Overview

The brainchild of one of Italy’s top contemporary architects, the private hamlet of Casamora is a dazzlingly successful marriage between the historic and the high-tech. It forms the stylish centrepiece of a 2500-acre farming estate set on the sunny, western slope of the Pratomagno Mountain range, mid-way between Florence and Arezzo. La Nocciolina ‘The Walnut’ is an independent villa which occupies one side of the borgo’s main piazza. Beautifully decorated in an updated Tuscan style that bears on pale shades of wood, stone and terracotta, the villa is furnished with a stylish blend of custom-designed modern pieces and family antiques. The two levels are connected by indoor and outdoor steps, a typically Tuscan feature from the days when farmers lived above their livestock. The lower floor is given over to two spacious bedrooms with air conditioning and luxurious en suite bathrooms and French doors opening to a beautiful private walled garden that leads out to the courtyard of the hamlet below the large pool terrace. A large living room occupies the first floor, along with a dining area and an ultra-modern kitchen. Two terraces facing in opposite directions ensure sunshine all day long.

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Description

Location

 Mid-way between Florence and Arezzo, both 45 minutes, Casamora occupies a vast swath of land on the sunny side of the Pratomagno mountain range. The nearest shops and restaurants are in Pian di Sco, 1km/0.5 miles, while Figline, 15 minutes, provides supermarkets, a direct rail link to Florence and an array of discount designer shops. There are many, many interesting villages arrayed along the old Settiponti road, just below Casamora, which was once an important pilgrimage route. The property itself offers a network of walking paths right to the summit of the Pratomagno; an alternative for hot days might be the pine-shaded trails around the abbey of Vallombrosa, 25 minutes. The Chianti wine-producing region lies just across the Valdarno, about 30 minutes’ drive.

In brief Casamora the estate.

 La Nocciolina is an independent villa overlooking the large shared pool, is just but one of the luxuriously restored residences of Casamora. Set within the Estate you can find The Hamlet Casamora or, more properly The Borgo - which offers three luxurious holiday residences, arranged around a beautiful stone piazza with a burbling fountain the three of which share an enormous swimming pool. Next La Leccina with private garden and use of the shared swimming pool and finally Le Magnolie the largest of all the villas with a walled garden and private pool. Setting the tone for the properties is the reception area in the Estate: a grand, two-storey structure, built in the 16th century as a carpentry workshop, where rustic stone walls are complemented by modern furnishings, state-of-the-art lighting and an astonishing suspended library offering high-speed internet and a vast collection of books on Tuscan topics. Casamora boasts its own restaurant, where the chef makes full use of the estate’s own organic produce, including a range of award-winning olive oils. Next door, the enoteca is one of the most appealing rooms in the borgo, not least because its walls are lined with a mouth-watering selection of Tuscany’s finest wines and grappas - notably those from the Chianti, only 30 minutes away.

Ground floor

 Entrance hall ( wheelchair accesible) ). Air conditioned double bedroom with an ensuite bathroom with bath, two sinks and bidet; opens to the garden. Air conditioned double bedroom with a breakfast table and an ensuite bathroom with bath, two sinks and bidet; opens to the garden and to a terrace with a dining table. Laundry room.

First floor

 Large living room with a dining area. Very well equipped kitchen. Two terraces: one facing into the main piazza, the other a path leading down to the garden [wheelchair accessible].

Grounds

 Villa La Nocciolina shares a large communal swimming pool, 10 x 20m/32 x 64 fee, set in the heart of the "borgo", a shaded garden leads to the courtayard or out into the open countryside. The estate as a whole is shaped like a natural amphitheatre, its 2500 acres/1000ha covering a vast swath of the Pratomagno hillside from an altitude of 400m/1300 feet above sea level to the summit at 1000m/32,000 feet. About 20% of the land is used for farming activities, including an extensive organic vegetable garden. Casamora’s specialty is its olive oil, pressed onsite in a modernised 17th century mill, but it is also actively participating in a Slow Food-sponsored initiative to re-establish a variety of indigenous crops, such as the near-extinct Zolfino bean, rovello blackberries, walnuts, mushrooms and Gastra chestnuts. Prized Valdarno chickens are also raised here, as well as ducks, guinea fowl, rabbits and bees.

Assistance

 Casamora is a fully-staffed property with a multi-lingual concierge. Housekeeping is provided daily. Welcome aperitif on arrival, wine and other alcoholic beverages, whether in the restaurant or in the enoteca, are charged separately.

Facilities

 Dishwasher. Washing machine. Spin dryer. Satellite TV [with Sky English-language channels]. DVD player. CD player. Safe. Air conditioned bedrooms. Central heating. Decorative fireplaces. Fixed telephone line connecting through a central switchboard. Guests have access to the books, periodicals, large-screen satellite television, computers and wireless internet connection in the estate’s library, as well as a billiards room. Meals are served in the restaurant or its adjacent courtyard, and wine-tastings may be arranged in the enoteca. Five mountain bikes are available onsite.

Facilities Note

 A theatre seating 160 is available on the estate for presentations and performances on request.

Access

 Airports: Florence, 56km/35 miles; Pisa, 148km/92 miles. Railway station at Figline, about 11km/7 miles. Motorway exit at Incisa, about 14km/9 miles, including 600m/yards of good white road. Parking for two cars.

Activities

 Tennis at Reggello, about 8km/5 miles. Riding stables at San Giovenale, 18km/11.25. 18-hole golf at Grassina, about 34km/21 miles.

Small Appliances

 Hair dryer. Iron and ironing board. Kettle. Mixer. Toaster.

Pool Details

 A enormous shared swimming pool, 10 x 20m/32 x 64 feet has a depth of 1,20-1,70m/3,9-5,5 feet and steps for entry/exit. A shady loggia with a sitting area, a self-service bar, changing rooms and a stone-columned pavilion, once a wash house and now a lovely spot for reading - or an afternoon nap.

Amenities for Children

 Several high chairs and cots/cribs.