Casina Giammengo

Giammengo is a beautifully restored romantic stone property, with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms in the cottage, with a further 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom set across the little courtyard 10M from the house. There is a gorgeous pool and outdoor relaxing area.

Set in the depths of the Garfagnana, an hour or so North of Lucca, in a small village with a population of circa 300. There are village and mountain views. This house really is a treat!

Unusually for this area, one can walk to a pizzeria/restaurant (less than a 5 min walk) where one can dine al fresco on the terrace and take in the view, as well as a basic shop/bar, gelateria and butchers. For other facilities the local market town is less than a 10 minute drive away.

This 2 bedroom, 2 shower room village property, along with further bedroom and bathroom across the courtyard has been restored with lots of love and care, and retains its original character, but with the addition of modern shower rooms, beautiful furniture and stunning pool area complete with an outdoor kitchen, and no less than a choice of 3 eating areas, making it an ideal holiday home.

The cottage is tastefully presented, with a wonderful mixture of original flooring, beamed ceilings, chestnut windows, original balconies from bedrooms, blending perfectly with modern fireplace, pristine bathrooms, country kitchen and bang up to date outdoor area with good size modern pool.

This place really is a treat!

In more detail the property is arranged as follows:

• Kitchen/diner with oven, hob, microwave, fridge, coffee machine. Double doors leading to outdoor area.
• Living area with comfy seating, wood fireplace, TV, WIFI.....
• There are beamed ceilings and traditional flooring.
• Also on this floor is a shower room.

Upstairs to :

• 2 double bedrooms - each with their own balcony featuring village views with mountain backdrop. Ceiling fans.
• Shower room

Across courtyard to :

• Twin bedroom with en-suite shower room. Please note when putting the twin beds together there will be a gap between the 2 beds.

Outside:

• Beautiful pool with Roman steps
• Sunbathing area with quality sunbeds
• Modern seating area
• Covered dining area
• Uncovered dining area
• Outdoor kitchen with large gas BBQ, sink and fridge
• Gated property with private parking via electronic gates
• Garage with washing machine and freezer.

NB - when guests out, pool may occasionally be used by owner who sometimes lives in house next door, but privacy respected. Whilst owners fully respect privacy of guests they are available to assist with any difficulties and with suggestions of things to do . They speak  English, German, all three Scandinavian, Spanish, Italian and Indonesian.

A little about the area:

• The location is 10 minutes north of the market town of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana with its famous Thursday morning market, numerous bars & restaurants.
• At home, the village of Villetta has a restaurant (5 min walk), bar and shop/gelatieria.
• The train station is a minute walk too .
• Also by foot, it is possible to walk down to the river in only 5 minutes, and a shaded cross country walk of 30 mins will take guests to a local lake (which also has a couple of bars and a children's playground).
• There is also an ancient beautiful and well photographed peaceful village (with no facilities) reachable by a 1km walk cross country.
• There are various good restaurants providing fresh local home cooked traditional food within a short drive, as well as local one off shops, delicatessens, gelaterias and supermarkets.
• For relaxing afternoons out, there are lots of pretty villages to explore in the immediately locality, one of which is fully walled commanding outstanding views over the Apuane mountains. Many of these villages have festas in the summer with food, drink and dancing.
• Situated only a short drive from the National Park of Orrecchiella, the location is ideal for walking, hiking, horseriding, mountain biking and picnicking, surrounded by views of the seemingly endless mountains, and local chestnut woodland. 
• For those who enjoy the outdoor life there is also a local tree climbing/zip wiring park, with courses adapted for all age groups, from the very young to adults.
• There are local adventure parks where one can try water canyoning, rock climbing, swimming in rock pools, canoeing etc and there is the Grotta del Vento, a massive cave system in the mountains which is a good day out.
• There is an ancient fortress to visit with jaw dropping views, and interactive displays for children including a chance to try a little archery.
• For when a townie day beckons, the local market town of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is only a 10 minute drive. Here there are bars, restaurants, a famous Thursday morning market, old castle walls, the river Serchio and local train station.
• The beautiful mediaeval town of Barga with its cobbled streets, great architecture, cathedral and great views is only a 25 minute drive. Barga is famous for its art and music,  and here one can often enjoy free music, evening markets, dancing, and sometimes even impromptu entertainment from Paolo Nutini! Becoming well known for its restaurants too, Barga has plenty of places to eat.
• Lucca, the fully walled Mediaeval City and the Capital of the Region is only an hours drive and one can spend the day cycling or meandering along its ample walls; people watching in both the grand and tiny piazzas with prosecco, coffee or ice cream; designer shopping; climbing towers, visiting some of its 99 churches or just taking in the atmosphere. If you like opera, there is a recital every evening before dinner in a unique church setting.
• The traditional Tuscan sites of Pisa and Florence are easily do-able in a day trip as are the beaches of Forte dei Marmi or Viareggio. Many guests also visit the Cinque Terre...
• The Golf Course of Garfagnana is only a 5 min drive.
• Florence 1 hr 40 mins

Perfect location in an Italian village - experience the real Italy!