Property for sale in Tuscany: luxury villa with formal gardens, estate near Lucca

A luxury villa with formal gardens. This property for sale in Tuscany is a quite beautiful estate near Lucca. In perfect tranquility yet less than ten minutes from the city.

An historically important villa of around 1400 square metres, built in the Renaissance period and maintained continually through the centuries. The estate is located close to Lucca city centre and features formal gardens in the classical Italianate style and a swimming pool, set in a splendid surrounding private park. The villa boasts an impressive loggia that runs the entire length of the façade. Drive time to Lucca city centre is less than ten minutes.

Sympathetically updated in various epochs, the villa has many remaining exterior features typical of Renaissance villas. Internally, the décor represents mixture of periods, from the carved stone fireplace with a gilded mirror in the upstairs salon dating from the 1700s, the dining room tiled flooring typical of the 1800s to the bathrooms and kitchen installed in the past 20 years.

The main entrance hall leads to a reception hall and beyond to the Grand Salon at the centre of the villa, complete with mezzanine. The staircase to the upper floor is accessed from the receiving hall, as is the modern kitchen (via a connecting hallway), as well as a large cantina which is currently used as a wine room and storage. There is an access as well to the service apartments - three decent sized rooms and a bathroom.

From the grand salon the dining room is to the left. The suite is large and light, with a set of doors leading to the garden. There is also a large hearth. The room has two entrances from the grand salon, the doors to the gardens and another door leading to a connecting room and beyond to the kitchen. The connecting room could be used as a dining service room or a second, informal dining room.

On the other side of the grand salon is the entrance to the old kitchen. This large, light room has not been utilised as a kitchen for many generations, but the original Renaissance features have been retained: a very large hearth and work surfaces of carved stone and quite possibly the original terracotta floor tiles. This room has the potential to be used quite comfortably as an informal sitting room or study. Finally, there is a cloak room accessed from a corner of the grand salon. The grand salon has many windows with views onto the gardens, as well as a set of doors leading directly onto the formal garden behind the villa.

The ceilings of all of the rooms on the ground floor are approximately 3.5 metres high, with the exception of the grand salon which is open to the upper floor. In most cases the ceilings are the traditional terracotta and wood beam style of the original period architecture. The staircase leading from the ground floor to the upper suites arrives at a large upstairs landing. From this room there is a set of doors leading to the loggia, a large upstairs salon complete with a carved stone fireplace, the mezzanine, and an ante-chamber/sitting room that eventually leads to the library.

The upstairs salon has many windows and is quite light and airy. It too has a set of doors opening onto the Loggia. The ante-chamber/sitting room is smaller, but equally luminous, with doors leading to the library and also to the Loggia. The loggia is in fact divided into two parts, being separated by the library, and each section of the Loggia corresponds to elegant sitting rooms. The mezzanine overlooks the Grand Salon downstairs and is the principal access for the bedroom suites. The first suite on the left is connected to the ante-chamber/sitting room by a hallway where there is a modern bathroom. The second bedroom suite on the left is connected to the first by a hallway where there is a second modern bathroom. The master suite is located on the right. It is approximately twice the size of the other bedrooms and has two bathrooms.

The ceilings on the upper floor are substantially higher than those of the ground floor, and many have additional detailing. All rooms have numerous and large windows through which to enjoy the views of the estate park and the surrounding countryside. The flooring throughout is a mixture of styles and materials; the older tiles have been carefully maintained and in many cases where new tiling has been undertaken, an attempt to adhere to the classical styles was made. The doors and windows are equally well maintained. From the hallway connecting the ante-chamber/sitting room to the upstairs landing there is a second staircase leading to the top floor. There are 6 very large rooms on this floor, with ceilings of varying height. Some rooms towards the centre of the villa have ceilings at least 4.5 metres in height, while those closer to the exterior eaves are lower, approximately 3 metres in height at their highest point, and coming down to one and a half metres. The ceilings at this level are also tiles and massive wood beams. The exterior roof was revisited and repaired in recent years and is a very good state. This level has been left in its original condition and utilised as attic space.

There are windows in every room save the landing and an independent entrance via a set of stairs on the west side of the villa exterior, facing the arboretum. This floor could be developed into additional bedroom suites or used as a separate apartment. Finally there are two additional sets of exterior cantinas. The first set of two are accessed at the front of the villa and are located immediately under the service apartments. (The villa’s owner had considered connecting these cantinas to the service apartments in order to create an independent two-bedroom apartment with kitchen, living room and dining room.) The second set is accessed from the east side of the villa, in the gardens. These have been traditionally used as storage.

The surrounding estate is huge, 3.25 hectares, and includes a lawn, an olive grove, an orchard, cultivated land, an arboretum, an entrance park and formal gardens. The pool is set in the gardens and has a water feature of a marble sculpture. There is also a fountain set in the gardens, and a small chapel in its original state and well maintained.

The house, gardens and estate enjoy tranquil surrounds and beautiful views toward Lucca and up to the convent of San Michele. The neighbourhood is tucked up against the foothills of the mountains to the south of Lucca and is mostly comprised of similar villa estates and therefore remains quiet; there is no passing traffic.

For more on this property for sale in Tuscany, click below.