WELCOME TO VILLA LAVANDA
Villa Lavanda - our home - is a unique property: a classic, totally private, Tuscan country villa set in 20 acres of olive groves, lavender terraces, open fields and forests of chestnut and acacia - with panoramic views in all directions; yet only minutes from the town of Bagni di Lucca, known as 'one of the most beautiful villages in Tuscany'.
The villa is located 30- 40 minutes from Lucca, less than one hour from Pisa airport and about 75 minutes from Florence airport. There is a local train that runs from Lucca, through our local village, and up into the magnificent Garfagnana valley. A bus service to Lucca - with onward connections - runs regularly.
The villa is on three floors and sleeps 14 with its 7 bedrooms and bathrooms. Uninterrupted views, over the surrounding hill-towns, chestnut forests, & our lavender terraces and olive groves. The, gated, house and grounds are completely quiet, private, and secure. 5 of the 7 bedrooms have air-conditioning and screened windows.
A wisteria-covered dining area abuts the large (42' x 16' / 13m x 5m) salinated, mosaic-tiled pool that overlooks the property, and there are numerous indoor & outdoor areas for dining and relaxing, grape arbors and pergolas as well as an outdoor 'sleeping pavilion': a large, tiled hot-tub sits in a private courtyard adjacent to the house. There are courtyards for dining, playing ping-pong...or just relaxing, reading and enjoying the quiet and views. Nothing disturbs the quiet and peace. There is an 18th C. pizza oven for the use of guests - or pizza meals (& lessons) can be provided by a local pizzaiolo. There are large gas and wood BBQ units.
The villa is furnished with a collection of antique furniture, modern & contemporary art, and has wireless (internet in all rooms and most outside areas) complete entertainment systems; a very large library and movie/DVD collection, and board games for children & adults. There is a fully-equipped gymnasium and a lit bocce court.
Bathrooms and kitchens are finished with marble and hand-painted tile. Of course, all linens & towels - including pool towels - are provided, and are of superior quality, and the kitchens are fully equipped for gourmet cooking with a restaurant stove, electrical appliances - including Cuisinart, Espresso machines, spices etc, and all mechanical & entertainment systems in the house are constantly being upgraded.
A variety of catering options and chefs are available by arrangement, as is a masseuse. Organic seasonal fruits, vegetables, olive oil and honey are all produced at the villa. Meet & Greet service and housekeeping services are provided and included in your rental and the property manager and maintenance staff live in the local village.
The area is renowned for the purity of air and water, and for the many Tuscan hill-towns & Romanesque churches that surround the villa. (Our spa town was the favorite summer gathering place for 19C British & Russian aristocracy because of it's benign temperatures.) The Garfagnana valley - with its famed artisanal food production - begins here and there is superb hiking, white-water rafting, paragliding, horseback riding, tennis and mountain biking, all available in the immediate neighborhood. The spectacular walled city of Lucca (birthplace of Puccini) is 40 minutes away, as is the ski area of Abetone. The Cinque Terre, beaches of Forte di Marmi, marble quarries of Carrara, and beaches of Viareggio are in the area, along with ferry services to islands off the Tuscan coast. Art exhibitions, local village food festivals are common during much of the year and many internationally renowned music festivals occur in Tuscany during the Summer months.