Villa Carnicelli, a villa rental in Lucca, Italy

A Noble Home Brought Back to Life with Contemporary Minimalism

This historical villa on a hillside in Lucca was built in 1700 as a home for the noble Carnicelli family, and was recently purchased, restored and named by its new owners in their honor. It has an imposing, symmetrical facade with a split-level entrance, that wouldn't look out of place in a Wes Anderson movie. Inside, it's an exciting blend of old bones and contemporary lines.

The palette is warm, earthy and light, and furnishings are minimalist. We love the 200-year-old cotto floors, original wooden doors and beams that are juxtaposed with the simple lines of the light fixtures and furnishings, as well as details like the shelves full of amber apothecary jars in the kitchen.

Surrounded by olive groves and other ancient trees, the villa was brought back to life with sustainability at its core. It was restored using materials that are environmentally friendly, sustainable and plastic free. The plastering, both inside and out, is organic, and the heating system and vacuum cleaning system are located inside the home's walls, meaning less dust and cleaner air.

This villa for rent in Tuscany is 450m² in size and can accommodate eight adults in five bedrooms and four bathrooms, with a professional-grade kitchen. (An additional two guests can be added if necessary.)

Additional features

An in-house chef is available to provide lunches and dinners, using simple Tuscan and Italian recipes with a modern, multicultural touch. The focus is on fresh flavors and, to that end, she uses herbs from Villa Carnicelli's own garden to bring dishes to life. She speaks fluent English, German and Italian. There is an additional charge for this service; please inquire for further details.

The property's honesty wine bar is stocked with the best from local wineries, including certified organic and biodynamic bottles, and a small guide to the bottles on offer gives a summary of each vintage.

The entire building is equipped with a high-speed wifi connection by STARLINK, velocity of 300Mbps. The system can be switched off during the night upon request.

Around

Gragnano di Capannori is a small hilltown with about 1,500 inhabitants and two notable attractions: the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, and the Sanctuary of Madonna del Belvedere.

It's about 8 miles from the ancient, medieval city of Lucca, which, with its centuries-old Ducal palaces, churches and fortifications, and Roman amphitheater, has much to explore. It also has amazing cafes, shops and restaurants along with fresh local markets and, if your timing is right, you can check out the monthly antique market, a sprawling cacophony of antique items and curios on the third weekend of the month. The drama of history is everywhere and tightly contained within the ancient, fortified walls. Don't miss Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, the ellipse of medieval houses built around the amphitheater ruins that comprise the central region of the city.

The house is conveniently located for day trips to Florence, Pisa, the Cinque Terre, Portofino, Santa Margherita, Siena, Volterra, San Gimignano, Montalcino, Montepulciano and Pienza and the lesser known but equally beautiful Ligurian seaside villages north of Tuscany.