Holiday home for max. 24 adults + 6 children
Volterra, Tuscany, (Pisa Province), Italy

Country House Villanovia in Volterra

Villanovia Country House & SPA - inside nature, art surrounded Villanovia is in Tuscany in the center of the triangle made by Pisa, Siena and Florence. It is perfectly located for exploring the real Tuscany. Villanovia is 9 km from the historic town of Volterra. Volterra is a real, all year round, working town with restaurants, cafes, supermarkets and all modern facilities. Villanovia overlooks a hilltop outside the village of Mazzolla and uniquely positioned inside a Natural Park, one of the protected areas of Tuscany, called Berignone-Tatti . Mazzolla was originally an Etruscan settlement, called Mazzum, the first historical document that attests the existence of Mazzolla dates from the year 1000 when the Bishop of Volterra was received there. The natural reserve of Berignone is a completely untouched and unspoilt resort populated by a large variety of wild animals, some peculiar birds and night-birds as well as a dense and typical mediterranean forest. There are numerous horse-riding, trekking and biking paths inside the park as well as cultural routs to the ancient middle-age ruines of the Bishops' Castle, the Castle of Luppiano and the fortresses of Rocca Sillana. There are a few rivers that cross the natural park, all affluents of the main Cecina river that forms a large valley and dies into the see in the nearby Etruscan Coast. One of the few remaining untouristic spots of Tuscany. Not to be missed. Volterra is a town of great architectural interest located 1770 feet above the sea level, between the rivers Bra and Cecina in Tuscany, Italy. The main features are two fine castles and numerous Etruscan remains. The area is easily accessible from Pisa by car with a journey time of just one hour. Both Florence and Pisa International Airports are served by daily flights from the UK (London, Leeds, Bournemouth, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, East Midlands), Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, Scandinavia and Russia. Other Activities: trekking and biking paths inside the natural park Interesting unknown places to discover: 24 Km away you can reach the Metallic Hills and the village of Larderello. It is located in the center of the "Valley of the devil", so called because of its landscape characterized by geysers with features columns of white vapor (already known at the time of Dante Alighieri and his inspiring landscapes of his travel through "Hell ").

The garden is large and airy, ideal for the entertainment of children in freedom and safety; adults can enjoy a relaxing evening at the sight of breathtaking sunsets. The pool is located east-side on top of one of our olive trees piece of land and is overlooking the wild forest of natural hills completed unspoiled. The pool is fenced for children safety. Parking is available inside the property, under the holms lines that accompany your entrance to the property. The land and view around you is superb and offer a relaxed and away-from-it-all atmosphere. With a farm of 15 acres and 7 acres of woodland, Villanovia is one of the few agricultural settlements within the nature reserve. Known as Podere Batazzone, the farm name originates from the Batazzone plans, where it stands on. The last family of tenants, managed a mix between sheeps, pigs and Cinta Senese, in addition to milk cows. Cultivating cereals, vines and olives in small quantities for home consumption. Today, thirty years since the traditional peasant settlement, the country house preserves its traditions and its harmony with the surrounding territory: the field is intended for the production of cereals and fodder, the old olive groves are being added by new ones for production of extra virgin olive oil, the vineyard has been restored and currently consists of 1,100 vines. The farm is framed by a dense forest of Mediterranean essences.

Villanovia is a conservative restoration example of a historic Tuscan farmhouse: it is preserved rustic and original but modernly equipped. Its distinctive special character provides a cozy and warm atmosphere. The house provides 700sm of internal living accommodation and 37 acres of private land. Uniquely located on a hilltop inside the natural park of Berignone, overlooking the Cecina valley, the cities of Volterra and Pomarance, the Metallic Hills and Larderello, with the visible geothermal vapors. It is off the beaten tracks and worth the unpaved-road drive to the first village of Mazzolla! Staying in our property will offer you a 360° view over unspoiled Tuscany, its history and hills. And you and your family will love it! The house sleeps 20 +10 single extra beds/futon (2/3 baby cots avilable upon request) in comfortable rooms or cosy apartments equipped with a private kitchen corner. Each accomodation has a private bathroom. The 16th century ground-floor entrance (all in stone) is the most ancient part of the house. Here you have a sofa area with satellite TV and indoor stairs to the upper floor where 6 accommodations are located, as well as a terrace overlooking Volterra. Perfectly located for total relax vacation, at the same time offers short rides to the cities of Volterra (9Km), Pisa, Siena (about 60Km each), San Gimignano and Florence, as well as the Etruscan Coast beaches (45Km). A large kitchen and an impressive 170sm stone-walls living room with original brick arches complete the property. Panoramic swimming pool is 5x12, fenced for children' safety. Our premium service is the interior stylish room with bubble pool, refreshing and relaxing. It is inspired to the Etruscan thermal springs environment, in rustic murble and stone. Wi-Fi is available for free.

There once was Nature. And, still, there is. In the Cecina Valley, the territory dominated by the ancient Etruscan town of Volterra, there is the Natural Reserve of Berignone, a forest which covers about 2166 hectares, with its unspoiled nature, wildlife and unique scenery. To the north of the reserve is contiguous with the stain of Tatti, the best known "wood of oak Tatti", and forms with it a single forest complex, one of the most valuable vegetation of the territory of Volterra. The forests are the dominant element of Berignone with forests of tall trees of oak that span until near the river Cecina, with the Sellate and Fosci streams that characterize the landscape of the valley, rich in important natural and historical heritage. The traces of man Up to half of the '800 these forests were intensively used to provide firewood for the boilers of Saline di Volterra; many areas of the former charcoal scattered in the reserve are to witness this past activity. But the most important evidence of ancient human presence is definitely formed from the remains of the "Torraccia", the castle of the Bishops of Berignone, one of the most interesting and fascinating medieval settlements in the territory of Volterra, whose mass is placed to dominate the valley of the Sellate river and the impressive gorges of the Rio Botro. In the Castle, for a long time owned by the Bishop of Volterra, justice was administered and it minted its own money. Destroyed and rebuilt several times, had the quarter-deck, seat of the bishop's residence, his most important nucleus and inside the double city walls of protection, there were also a church dedicated to St. Michael, and a hospital, possibly dedicated to St. Antony and known as the "hospital of the poor." The ruins today are an attractive destination for a walk in nature. Fauna Visiting the reserve is immediately evident the presence of many birds of prey, who go there to eat near the fields and rivers, snakes and among mammals, the wolf. It 's easy to see mouflons, wild boars and deers, which, with their abundance, are an important food source for the wolf. The nature and intensity of its long history make Berignone a unique natural oasis, untouched and now largely undisturbed by human presence. Within this territory is Villanovia.

The property can only be reached via a road that has not been surfaced (gravel path of about 5 km) because it is inside a natural unspoiled area and it is really worth it! Staying in our property will offer you a 360° view over unspoiled Tuscany, its history and hills. And you and your family will love it!

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