An Architect-Renovated 18th-Century Farmhouse near Lucca
Montechiaro is an 18th-century farmhouse on a private estate in the hills north of Lucca, and up to 10 guests have the run of it. Start your day with the espresso machine and a slow breakfast. Mid-morning, make a trip into Lucca to walk the walls and come back with bags from the food markets. Lunch is at the covered table for 10, afternoon is poolside, and dinner is cooked together at home or eaten at a trattoria in town.
The owners, architects at BBSC Architects in Antwerp, spent two years renovating the house. They kept the chestnut beams and gave the rest a Belgian contemporary eye, with marble, terracotta and wood, and a mix of vintage Italian and custom furniture. The ground floor is one connected space, so whoever is cooking at the marble island is never far from the table, and your group can move from kitchen to dining room to terrace in the same evening. A separate TV room gives anyone who wants a movie somewhere to go.
The infinity pool looks over the valley and can be heated for an extra charge. A covered terrace with a table for 10 keeps a long lunch out of the sun, and the orchard at the back has shaded seating for the hottest part of the afternoon. There’s also a vineyard, an outdoor shower, and a Weber barbecue.
Layout
Montechiaro sleeps up to 10 guests in four en-suite bedrooms on the first floor, each with air conditioning and ranging from 23 to 36m² (about 250 to 390 sq ft). Bedroom 1, the largest, has two queen beds that can be split into four singles, which suits children or friends traveling together. The kitchen, dining room, living room and TV room are downstairs.
• Bedroom 1: Two queens (convertible to four singles), en suite, bathtub
• Bedroom 2: Double, en suite
• Bedroom 3: Queen, en suite
• Bedroom 4: Double, en suite
• One separate bathroom
Good to know
Stays start and end on a Wednesday or a Sunday, for 3 to 14 nights, with up to 10 guests per booking. A tourist tax of €3.50 per person per night applies to guests over 14, and the owners need each guest’s name and date of birth before arrival, plus passport details for one guest. Pool heating costs extra. There’s parking for four cars, and you’ll want one, since Lucca is a short drive away. A tennis court is within walking distance.
Amenities & services
Air conditioning in all four bedrooms, central heating, fireplace in the living room, Wi-Fi, infinity pool (14.2 x 4m, about 47 x 13ft, heating available for an extra charge), pool lounge chairs and pool towels, covered terrace with dining table for 10, private terrace and outdoor furniture, outdoor shower, Weber barbecue, outdoor music system, orchard with shaded seating, fenced garden, vineyard, parking for four cars, electric entrance gate, open-plan kitchen with marble island, Quooker boiling-water tap, espresso machine, induction stovetop, oven, microwave, toaster, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, dining room with oval marble table for eight, separate TV room with smart TV, Apple TV and streaming, iPad, stereo, Bluetooth speaker, games, library in the entrance hall, laundry room with washing machine and dryer, iron, hair dryers, bed linen, bath towels, dish towels, high chair, wine service (extra charge).
Around
Lucca is 5km away, and its Renaissance walls, a 4.2km loop shaded by old plane and chestnut trees, are an easy way into the city on foot or by bike. Inside, Piazza dell’Anfiteatro is oval because it follows the outline of a Roman amphitheater, and the 14th-century Guinigi Tower has oak trees growing on its roof. Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca in 1858, and his birthplace is now a museum. Our own plan for a week here would be a few dinners in Lucca’s trattorias and the rest at home, cooking with food from its markets. Golf Vicopelago is 10 minutes away.
Location
Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. Nearest airports: Pisa International Airport (PSA) and Florence Airport (FLR).
Best time to visit
May to September is for the pool and long lunches on the covered terrace. April and October are cooler and better for exploring Lucca, on foot or by bike along its walls, and the pool can be heated if you still want a swim.
