Casa Claudia is a typical Tuscan hill-farm, parts of which date back to 1641, and is a rare opportunity for a buyer seeking an alternative life-style, an active retirement, or for one or two who are interested in developing a shared holiday-home complex.

Nestling in 2 hectares of well-maintained terraces of olive trees and woodland, over-looking the village of Pietrabuona, Casa Claudia is a large, long, three-storied building. It is, in fact, two houses. The main house is currently occupied by the owners Attached to it is a second house which is divided into two self-contained guest apartments.

The property is being sold as one unit, but subsequently, division into separate ownership is possible.

 

Both houses have been completely renovated and modernised (central heating, roof insulation, re-pointed exterior walls, and, in the main house, double-glazed windows and French doors...but "cotto" floors and chestnut-beamed ceilings, so typical of Tuscan hill farms, have been faithfully retained.) Untypical is the spacious size of the rooms and height of the beamed ceilings, which are much more generously proportioned than those usually found in the Tuscan farmhouse.

Casa Claudia - Location

There are 11 other houses on the hillside sharing the private road (and the cost of maintaining it) but none are visible or audible from the property. Tranquility is broken only by birdsong and the sound of distant stream. The views across the valley to neighbouring hill villages, terraced
vineyards and olive groves, and lushly wooded chestnut forests are a painter's paradise

Casa Claudia - Services

The property has two water supplies -- one from a stream which serves as garden supply, and a second from a neighbouring spring which feeds into tanks holding 5,000 litres which overflow into an ornamental pool between the pergola and the guest apartments' parking area, shaded by cherry and walnut trees.

A GPL gas tank holding 1000 litres supplies gas for cooking and central heating in both houses...both of which are separately metred.

The main house is supplied with satellite TV. Broadband is available in the village of Pietrabuona and is imminent up the hillside.

 

Casa Claudia - Distances

The property (circa 300m asl) overlooks, and is, 3.5 km from the nearest village, Pietrabuona (post office, butcher, bar and restaurant), including 1.7 km of well-maintained private road, asphalted in the steepest parts.
It is 10 mins by car to the thriving 13th century market town of Pescia (pop. circa 22,000) which has railway and bus stations, a large hospital, schools, banks, supermarkets, shops and restaurants, a theatre, art gallery and a museum.
It is also home to the second largest flower market in Europe and is a well-known horticultural centre, especially for the cultivation of olive trees.

It is 1 hour to Florence, 1 hour to Pisa airport and 40 mins to the walled city of Lucca -- a medieval gem.

Beach resorts of Viareggio and Forte di Marmi are 1hour 15 min away. Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra and the Cinque Terre are comfortable day trips away. The ski slopes of Abetone are 60 km north.

Casa Claudia - The Building

The property is built into the slopes of the hillside so that the north side is two stories tall, while the south facing side is three stories. There are three barns under the ground floor of the main house and three more under the guest apartments, one of which has been converted into a laundry.

The main house: This is approached from a wide terrace with parking space for several vehicles. The same terrace includes a "metato" (chestnut-roasting house currently garaging a Mini), a lawned area, a paved outdoor dining/pergola, shaded by wisteria, and a traditional Tuscan bread oven.

The ground floor consists of front kitchen with gas cooker and hob-top, sink, open fireplace and storage units. The fireplace and "pietra serena" floor are original.

Kitchen with preparation area beyond

Kitchen with its original flagstone flooring

 

A warm kitchen on a winter's day

The back kitchen - with double sink, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, micro-wave, boiler and more storage units, bears in its wall a stone carved with the date 1641.

There are two bedrooms on the same floor -- the first (with en-suite shower recess / hand-basin/WC) measures 5.40 x 3.75 the second bedroom 4 x 4.

The sitting room measures 5.80m x 4.40 and has a lofty ceiling, cast-iron log-burning stove and French doors opening to the garden terrace.

 

Looking through the French windows

The sitting room is large and spacious ...

... with beautiful timbered ceiling

Ground floor bedroom 1

Ground floor bedroom 2

The larger top floor bedroom

Top floor bathroom

Single slab stone steps- a very unique feature - lead from this level to the top floor where there are two further bedrooms, one (4.90 x 5.50 and 4.75 x 4.20), a bathroom (3.40 x 2.40) with bath, shower over, hand basin and WC and a separate shower room

The three barns under the main house open one into the other and could be converted into a self-contained 2-bedroomed apartment for a housekeeper/manager accommodation, further guest accommodation, or there is the potential to make one great studio

The second top floor bedroom

There are two self contained guest apartments ...

The Studio:

The shared main front door, with traditional hand-finished stone lintels and above a traditional Madonna, leads into a small entrance lobby with storage barn on the left and a laundry( with washing machine, iron, ironing board etc) on the right. Stone steps up a half flight lead to an arched doorway which is the main door into the Studio apartment's kitchen/living/dining room - with divan and log-burning stove.

French doors open onto its own patio with table and chairs and a grassy area for sun-lounging. Double doors from the main room lead to a dressing room with wardrobe hanging space and plenty of storage for suitcases. The dressing room opens into the bathroom shower / hand basin / WC) Stairs - quite step lead from the dressing room to the double bedroom above.

 

The Grande:

Up another half flight of stairs to the front door of the Grande Appartamento. The kitchen/dining room measures 6m x 5m and has an open fire, built-in fridge/freezer, gas oven and hob, dishwasher, double sink and microwave.

Next to it is a study/sitting room and beyond on the same floor, a double bedroom with windows on three walls offering splendid views. On the floor above is the master bedroom (same size as kitchen) with four poster bed and an en-suite bathroom (WC/hand basin/ shower recess), a twin-bedded room, and a second bathroom (bath with shower over/hand basin/WC).

Casa Claudia - The Pool and Garden

The pool is above ground and measures 5.30 x 2.80 x 1.20. It is on a terrace below the main house and is reached by steps leading down to a paved area. There is a gazebo for shade. For sun-bathing, a wooden deck measuring 6m x 2m runs from the top edge of the pool back to a grassy bank.

Dining on the terrace ...

... under the wisteria

Established garden beds surround the house - climbing roses and grapevines, jasmine, passionflower and wiisteria...and beds of lavender, rosemary, sage and thyme. There are apple and fig trees, plum and apricot, pear and quince, a marmalade orange against the sheltered "metato" wall, an almond tree and two huge persimmons. The olive trees -- just over 100 of them -- are planted in what is a natural amphitheatre -- terraces curved almost half-circle rising one above the other from a broad flat terrace, all of which is south-facing.

 

Stone steps in the courtyard

Somewhere to relax in the shade

 

The chestnut barn - ripe for development

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