of the surrounding gardens, mountains and valley.

It is a short walk down to the market town of Camaiore for shopping, bars and restaurants.

The beaches of the Versilia coast are 20 minutes away with beach clubs and bars, umbrellas and showers. There’s glamour and glitz at Forte dei Marmi,  where the Italian designers have their boutiques. More informal beaches and bars are at Lido di Camaiore or wild and free beaches just south of Viareggio (bring your own brolly). There is a big marina and a fish market and a large permanent market at Viareggio (and the nearest railway station).

Evenings can be spent at home watching the sun go down from the terraces or joining in the passagietta of locals taking the air and eating ice-cream or enjoying family meals in the restaurants of Camaiore or sipping cocktails amongst the artists in the bars of Pietrasanta (where the famous marble comes from).

Activities can include hiking in the local mountains to caves, waterfalls, rock pools and 1200m peaks; drives to watch the sunset from mountain villages; day trips to Lucca and Pisa which are 40 minutes away. It is also a good base for cultural visits further afield in Florence (1hr) and Siena and San Gimignano (2.5hrs). The Puccini Festival at Torre del Lago and the Lucca summer festival and Versiliana festival provide for musical evenings from Opera to Rock and Jazz.

Main house

The Main house was built onto the farm house in 1960 by a publisher whose family own the property and which still retains the atmosphere of a private family home of that era.

One of its exceptional features is an enormous light filled drawing room on the first floor with French windows on all sides and an open fireplace at one end (firewood  available). This open plan living space has the kitchen at the far end adjacent to the dining area. The windows open onto a balcony, dining terraces and onto the garden terrace with wide airy views of olive groves above and the mountains behind and the whole sweep of the Camaiore valley and hills below.

The Main house has four bedrooms. The two large upper floor master bedrooms  (one twin one double) share a bathroom.  The two smaller twin bedrooms on the ground floor have their own bathrooms. Also on the ground floor is a utility room with washing machine and drying facilities.

Farm house

The original Farmhouse was built at the end of the 19th century as a simple contadino (peasant) house on three floors. It still has its original features – terracotta tiled floors and ceilings with exposed chestnut beams.

On the first and second floors are three very charming bedrooms, two doubles, one twin, each with ensuite bath or shower rooms.

A small open plan sitting room on the first floor gives access through French windows to an outside dining terrace, which is shared with the main house. There is a kitchen on the ground floor with a dining area.

The fourth bedroom with twin beds is also on the ground floor and gives access to the main house. There is a large utility room at the back with washing machine and drying facilities and a small shower room and toilet for use if there are guests in the ground floor bedroom.

Gardens and pool

Below the house on a lower terrace is a magnificent pool 15 by 10 meters with an L-shaped enclave at the shallow end for small children. The pool is open from June to September. The house is surrounded by extensive grounds on four terraces with space for solitude in hammocks slung between trees in a small orchard as well as badminton in the garden near the pool .

Amenities

• Sleeps up to 16 +2
• Large pool with child friendly shallow end
• Extensive private gardens
• Cot and high chair available
• All linen including pool towels provided
• Gas ovens and hobs
• Microwave
• Dishwasher
• Washing machines and drying facilities – in both houses
• Fully double glazed and centrally heated.
• Open fireplace
• Hifi and books
• Barbecue
• Fabulous views
• Good mountain walks
• Nearby shops restaurants and beaches
• Pisa Airport – 40 minutes
• Viareggio railway station and bus station – 20 minutes.