Amenities include:
- wifi
- four bedrooms
- two bathrooms
- views of the valley
- barbecue
- large garden
- coffee machine
- dishwasher
- washing machine
- room for up to eight diners indoors and eight outdoors (16 if you move the kitchen table outside)
Nearby facilities:
- swimming pool
- cash points
- supermarkets
- restaurants
- bars and cafes
- local market twice a week
Nearby cities in ascending order of distance:
- Lucca
- Pisa (nearest airport)
- Viareggio
- Florence
- Arezzo
- Siena
- Bologna
For a more detailed description:
Set on three floors, the bedrooms at La Veduta on the first floor of the house are comfortable with stunning views of the valley.
The two main bedrooms have large beds and small bedside chests. There are spacious chests of drawers in both rooms with wardrobes on the landing just outside the bedrooms for hanging clothes. The third bedroom has a single bed and small chest of drawers to store clothes.
On the ground floor, there is a fourth bedroom with a bunk bed for children and young adults and a further single bed.
The sitting room is on the opposite side of the hallway. Here, the sofa and armchairs offer a restful spot after a day of sun, exercise and excitement. A Smart-TV sits in the furthest corner of this comfortable and quiet room, which offers a relaxing space after a day swimming or touring, before dinner on the patio.
The kitchen, a cool space to retreat to during the hot afternoons, is very well stocked. The hob has been updated recently. There are two fridges, a washing machine and a dishwasher. All white goods have also been updated recently as has the sink unit in the kitchen. The kitchen table seating eight makes for a good refuge in the early morning or the height of the warm day. There is a coffee maker and a plentiful supply of pots and pans, crockery and cutlery.
The kitchen leads out onto the patio at the back of the house where a second table seating six to eight people sits under a canopy in the summer. This canopy offers a wonderful shade when sitting out for lunch. Dinner on this patio in the summer is almost obligatory as cicadas serenade you at dinner and the truly wonderful panoply of stars above offer the most beautiful sight.
The patio at the front of the house is a quiet spot where breakfast can also be taken.
There is a barbecue on the patio so that the chef can continue to chat whilst cooking dinner for everyone.
The garden is large with a swing chair on the extended patio offering another spot to doze on a lazy afternoon. The garden itself has a terrace where olive trees grow and above it lavender pear trees and roses flourish. Standing in the garden the view across to Lucca and further is memorable and offers time for contemplation of the plans for the day ahead or of the day's events.
Guzzano, ninety minutes from Pisa and its airport, is a peaceful hamlet with 800 inhabitants scattered in the hills above the village. This delightful place sits above the charming spa town of Bagni di Lucca with its coffee shops, bars, restaurants and shops. Those residents who speak English are welcoming as are those who do not speak English.
The history of the town is colourful, a haven where Byron and Shelley escaped to in the early nineteenth century. Dante is reputed to have visited the area too, although Italians across Tuscany claim this to be true of their corner. In those days, little stirred in Guzzano itself apart from church bells ringing sometimes from the tiny chapel on Sunday. And even now, the goat-herder sometimes wanders with her herd of goats shaking their bells thoughtlessly as they pass.
A fruit and vegetable market visits the town on Wednesdays and Saturdays offering a plentiful supply of fresh local produce. There are two cashpoints in the town and a bank is situated ten minutes from Bagni di Lucca in Fornoli.
The same market stall visits Fornoli on Fridays. The stall-holders are friendly and helpful, though English is not spoken as widely as in the cities.
Guzzano is ten minutes drive from Bagni di Lucca. There is a bus service from Bagni di Lucca though this is not a particularly frequent service.
The lido, Piscine Villa Ada is open from June until September in Bagni di Lucca. A day spent at this fabulous pool offers exercise, sun and a light snack at lunchtime. An early arrival is advised as the sunbeds are taken soon after opening time at ten o'clock. For keen regular swimmers, a weekly season ticket is advisable.
Florence is a little over 90 minutes from Guzzano and a day exploring this beautiful city is not only possible but can be done easily. The birthplace of the Renaissance, this famous city is rich in the history of the Medicis, patrons of the artists at the time. There are so many galleries in this city - such as the fabulous museum, the Uffizi where Botticelli's masterpieces - it is difficult to know where to begin and to end a tour.
Michelangelo's famous statue of David can be found at the Accademia Gallery. In addition there are several churches such as the Basilica Santa Croce which house further statures by Michelangelo and Renaissance frescoes such as those by Masaccio and Giotto can be gazed at in the Santa Maria Novella church. With so many wonderful sites to visit, all in walking distance, it is tempting to spend more than a day here.
Lucca is one of the most charming Renaissance towns, less touristy than Florence but with as much charm and with fifteen churches to visit. Puccini lived here and one can visit the house where he was born. Edged with shops and restaurants the cobbled streets wind round this fortress city and a walk along the ramparts offers the opportunity to escape the busy streets and cyclists who wend their way to and from work for, despite the restful atmosphere, Lucca is still a working city.
Further north of Bagni di Lucca, a 20 minute drive away, sits the charming medieval town of Barga with its ancient cathedral sitting on the peak overlooking the town. It hosts a jazz festival in the summer and a Halloween festival in October. This town holds a fascinating history where many inhabitants in the nineteenth century emigrated to Scotland during a difficult economic time for Italy and the inhabitants only for the successors of this town to return to Barga in the twentieth century bringing with them these customs from Scotland. Indeed Paolo Nutini hails from this charming spot.
At Pisa you can climb the stops to the top of its famous tower and visit the cathedral opposite before stopping off for a light lunch or walking beside the river.
For those who enjoy a swim in the sea a day at Viareggio, less than an hour from Bagni di Lucca, with its loungers and umbrellas offers fun and more exercise. Forte di Marmi, another seaside town, is also close by.
Also, nearby is Torre del Lago, a small town which is busy during August when the Puccini Festival takes place. Listening to 'Madame Butterfly' or 'La Boheme' whilst sitting in the open air arena under the stars can be a moving experience.
With so many charming towns and cities to explore a visit to Guzzano offers not only a cultural feast on its doorstep but also a place to relax and enjoy the sun and peace.
