Behind the historic city of Lucca, Tuscany's Apennine mountains rise in folding crinkles of olive groves, dark forests, winding roads and hilltop villages. On one such ridge sits Villa Fobbia, just above a nearby village and with fabulously long-reaching views. The house faces resolutely towards the views, with nearly every room enjoying the same amazing views, giving the whole house an airy, spacious feeling.
Outdoors the garden evolves in a series of terraced olive groves , one of which now who holds a swimming pool, another a boules pitch, a further one yet a table-tennis table. When your appetite calls, this house is ideally placed, with three restaurants within walking distance.
This is a house that is well-placed for exploring Lucca, Pisa, Livorno, Florence and more - but also seems designed to enfold you in the house and gardens within an epicurean loop of good food, good wine and good company.
The house sits on a wide terrace facing west, and most of the width of this large house is taken up by a beautiful living room with french doors opening onto a terrace. To the right of this living room there is a further room, a study with drinks cabinet, drinks fridge, desk and another set of double doors that open onto the terrace. Also on this floor there is a large double bedroom, with an ensuite bathroom.
Upstairs you will find an elegant and well-equipped kitchen with french doors to a covered terrace, ideal for alfresco meals. Along the front of the house and facing the views, there is a dining room and beyond it, another enormous living room with two tall windows and a beautiful fireplace. Beyond the living room there is a further small sitting room.
On the top floor you will find a further 4 double bedrooms and three bathrooms.
The area around Lucca is wonderful, one of the best examples of man made landscape, where every change that has been wrought seems to have been for the best: the forested hills are sustainably managed for woods, chestnuts and truffles; vineyards and olive groves interweave with cypresses, unpaved roads and stone walls.
A number of 16th and 17th century villas surround Lucca: Villa Marlia, Villa Reale, Villa Torrigiani are all worth a visit with their formal gardens and richly decorated interiors.
Heading north one enters the area of the Apuan Alps, the steep mountains that gave the marble for Michelangelo's David and La Pieta'. Now they provide extensive opportunities for walking, cycling, climbing and caving.
For the more urbane amongst us, Lucca is a jewel of a city, studded with churches and good restaurants. It also has a healthy antiques market and good shops. Pisa, Florence, Siena and the Cinque Terre are all within easy reach.
For availability and pricing see the calendar above. If you have any questions or would like help choosing, we visit our properties regularly and can help you choose and book the best villa for your holidays.
We can hold dates for you for 48 hours while you make sure everything lines up, then you simply pay the deposit (30% of total) to secure your booking. The balance will then be due 10 weeks before you travel. You can also add "Booking Protect" to your booking for a full refund if you can't travel.
For more details see our Booking Conditions and Booking Protect. You can add Booking Protect to your booking at any time until you have paid your balance, simply ask your agent.
Many local administrations now charge a “Tourist Tax” for people staying in rented accommodation and these vary from town to town. The charges are generally per person per night with a maximum number of nights, usually around 5 but sometimes 7, beyond which they will not charge. The charges range between 50 cents to 3 euro. Children are sometimes included, sometimes not and these charges should be collected by the property owners.
It can often be faster to contact us to ask for advice - we visit all the houses so can give you first hand advice based on your wishlist. Once you find a villa you like we can hold dates for you for up to 48 hours while you check flights or make sure everybody is on board.
Please ring us with any queries - there are a lot of answers in our FAQ page too. If you want to keep searching, have a look at our suggestions below!